New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- Long seen as a symbol of India's global tech aspirations, the H-1B visa has become more than just an immigration story. With the US tightening rules, India faces the challenge of luring back its talent by offering them a conducive growth path in the country to take advantage of a potential reverse brain drain.

In America, Indian H-1B holders are often seen as low-cost workers taking away local tech jobs, fueling demands to restrict visas. Adding to strained US-India trade ties, US President Donald Trump's made a shock move to impose a $100,000 upfront fee on H-1B visa petitions from 22 September.

This left Indian techies-who made up 71% of H-1B visa beneficiaries last year, far ahead of China at 11.7%-reeling, as ...