In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, American economist Jeffrey Sachs argues that the US suspension of employment-based green-card sponsorship reflects a broader retreat from openness, warns of volatility in India-US economic ties, and backs India's push for technological self-reliance amid Elon Musk's Starlink campaign.
New Delhi: As Washington tightens its immigration policies, economic pressure on India mounts and Elon Musk publicly pushes for Starlink's entry into the Indian market, a larger question is emerging that how much should India's economic and technological future depend on the United States and foreign companies? In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, renowned American economist Jeffrey Sachs argues that the US is turning away from openness, warns that India-US ties could face greater volatility, and makes the case for India to build its own technological capabilities rather than rely on external powers.
Sachs, an academic and global leader in sustainable development, discusses the implications of the suspension of employment-based green-card sponsorship for major technology companies, the changing dynamics of India-US economic relations, and Musk's campaign against delays in Starlink's regulatory approval. Across all three issues, his central argument is that India should maintain international partnerships while strengthening its domestic technological base and strategic autonomy.
‘The US Is Going Through A Deep Political Crisis’: Sachs On Green Card Curbs
Assessing the US decision to suspend the PERM and employment-based green-card pathway for major IT companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant and Capgemini, Sachs described the move as part of a wider political shift rather than a carefully considered labour-market policy.
“The United States is going through a deep political crisis, and part of that crisis is a revolt against openness itself. The suspension of Microsoft, Adobe, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant and Capgemini from the permanent residency program is a symptom of that revolt rather than a carefully reasoned labor market policy. It reflects a mix of defensiveness, fear of competition and, frankly, an element of racism toward the people who come to America to work and to build.”
Sachs also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in the administration's actions. On the same day Vice President Vance accused Microsoft of abusing the immigration system at the expense of American workers, the administration awarded Satya Nadella, an Indian-born immigrant who leads one of America's leading companies, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
“America's technological leadership was built in large part by immigrants, as this prize demonstrates again.”
n the implications for Indian IT companies and their employees, Sachs said the direct impact could be limited because the green-card pathway was already effectively inaccessible to most Indians owing to the substantial employment-based backlog. He estimated that roughly one million people were waiting in the backlog and noted that Indian IT firms had been hiring locally in the United States for years.
However, he argued that the broader signal sent by the decision could have more lasting consequences for America's ability to attract talent.
“Talented young Indians will conclude that their future in America is not assured. This will weaken the United States, but it will strengthen India. More of India's best engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs will stay at home and build Indian solutions to Indian problems, which is very good for India's future, the world’s future, and the long-term India-U.S. relationship.”
Sachs added that the long-term relationship between the two countries should rest on cooperation between strong technological economies rather than a one-way movement of talent.
“The relationship will rest on partnership between two strong technological economies rather than on the flow of talent in one direction.”
‘The US Is Not A Reliable Partner’: Sachs Warns Of Economic Volatility
Asked whether the latest visa and green-card measures signalled a broader economic or business confrontation with India, Sachs cautioned against interpreting the decision as an action directed exclusively at New Delhi.
“I would not read the decision as a confrontation aimed specifically at India. It is aimed at openness in general, including immigrants, universities and trade partners.”
He cited the White House's announcement of fraud investigations into the use of J-1 visas at nine American universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, on the same day as evidence of the broader scope of the policy shift. India, he argued, is particularly affected because Indians constitute a substantial share of America's skilled immigrants and Indian companies play a central role in the global IT economy.
Sachs pointed to tariff pressures on India, the attempted $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications—which he said a federal judge ruled in June to be an unauthorised tax—and the suspension of green-card sponsorship as developments indicating a wider pattern in US policy.
“The pattern of U.S. policy is nonetheless clear. The tariff pressures on India, the attempted $100,000 fee on new H-1B applications (which a federal judge ruled in June to be an unauthorized tax), and now the suspension of green card sponsorship all point in the same direction. Washington is using economic pressure on many fronts at once, and India should expect more volatility in the coming months, not less.”
In a pointed assessment of Washington's approach, Sachs said: “The US is not a reliable partner. It is acting erratically and for narrow interests, not even US-wide interests.”
Despite his criticism, Sachs advocated a measured response from India, urging New Delhi to maintain ties with the US while broadening its economic and strategic partnerships.
“India's right response is to remain calm and strategic. It should maintain good relations with the United States while diversifying its partnerships, deepening ties with China and other BRICS countries, ASEAN, the Gulf, Africa, and Europe.”
He also stressed the importance of strengthening India's domestic capabilities through investments in education, research and digital infrastructure.
“Above all it should invest heavily at home in high-quality education, research, digital infrastructure and its own technological base.”
Sachs expressed confidence in India's long-term economic prospects, arguing that the country should approach its international partnerships with greater confidence rather than depend on a single partner.
“India is on its way to becoming, by mid-century, one of the world's two largest economies, overtaking the United States in absolute size (GDP at purchasing power parity), and it should act with confidence rather than as a dependent of any single partner.”
‘Musk Is Talking His Book’: Sachs On Starlink's India Push
Turning to Elon Musk's public criticism of India over the delay in approvals for Starlink, Sachs described the billionaire's statements as an attempt to advance a commercial interest by applying pressure on the government.
“Elon Musk is talking his book. Starlink is a very large commercial interest of his, and he is using his enormous platform to pressure the Indian government in public while the government is still completing its security review. Calling the delay ‘a crime against the people of India’ is not serious analysis but lobbying by megaphone.”
Sachs argued that satellite connectivity should not be treated as an ordinary consumer service, given its implications for national security, communications and sovereignty. He maintained that India was entitled to complete its review according to its own requirements and timetable.
“Satellite connectivity is not simply a consumer product. It is strategic national infrastructure, bound up with security, communications and sovereignty, and every serious country reviews it carefully. India has every right to do so on its own timetable and on its own terms.”
Asked whether Musk's public pressure was likely to succeed, Sachs said he did not expect the tactic to work, arguing that pressure from a foreign billionaire could make it politically more difficult for the Indian government to be seen as yielding.
“I do not expect Musk’s tactic to succeed. Public pressure from a foreign billionaire makes it politically harder for an Indian government to be seen to give way to pressure.”
Sachs also used the debate to make a broader argument for developing India's own satellite broadband capabilities, pointing to the country's space programme and the potential contribution of its public and private sectors.
“The deeper point is that India can and should develop its own satellite broadband system, built on its own outstanding space program. ISRO has demonstrated world-class capability, at a small fraction of the cost incurred by others. India has the engineers, the launch capability and a growing private space sector to accomplish this.”
He called for a domestic system built around Indian capabilities and supported by competition among Indian operators, arguing that the country's strategic connectivity should not depend on a foreign company.
“What matters is that the system be Indian, built on the capabilities of ISRO and NSIL, and competitive, with several Indian operators, so that India's digital sovereignty does not depend on any foreign business.”
Sachs clarified that foreign providers could still compete in India, provided they operated within the country's regulatory framework, but cautioned against outsourcing strategic connectivity.
“Foreign providers may compete in the future within India's rules, but India should not outsource its strategic connectivity.”
‘Partnerships Matter, But India Must Control Its Technological Future’: Sachs
Taken together, Sachs's views on immigration, trade and satellite communications point to a common theme: India's long-term position will depend on how effectively it builds its own economic and technological strength while navigating an increasingly uncertain global environment. While he argues that the US retreat from openness could encourage Indian talent to build at home, he also cautions against allowing economic or strategic dependence on any single country or foreign company. His position on Starlink follows the same principle, foreign providers can compete, but within India's rules. As New Delhi navigates its relationship with Washington and weighs the future of satellite connectivity, Sachs's message is clear: partnerships matter, but India's ability to shape its own technological future matters just as much.
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/jeffrey-sachs-criticises-us-immigration-curbs-warns-of-economic-volatility-in-india-us-ties-2026-10-09-138597