Over the past couple of decades, Hyderabad saw a surge in engineering colleges. The assumption among most adults was that their children — those of my generation — would study engineering and chase the American Dream. The push to secure admission in a US college started while we were still in school.
There were a few exceptions, including me, who didn’t pursue engineering. But the desire among parents in Hyderabad to see their kids earning dollars in the US and the schools’ preparation to make that happen more or less sustained.
Now, that American Dream looks harder to achieve for students in Hyderabad and elsewhere, thanks to the Donald Trump administration’s restrictive visa policies and the anti-immigration wave sweeping the US.
So does that mean Hyderabad is witnessing a shift in the ‘go abroad’ plan? Not really. The dream continues; only the destination is changing — from the US to Germany.
In just two years, students and job seekers from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana seem to have found their new alternative. This comes just two years after both Telugu states constituted slightly over 50 per cent of student visa beneficiaries in the US.
The fact that students in Telangana are choosing a country where they must learn an entirely new language is telling. Whatever the US government’s rationale may be for restricting visas for Indians, it should know that the country stands to lose talent.
People who run education and immigration consultancies say that some US-based companies are now exploring the possibility of setting up offices in Hyderabad itself as a way of navigating these challenges.
Of course, Hyderabad will continue to grow as an IT hub and create opportunities for people living here. Yet, both then and now, the larger aspiration of moving abroad, especially to the US, has been driven by the belief that life is inherently better outside India.
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A wake-up call for Indians and a chance for govts
Recent developments in the US, especially under Donald Trump, really make one wonder why America would be a good choice now. Whatever benefits existed earlier now come with a dash of racism, which will likely get worse in the coming years.
The fact that a US senator recently alleged a “visa cartel” linked to the ancient Chilkur Balaji Temple, popularly known as the “visa temple,” shows the levels of racism that right-wing politicians are willing to use to target Indians. The temple is known for devotees performing 108 circumambulations of the shrine after their prayers are fulfilled.
The prayers can be for anything. Naturally, many people hoping to obtain visas to study or work abroad pray there. If their wish is granted, they complete the prescribed rounds. For the American senator to suggest that this amounts to some organised mechanism influencing the US visa system is absurd.
More importantly, this development should serve as a wake-up call, especially for those pursuing the American Dream. Many Indian-Americans, despite holding US citizenship, prefer to stay in India because of the comforts available here, such as lower living costs and access to affordable domestic help.
Talented Indians looking to go abroad should perhaps think again about building their futures at home. Of course there are constraints, especially in terms of opportunities, but such limitations have never really prevented ambitious people from achieving their dreams.
The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments should seize this moment to build something. They should create the right ecosystem for talent, otherwise this will be a lost opportunity.
Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist whose work primarily focuses on politics, history and culture. He posts on X @YunusLasania. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)