Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has strongly endorsed the contribution of Indian professionals to the United States economy, stating that America has “benefited immensely” from skilled Indians who migrated there over the years.
Speaking on Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s popular “WTF is” podcast, released on Sunday, Musk highlighted the vital role played by Indian engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs in shaping the U.S. technology and business ecosystem.
Kamath opened the discussion by pointing out that the U.S. has long attracted top global talent, a trend often described in India as “brain drain.” He referred to the growing number of Indian-origin CEOs leading some of the world’s biggest corporations.
‘America Has Gained Immensely from Talented Indians’
Musk agreed with the observation, saying Indian professionals have significantly strengthened the American innovation landscape.
“America has benefitted enormously from talented Indians who came to the U.S.,” Musk said, adding that the tech industry constantly struggles to find enough highly skilled people.
Responding to criticism that foreign workers take away American jobs, Musk dismissed the concern. “From my direct experience, there is always a shortage of truly talented people. More talent only helps solve hard problems,” he said.
He added that his companies — including Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI — focus exclusively on hiring the most capable professionals from across the world.
Musk on Misuse of the H-1B Program
While backing the H-1B visa program, Musk acknowledged that some outsourcing firms had misused it.
“There has definitely been gaming of the system by certain companies, and that needs to stop,” he said. However, Musk firmly opposed shutting the program down completely.
“I’m not in favor of ending the H-1B programme. That would be extremely harmful for America’s long-term technological growth,” he warned.
The H-1B visa has for decades enabled highly skilled professionals — particularly from India and China — to work in specialized sectors in the U.S. India continues to be the largest beneficiary of this program.
Remarks on Border Controls
Musk also spoke about immigration enforcement, criticizing what he described as weak border controls under the previous administration. He stressed that border checks are essential for national stability.
“Without proper border controls, you don’t really have a country,” he said, adding that flawed incentive structures encouraged illegal migration.
