‘H-1B fee hike a setback, bad news, but…’: Shashi Tharoor on India-US ties

COngress MP Shashi Tharoor said the recent hike up in H-1B visa fees and US tariffs has caused a “ sharp-worded short-term setback” for republic of india, impacting jobs and merchandise. He, notwithstanding, said that this is not a “point of no return” for bilateral relations, as the long-term interests of both countries will eventually restore balance.The former minister of state for external affairs told news agency ANI on Tuesday that ongoing cooperation between India and the US in sectors such as defence, artificial intelligence, information technology, and space.He also pointed to the deep people-to-people connections, noting that more than 5 million Indian-origin individuals live in the US, including students and CEOs in Silicon Valley.“No, I would not say it is a point of no return. Because I do believe the longer term interest of both countries will eventually bring us back on even keel. It is certainly a very sharp setback in the short term. It is costing us. It is costing jobs in India, losses in India. For India, it is undoubtedly bad news this year. But look at the larger picture,” ANI quoted Tharoor as saying.Shashi Tharoor also criticised recent US policy moves, describing them as “unfair” and “insulting,” particularly in the context of longstanding trade relations and India’s non-penalisation in areas such as Russian oil purchases. Despite the tensions, he expressed confidence that both governments continue to engage at multiple levels, ensuring that cooperation in strategic sectors remains unaffected.Increase in H-1B visa application fee to USD 100,000Despite the imposition of a cumulative 50 per cent tariff on imported Indian goods and the recent increase in H-1B visa application fee to USD 100,000, India and the US have continued trade negotiations and talks between various leaders from both New Delhi and Washington.Millions of Indians are residing in the US under the H-1B visa. While the fee hike is only on new applications, the presidential proclamation had triggered panic in communities for a short while, with people trying to get back to the US to ensure they get entry into the country.Earlier, while US secretary of state Marco Rubio and external affairs minister S Jaishankar agreed on sustained engagement in priority areas while meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said, “Good to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning in New York. Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch.”