Episode notes
For two decades, the smartest thing an ambitious Indian engineer could do was leave. In 2026, that's no longer obviously true. In this episode, we unpack the quiet reversal in the India US tech talent corridor: the year on year rise in engineers moving back home, the H-1B turbulence pushing them out of America, and the booming Global Capability Centre ecosystem pulling them toward India. It's not a simple "India wins" story.. it's a trade, and we walk through both sides of it honestly.
Nelson John covers:
- Why returnee numbers jumped from ~9,800 (2024) to ~15,100 (2025) — and could overtake departures in 2026
- The H-1B visa shock, the $100k fee, and the court reversal that came too late to undo the anxiety
- How Global ...
Keywords
why Indian engineers are leaving Silicon Valleyis the American dream over for IndiansIndia tech jobs 2026AI talent BengaluruVani KolaH-1B explainedtech layoffs visa holderscost of moving back to Indiaeverse brain drain
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