PanIIT Alumni urges Indian engineers to stay home amid US visa uncertainty

PanIIT Alumni India, the network of alumni from 23 Indian Institutes of Technology, has urged Indian engineers and technologists to consider careers in India rather than relying on US visas. The call follows recent Trump-administered actions that halted new PERM labour-certification applications for several large IT companies, heightening uncertainty for Indian workers seeking green cards after entering on H-1B visas. The organization condemned JD Vance's description of Indian professionals as "indentured servants" and highlighted their historic role in US innovation.

Chairman Prabhat Kumar said a visa is not a reliable career base and emphasized that India now offers compelling opportunities for impact. He urged the community to "build here, scale here, die here," suggesting that the nation's most pressing challenges await Indian talent at home. The statement also noted that the PERM suspension does not automatically cancel existing H-1B visas but adds to the overall climate of doubt.