What do Sundar Pichai, Amartya Sen, Indra Nooyi, Raghuram Rajan and Arvind Krishna have in common? Apart from being global icons of Indian stock, they all polished their brains at top American universities. A PhD from MIT launched Raghuram Rajan into the upper echelons of global economic thinking, from the IMF to the RBI. Sundar Pichai's Stanford and Wharton degrees were stepping stones to becoming Google's boss. Indra Nooyi earned her MBA from Yale before reshaping PepsiCo. Arvind Krishna, who heads IBM, trained at the University of Illinois, while Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's ideas on justice and welfare economics were sharpened at Harvard. Each one is a testament to how American classrooms have shaped Indian minds that now influence the world.
And it doesn't stop there. Walk through the halls of Harvard or UC San Diego, and you will find Indian names carved into the very architecture of academia. There's the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard, funding cutting-edge research on the subcontinent. Or the Narayana Murthy Fellowship at Wharton, encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders. And in sunny California, the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society is helping scientists rethink the future of human biology. Indian students and philanthropists aren't just attending US universities - they are investing in them, expanding them, and in many ways, helping define their future.
But the question is what do aspiring Indian students do now in the face of American universities being under siege - not just by budget cuts or what some might call culture wars, but by a calculated political offensive? The Trump administration insists it is punishing campuses for alleged antisemitism (read pro-Gaza demonstrations) and so-called "anti-white racism" (a swipe at diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives). But at its core, this is an attack on academic freedom and free expression - two pillars of higher learning that have long defined American intellectual life, no matter which of the two main parties the previous presidents belonged to or which ideological belief they subscribed to.
But Trump is being Trump. He isn't making history, he's reversing it. His actions are damaging the very institutions that have been central to America's global prestige: its diplomacy, its alliances, its prestigious campuses, its free press and its cultural and scientific soft power. He isn't rebuilding a fallen empire; he's dismantling the decades-old edifice of high learning.
Indian Students To Suffer
And nowhere is the collateral damage felt more acutely than in the homes of Indian families who once viewed a US degree as the surest ticket to global success.
President Trump's strategy is clear. By targeting elite institutions like Harvard and Columbia - places symbolic of intellectual independence and academic brilliance - the administration is striking fear into the wider academic ecosystem. Going after big names guarantees headlines while sending a chilling message to smaller, less protected universities: fall in line or face the consequences.
The effects of this political theatre are already being felt on the ground. In a move that seemed bureaucratic on the surface but has far deeper implications the Trump administration has quietly instructed US embassies worldwide - including in India - to halt all student visa interview appointments. Officially, the freeze is linked to enhanced social media vetting. Embassies are now required to comb through years of online activity before granting a visa. Applicants must submit their handles dating back to 2019, with the State Department stating it will “use all available information” in its assessments. What kind of content might raise a red flag? No one knows. But in an age where political expression and youth activism are often lived online, the message is clear: be careful what you post or risk your academic future.
For thousands of Indian students, many of whom spend lakhs of rupees preparing for admission exams, shortlisting universities and securing funding, the disruption is more than an inconvenience. It is a psychological blow. Indian families plan years in advance for these opportunities. When visa appointments disappear and bureaucratic fog descends, it isn't just a delay - it is a dream deferred.
The Pivot Away From The US
In 2023, Indian students overtook Chinese nationals to become the largest international student group in the US, with more than 3.3 lakh enrolments. They are widely seen, even by US officials, as a pillar of the international student community: academically rigorous, culturally adaptable and socially responsible. And they are not just participants; they are contributors. International students often pay higher tuition fees, making up a crucial slice of universities' operating budgets. They are also overrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, often staying on to fuel the US innovation economy.
And yet, their value is being dangerously overlooked.
Harvard, in particular, has become a lightning rod. The Trump administration's attempt to block it from enrolling international students - now temporarily halted by court order - has caused widespread alarm. In Indian living rooms and WhatsApp groups, parents and students alike are beginning to ask the unthinkable: is the US still worth it?
Many are already pivoting. A recent analysis in the Indian media estimated a 28% drop in Indian enrolments in the US for 2025, with students increasingly turning to the UK, Europe, Australia, and Canada. These countries may not offer the same cultural dominance or depth of alumni networks, but at least for now, they don't appear to be waging war on their own universities.
Understand The Nuance
What makes this all the more worrying is the broader ignorance outside the US about what's really happening within its academic institutions. International policymakers and even journalists often fail to grasp the nuance of the crisis. Few have sought the views of the faculty themselves - the professors and researchers who navigate complex institutional politics, face differing levels of protection based on gender, race or visa status and are now working under a cloud of fear and uncertainty.
Trump's assault on higher education is not just a domestic issue. It's a global disruption. By weaponising immigration policy and framing liberal education as a threat to national identity, the US risks alienating the very people who once upheld its intellectual dominance. It is no longer just about visas and protests - it is about whether the American classroom remains a space for free thinking and global talent.
And if it isn't, others are ready to fill the void. China, for all its surveillance and control, is investing heavily in its research universities. The UK is relaxing visa rules to court more Indian and African students. Even countries like Germany and the Netherlands are angling to offer English-language programmes and attract top talent from Asia. America's loss may well be their gain.
The Shift Is Already Underway
In the years to come, the world may see fewer Sundar Pichais, Indra Nooyis, Raghuram Rajans and Arvind Krishnas emerging from America's famed campuses. But perhaps we will see more Dr. Manmohan Singhs, Shashi Tharoors, and Rahul Bajajs - exceptional minds shaped by the equally esteemed institutions of the UK.
Ultimately, Donald Trump's most lasting legacy may not be a law or a border wall, but the slow, silent exodus of brilliant young talent - students who once saw America as the ultimate destination, and are now looking elsewhere. That shift is already underway.
An Opportunity For India
As elite American universities come under political siege, India should seize the moment at home. With US campuses facing clampdowns on academic freedom, student expression and international mobility, India has a chance to position itself as a credible alternative. By investing heavily in research ecosystems, innovative education models and globally competitive institutions, India can attract not only its own aspiring scholars but also foreign talent disillusioned with the West's shifting academic climate.
This isn't a far-fetched dream. India already boasts an expanding network of top-tier institutions - from the IITs and IIMs to the Indian Institute of Science and Ashoka University - and a vast pool of English-speaking faculty and students. What's needed now is visionary policy, generous research funding and a reimagining of education as a pillar of soft power. If the US is seen as closing its gates to ideas and talent, India can be the country that opens them, not just for Indians, but for the world.
(Syed Zubair Ahmed is a London-based senior Indian journalist with three decades of experience with the Western media)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
