The real test of self-reliance begins now. America’s golden dream has darkened into India’s waking nightmare.

Recent words from India’s Prime Minister have revived hopes that ‘good times’, once promised, may return. Official propaganda insists Trump’s war will leave India unscathed. With divine blessings, the market economy will boom, and India’s mission to become a ‘vishwaguru’, a global leader, accelerates.

Read in Hindi: ट्रंप की नई साज़िश भारत के लिए शिकंजा है या सुनहरा मौक़ा!

Yet, one illusion has been shattered for good: America has never truly been a friend to India. President Donald Trump’s latest measures, increasing the H-1B visa fee from $215 to $100,000 per year and imposing harsh curbs on migrant workers, are more than administrative changes; they are unmistakably strategic moves. The US acts consistently with its imperialist and capitalist instincts: exploit others, extract resources, and assert dominance by belittling allies. Uncle Sam’s friendship is never free; behind every smile is a knife, and every partnership carries its price tag.

India has lived under these delusions for decades, lured by slogans of ‘strategic partnership’ and the façade of ‘democratic friendship’. But truth bites: America has always squeezed India’s talent, market, and resources for its own profit. Trump's decree is just an updated version of this habitual exploitation.

Indians account for the majority of H-1B visa holders—61,000 out of last year's 85,000 visas. The blow falls squarely on India. Trump’s ‘America First’ really means ‘Push India aside, stuff American pockets’. Indian tech professionals are Silicon Valley’s backbone. Remove them, and the gears of Microsoft, Google, and Amazon may well grind to a halt—should proudly self-respecting Indians decide to return en masse.

India’s IT giants, TCS, Infosys, and Wipro, are already bracing for declining profits. Industry body NASSCOM warns this is not just an economic, but a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of families face uncertainty. The $100 billion annual remittances that India relies on are under direct threat.

Trump knows India’s options are limited. On one hand, the vast American tech market; on the other, thousands of Indian engineers and their families. India is compelled to endure this bullying, whether it likes it or not. That’s the helpless reality.

For Indian professionals, the ‘Great American Dream’ is unravelling. Thousands of workers prepare for homeward journeys. Airfares are soaring with fear and uncertainty in the air. Yet behind the gathering clouds, a silver lining emerges.

Public commentator Prof Paras Nath Choudhary recalls, “Remember 2008’s recession? Thousands returned from Silicon Valley and sparked Bengaluru’s startup revolution. History could repeat itself today. The difference is, India is far stronger: 6–7 per cent GDP growth, over 50 million IT workers, and robust digital infrastructure. India can turn adversity into opportunity.”

Should thousands of Indian engineers return, India enjoys a rare windfall—experience, capital, and global networks coming home. Microsoft, Google, and Accenture already hint at expanding capability centres in India. Over the next five years, half a million new jobs could be created. Returning engineers may bring innovation to small towns, fueling startups, labs, and local entrepreneurship. This could be the ‘brain gain’ India has pined for.

Yet challenges persist. An engineer earning $150,000 in the US may settle for ₹2–4 million in India, a sharp drop in living standards that can breed discontent. But with family support, India’s social fabric, and growing local opportunities, frustrations may soften.

The government must utilise this returning talent. ‘Skill India’ and similar programs should focus on AI, quantum computing, and new technologies. Global capability centres in eastern states like Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar could help bridge regional inequality. India must also explore new markets—Europe, Africa, and Canada.

History proves America rarely prioritises its partners’ interests. From Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan to Latin America, it leaves wreckage, betrayal, and exploitation. India must shed its illusion of US friendship. America is, after all, just an opportunistic predator.