Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reacted for the first time to US President Donald Trump’s decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to a record $100,000 (around ₹88 lakh) per year. The H-1B visa is mostly used by Indian tech professionals, and the massive fee hike could directly impact thousands of Indian workers.
Speaking at a rally in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, PM Modi said that India’s real enemy is not another country, but its dependence on others.
“Today, India is moving ahead with the spirit of Vishwabandhu. We have no major enemy in the world. Our biggest enemy is our dependence on other countries,” he said.
PM Modi stressed the need for self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat), calling it the only way for India to stand strong in the world. He criticized past policies under Congress governments, saying that India’s growth potential was ignored after independence.
According to him, two major mistakes held India back:
- The license-quota raj before 1991, which restricted India’s growth.
- The over-dependence on imports during globalization, instead of building local strength.
Trump’s $100K H-1B Visa Shock
With the fee hike, many Indian professionals and IT firms may face higher costs and tougher decisions about working in the US.
PM Modi’s comments underline his push for India to reduce its dependence on foreign markets and focus on domestic strength, innovation, and jobs.
The Trump administration has increased the H-1B visa fee from under $1,000 to $100,000, citing the need to protect US workers from wage competition. The US issues around 85,000 H-1B visas every year, and Indians make up nearly 75% of the recipients. Tech companies in both India and the US depend heavily on this workforce.
Jyoti Gupta 
Gaurav Chaudhary 
Harsh Kumar