Washington, D.C., USA: An Indian-origin venture capitalist, Asha Jadeja Motwani, has asserted that she played a key role in influencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent shift in tone regarding the H-1B visa program, which enables American tech companies to recruit highly skilled professionals from abroad, including India.
Motwani, who also contributes to the Republican Party, stated that she personally discussed with both Trump and Vice President JD Vance the importance of allowing exceptional Indian talent to work in the United States.
Sharing her views on X, she wrote that innovators like her late husband, Rajeev Motwani, may not have been able to enter the U.S. under today’s visa-related tensions. Rajeev Motwani was a renowned Indian-American computer science professor at Stanford University and a well-known mentor in Silicon Valley.
‘I wish more people stepped forward’
Motwani further said that the Trump–Vance team is receptive to constructive suggestions, but she finds that very few high-net-worth Indian-Americans are engaging with issues that concern the community.
According to her, she spent a weekend at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, where she found it surprisingly easy to gain direct access to the former president. She expressed disappointment that she has been the only wealthy Indian-American actively advocating for Indian interests in Washington, D.C., despite nearly a year of effort.
She also alleged that most Indian-American billionaires maintain close ties only with the Democratic Party and avoid involvement with the current administration. Many, she said, cite their personal dislike for Trump or Vance as a reason for staying away from political engagement.
Motwani argued that it is in America’s economic and strategic interest to maintain strong ties with India, and she believes the Indian diaspora has a significant role to play in ensuring this alignment.
Trump’s latest remarks on H-1B create waves
During a recent interview with FOX, Trump commented that the U.S. “needs certain kinds of talent” while addressing questions about the H-1B program. His remarks sparked intense discussion among some of his supporters, who interpreted his statement as an admission that the U.S. lacks sufficiently skilled workers.
Following this, Trump’s team clarified that while they welcome international students and professionals to study and train in the United States, the administration expects them to eventually return to their home countries.
