Build here, scale here: PanIIT Alumni India urges IITians to return amid US visa row

Amid uncertainty over the US PERM programme and Green Card filings, PanIIT Alumni India has urged IIT graduates overseas to consider building their futures in India. The alumni body defended Indian professionals against stereotyping and called for stronger research opportunities, deep-tech infrastructure and patient capital to retain skilled talent.Amid uncertainty over the US PERM programme and Green Card filings, PanIIT Alumni India has urged IIT graduates overseas to consider building their futures in India. (Photo: Getty Images)New Delhi,Oct 9, 2026 13:07 ISTFollowing the US government's move to pause PERM labour certification processing, a key step in employment-based Green Card applications, PanIIT Alumni India has urged the global IIT diaspora to return to India, arguing that the country's technology ecosystem now offers opportunities that once pushed its brightest minds abroad.In a statement, the umbrella body representing alumni of all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) expressed concern over developments surrounding the US PERM programme and the treatment of skilled Indian workers.The organisation called for immigration policies to be implemented fairly and transparently, warning against stereotyping Indian professionals who have contributed to American innovation, research and industry.‘A VISA WAS NEVER A STABLE FOUNDATION’The statement comes amid growing anxiety over the PERM labour certification process, an important step for many employer-sponsored US Green Card applications. Any disruption or uncertainty in the process can leave skilled foreign workers worried about their long-term future and career prospects. PanIIT Alumni India pushed back against the characterisation of Indian professionals as "indentured servants", highlighting their contributions through patents, businesses, technological innovation and job creation in the US."We respect the sovereign right of every nation to shape its immigration policy. However, we urge that such policy be applied fairly, transparently, and without stigmatising a community of professionals," the statement said.IIT ALUMNI BODY CALLS FOR A HOMEBOUND SHIFTThe organisation also turned the spotlight on India's responsibility to create an ecosystem that attracts and retains skilled professionals, including those who have built careers overseas.Prabhat Kumar, IRS, chairman of PanIIT Alumni India, said the current developments should prompt a rethink of India's long-standing celebration of talent moving abroad."For decades, we celebrated when our brightest minds left for American shores. It is time we asked what we lost in the process," Kumar said.He argued that India now offers engineers opportunities to work on ambitious problems, supported by a growing technology ecosystem.The organisation's message to IIT alumni worldwide was direct: "From Silicon Valley to the Indus Valley build here, scale here, contribute here."It added that the appeal was not a rejection of global opportunities, but an invitation to contribute to India's growth.Whether visa uncertainty translates into a meaningful return of skilled professionals will depend on India's ability to provide world-class research opportunities, deep-tech infrastructure and patient capital. The PERM controversy has, however, renewed a crucial question: what would it take for India's brightest minds to build their futures at home?- Ends