In recent weeks, shockwaves have run through India’s tech aspirants after the U.S. announced a sweeping $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applicants, sparking anxiety across student and professional communities. The hike threatens to cool the pipeline that once empowered many Indian engineers to enter America and eventually lead global companies.

Yet, the story of India’s influence in U.S. tech is inseparable from the journeys of Indian-origin executives who first came here on H-1B visas—and eventually helmed major corporations with global impact.

Sundar Pichai: From Chrome architect to Alphabet CEO

Hailing from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Sundar Pichai earned his BTech at IIT Kharagpur before heading to the U.S. for advanced studies at Stanford and Wharton. In 2004, Pichai joined Google under an H-1B visa and soon became central to developing Google Chrome—today’s dominant browser. His stewardship of key products subsequently paved the path for him to lead Google (from 2015) and later Alphabet (from 2019).

Satya Nadella: Building Microsoft’s cloud future

Born in Hyderabad, Nadella first earned his engineering degree in India, then moved to the U.S. for graduate studies. In 1992, he joined Microsoft via an H-1B visa. Over the years, Nadella’s leadership of Microsoft’s cloud business proved transformational. In 2014, he succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO, reorienting Microsoft toward cloud-first and mobile-first strategies.

Jayshree Ullal: Leading Arista in networking’s vanguard

Although born in London and raised in New Delhi, Jayshree Ullal came to the U.S. in her teens and secured her education stateside. She entered the semiconductor and networking domain on an H-1B visa, contributing across companies like AMD and Fairchild. Ullal would go on to serve at Cisco for over a decade, eventually becoming President & CEO of Arista Networks, where she continues to drive innovation in cloud networking.

Arvind Krishna: Elevating IBM under his watch

Arvind Krishna originates from West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. A graduate of IIT Kanpur and a PhD from the University of Illinois, Krishna joined IBM in 1990—on an H-1B visa. He spent years in research and development roles before ascending the executive ladder to become CEO in 2020 and later chairman of IBM’s board.

Aravind Srinivas: Young mind challenging the giants

Born in Chennai in 1994, Aravind Srinivas completed his PhD in the U.S. and initially worked at firms like Google and OpenAI while on H-1B status. In 2022, Srinivas co-founded Perplexity AI, positioning the startup to compete with established tech titans in artificial intelligence.

These stories underscore how the H-1B visa, long considered a catalyst for importing specialized skills, has enabled extraordinary leadership trajectories. By granting access to opportunity, the visa system allowed individuals of diverse origins to contribute crucially to the U.S. tech ecosystem—and sometimes steer its flagship institutions.

Now, as the new $100,000 fee looms, critics warn it may dissuade companies from sponsoring foreign talent at scale, potentially shrinking the talent pool at a time when innovation relies on global perspectives. As these Indian-origin CEOs attest, the ability to enter and grow within the U.S. tech landscape was once an essential bridge—not just for careers, but for building the future of technology itself.