It’s Not the US, It’s Us—VC’s Viral Post Stirs A Wake-Up Call on What’s Really Draining Talent From India

In a forceful and well-shared LinkedIn blog post, Rukam Capital's Founder and Managing Partner Archana Jahagirdar has started a national conversation by challenging the traditional belief that the United States is the cause of India's brain drain. Instead, she argues, it is India's own institutional gatekeeping—specifically, its fixation on IIT-IIM credentials—that is actually driving talent away.

 

Jahagirdar's blog condemns the ritual of outrage that tends to happen when top students are denied U.S. visas, stating, "The real problem isn't that the US steals our best. It's that we don't value the ones who remain behind." She identifies how the startup ecosystem in India remains dominated by an incestuous band of top institutions with barely any room for out-of-the-box individuals or Tier 2 and Tier 3 college graduates.

 

Her statements have been heard across the entrepreneurial and tech worlds, with numerous people echoing her calls for greater meritocracy and inclusivity. She is urging Indian founders and investors to look beyond pedigree and invest in talent for ideas and execution, rather than alma maters.

 

The article has also sparked discussions on reverse brain drain, as data show that fewer IIT graduates are leaving the country to emigrate abroad, not because of visa restrictions but due to the growing tech industry in India and competitive opportunities. 

 

Sources: Business Today, IndiaTimes, Times of India