Shashi Tharoor: Trump’s H-1B Fee May Hurt Now but Could Benefit India in Long Run

Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor said the steep $100,000 fee imposed by US President Donald Trump on H-1B visas may be a “third whammy” for India, but could ultimately work in the country’s favor.

“Let’s not be doomsayers about this H-1B thing,” Tharoor told The Wire. “It’s a blow. It was unexpected. It will hurt some individuals and companies in the short term. But there are medium-term responses which may actually strengthen our hands in the long run. Let’s not constantly feel like victims in this exercise.”

His comments stood apart from sharper criticism within the Congress party. Rahul Gandhi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a weak PM” over the H-1B issue, while party president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi of reducing foreign policy to “bear hugs.”

Tharoor, however, stressed the “mercurial” nature of Trump: “If he could be unpredictable in a negative direction for us earlier this year, he might turn out to be unpredictably positive in the months ahead.”

‘Net result may favor India’
Tharoor argued that Trump’s fee hike, which analysts say could kill the H-1B program, may redirect work back to India. “America doesn’t have enough engineering graduates and software professionals. The net result is more likely to be that jobs currently done in the US will shift to company branches abroad — and maybe even more to India.”

The BJP has also pitched the policy as a “blessing in disguise,” saying skilled Indian engineers could now return home to boost domestic growth.

Tharoor linked the move to Trump’s “MAGA movement,” describing it as steeped in anti-immigrant prejudice, though he stopped short of calling Trump himself racist.

‘Govt response measured so far’
He said the Modi government’s response had been “fairly measured and sensible,” while urging firmness on issues such as India’s oil imports from Russia, which triggered higher US tariffs.

At the same time, Tharoor noted Trump’s contradictory messaging — from calling India’s economy “dead” to restoring trade talks and wishing Modi on his birthday. “In the short term we’re like a ship in stormy weather. In the longer term, fundamentals still favor a good relationship,” he said, pointing to defence cooperation.

‘Only Mrs Trump can understand him’
Asked if Trump was deliberately targeting India, Tharoor quipped: “Mr Trump is a law unto himself… The person who claims to understand him hasn’t been born — unless it’s the one married to him. Only Mrs (Melania) Trump seems to have had a long, sustained relationship with him.”

He acknowledged speculation over Trump cozying up to Pakistan but said the US president also seemed keen to rekindle ties with Modi. “Except shortly after that call… he imposed the $100,000 H-1B fee,” Tharoor noted, underlining the unpredictability of the situation.

“In such uncertainty, you can’t give simple answers,” he concluded. “That’s why we must take the longer view.”