New York, 1 Dec

The US has been an “immense beneficiary” of talent from India, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said, voicing strong support for the H-1B visa programme and warning that shutting it down would “actually be very bad” for America.

Musk made the remarks in an interview with investor and entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath on his podcast People by WTF, released on Sunday.

“Yes, I think America has benefited immensely from talented Indians who have come to America... America has been an immense beneficiary of talent from India,” Musk said.

On the H-1B visa, the Tesla CEO acknowledged some misuse of the programme by outsourcing companies but said it should not be discontinued.
“It would be accurate to say that some of the outsourcing companies have gamed the system on the H-1B front. But I'm certainly not in the school of thought that we should shut down the H-1B programme. That would be very bad,” he said.

His comments come amid a major US crackdown on abuse of the H-1B visa, used extensively by American technology companies to employ foreign workers. Indian professionals, including technology workers and physicians, form one of the largest groups of H-1B visa holders.

In September, former US president Donald Trump issued a proclamation titled ‘Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers’ as part of a broader push to reform the H-1B programme. Under the proclamation, he announced a one-time fee of USD 100,000 on new H-1B visas, a move expected to affect Indian professionals seeking to work in the US.

Responding to a question on whether the US “seems to have become anti-immigration”, Musk said there were differing schools of thought on the issue. He criticised the Joe Biden administration’s border approach, alleging “massive” illegal immigration that created a “negative selection effect”.

“If there's a massive financial incentive to come to the US illegally and get all these government benefits, then you necessarily create a diffusion gradient... That obviously made no sense,” he said, stressing the need for stronger border controls.

Musk added that the left supported open borders irrespective of circumstances, while some on the right believed that highly skilled foreign workers were taking American jobs.
“My direct observation is that there's always a scarcity of talented people,” he said, noting that his companies recruit globally for specialised roles.

He said some companies focused on cost, hiring workers at lower wages to save money, but emphasised that his firms prioritised top global talent.
“We pay way above average... that's not my experience, but that’s what a lot of people complain about,” he said.

Asked what message he had for young Indian entrepreneurs, Musk said he respected “anyone who wants to build”.
“Aim to make more than you take; be a net contributor to society. If you want to create something valuable... pursue providing useful products and services, and money will come as a natural consequence,” he said.
“Are you a value creator? That’s what really matters,” he added.