Reinventing India in US mainstream

New Delhi needs to reach out to the new America to build its case as a valuable ally

This is not the best of times for immigrants and foreign workers anywhere in the world, most of all in the US. Indian immigrants and tech workers in the US are at the receiving end of a swell of nativism and nationalist politics. The rise of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, visible in the policies of the Trump administration, especially its stance on H1-B visas (India is the biggest beneficiary of this visa regime), and international trade, has contributed to the anti-immigrant mood. Indians are clearly in the line of fire, despite President Trump’s reiterations that Prime Minister Modi is a dear friend and the projection of Indian Americans as a model immigrant community. The anti-Indian campaign on 4chan, an anonymous imageboard website, in the wake of a hike in H1-B visa fee is symptomatic of this undercurrent. Grandstanding by officials such as secretary of commerce, Howard Lutnick, that India must “stop taking actions that harm America”, may be further feeding the sentiment.

The MAGA movement is ideological, but its world view is transactional. This gives New Delhi room to negotiate without compromising its national interests and abandoning its pursuit of multipolarity in global affairs. (@State_SCA/X via PTI)

What should India do? One, the rise in anti-India sentiment is linked to domestic politics in the US. Diplomats could reach out to friends of India in the US Congress and Senate, and convince them to dispel the notion that Indian interests are inimical to America’s well-being. Two, the American business community should be persuaded to highlight the Indian contribution to American tech and business and how outsourcing has helped the US economy. India should support and sponsor surveys to press the point that the association with India has led to the creation of jobs in the US. There are studies that detail the contributions of Indian Americans to the US’s economic, scientific, social, cultural and civic life, and how entrepreneurs of Indian origin contribute significantly to job creation in the US. These need to be amplified in the new climate to influence public opinion. India should also attempt an outreach to the MAGA street to emphasise how India’s democratic credentials, family values, and work ethic have much in common with the US, and why Trump 2.0 must build on the groundwork done by past administrations to think long term and build closer ties. New Delhi should also invest in US universities, think tanks, and cultural institutions to embellish its outreach and, if necessary, rebrand its profile, to make India’s case in the new US polity.

The MAGA movement is ideological, but its world view is transactional. This gives New Delhi room to negotiate without compromising its national interests and abandoning its pursuit of multipolarity in global affairs. This is a political task, no doubt, but restricting the focus to politics, or depending on the personal chemistry between leaders, will limit the outcome.