PM Modi's first remark amid Trump's H-1B visa fee hike to $1,00,000: ‘Our biggest enemy is…’
In its first remark after the H-1B visa fee hike, PM Modi said India's ‘biggest enemy’ is dependence on other countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised India’s need for self-reliance as US President Donald Trump increased the H-1B visa fee to $100,000 (approximately ₹88 lakh) annually – H-1B is used extensively by high-tech workers, especially from India. In its first remark after the H-1B visa fee hike, PM Modi said India's “biggest enemy” is dependence on other countries.
PM Modi said, “Today, India is moving forward with the spirit of 'Vishwabandhu'. Duniya mein koi hamara bada dushman nahi hai. Agar hamara koi dushman hai toh woh hai dusre deshon par hamari nirbharta [We have no major enemy in the world. Our biggest enemy is our dependence on other countries]."
“This is our biggest enemy, and together we must defeat this enemy of India, the enemy of dependence. We must always reiterate this,” PM Modi said.
Addressing a public meeting in Gujarat's Bhavnagar, PM Modi criticised the license-quota raj before 1991 and Congress' focus on imports after opening India's market. Also Read | H-1B Visa fee $100K hike: ‘PM Modi's birthday return gifts’ from Trump — How Opposition reacted?
Reiterating his call for self-reliance, he said, "India must become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) and stand strong before the world. India has no shortage of potential, but after independence, Congress ignored all of India's potential."
"Therefore, even after 6-7 decades of independence, India has not achieved the success it deserved. There were two major reasons for this. For a long time, the Congress government kept the country entangled in the license-quota raj, isolating it from the world market. And then, when the era of globalisation arrived, the only path to import was taken," the Prime Minister added.
Trump hikes H-1B visa fee
In a larger crackdown on immigration, Donald Trump dramatically raised H-1B visa fee to $100,000. A US official confirmed that the visa cost would be hiked to $100,000, compared with just under $1,000 now.
The Trump administration will also take steps aimed at preventing tech workers visiting on the visa from undercutting wages of native-born workers.
The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system. India accounts for around three-quarters of the recipients. Large technology firms rely on Indian workers who either relocate to the United States or come and go between the two countries.
(With agency inputs)