WASHINGTON: For several decades, hundreds of thousands of Indian students have been traveling to the United States every year to pursue higher education.
Last year alone, they paid a staggering 8 billion dollars (approximately 22 trillion 480 billion Pakistani rupees) in tuition fees to American universities.
However, this long-standing educational “honeymoon” was abruptly brought to an end by President Donald Trump, who took a series of decisive measures after, according to observers, becoming fully aware of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cunning tactics and arrogance.
As a result of Modi’s maneuvering, hundreds of thousands of Indian students lost access to world-class education in the U.S., leaving their academic and professional futures hanging in the balance.
President Trump first announced that Indian graduates would no longer easily secure employment in American companies after completing their studies, reversing a long-standing trend.
He then dramatically increased the fee for the much-coveted tech visa—a popular option among Indian professionals—to $100,000. In addition, Trump proposed that U.S. universities admit only 15 percent foreign students overall, with a maximum of 5 percent from any single country.
These measures have had a significant impact: Indian students are now choosing alternative destinations over the United States. In August 2024, around 71,000 Indian students arrived in the U.S. By August 2025, that number had dropped to just 41,000, marking a sharp 44 percent decline.
