Amid President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policies, India is planning a new initiative aimed at attracting Indian nationals “star faculty” and researchers working overseas, according to The Indian Express.
The initiative is expected to not only lure leading scholars back to India but also provide them with roles at premier research institutions, fostering long-term partnerships aimed at strengthening the country’s science and technology landscape.
The effort also comes in the wake of mounting concerns over the Trump administration’s higher education policies and the contentious H-1B visa fee dispute. The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has compounded the situation, leading to widespread furloughs and layoffs, with the Department of Education among the hardest hit as its workforce has been reportedly cut by more than half under the administration’s directive. Indian authorities see this as an opportunity to attract top talent back home.
Officials say the initiative aims to strengthen India’s research and development sector by providing returning scholars with positions at top institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), leading research labs, and autonomous agencies under the Science and Technology and Biotechnology departments, according to The Indian Express.
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Sources indicate that the program will initially focus on 12 to 14 priority areas within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It may also offer “set-up grants” to help returning scholars establish laboratories and research teams in India. The IITs are reportedly supportive, with several directors actively engaging in discussions with government officials.
“Financially, we may never match global salaries, but there’s an emotional pull. Strong signaling will attract talent. On the output side, select the right people and let them work. Oversight should be light, focusing on long-term relationships rather than transactional exchanges,” said by Dr. Vaishnav, an academician at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
The government is said to be shaping the initiative to tackle challenges such as “procedural delays, funding uncertainties, and limited institutional support.” Officials are also discussing intellectual property rights, research autonomy, and tenure arrangements to ensure the program is both appealing and competitive.
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Countries such as those in Europe, China, and Taiwan have been aggressively recruiting overseas researchers through well-funded programs and new research centers. India is now seeking to position its institutions in this global competition and curb the outflow of scientific talent.
While initiatives like the Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Programme, which enables short-term collaborations with foreign researchers, already exist, participation has been limited where VAJRA has supported roughly 100 collaborations with Indian institutions since its 2017–18 launch.
Amid the disruptions caused by the U.S. government shutdown and tightening immigration policies, India sees a strategic opportunity to attract top-tier scientific talent back home. By offering competitive positions, research grants, and long-term collaboration prospects, the country aims not only to reverse the brain drain but also to strengthen its research and innovation ecosystem in the global race for STEM excellence.