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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know India’s Envoy Vinay Kwatra Invites Southeastern US Businesses To Partner In ‘Viksit Bharat’ Vision I ndian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra on Tuesday (local time) called on American business leaders across the southeastern US to deepen invest- ment ties with India, pitching the nation’s rapidly expanding manufacturing and innovation sectors as prime opportunities for global supply chain partner- ships. Sharing highlights from a Business Reception or- ganised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in Atlanta on X, Ambassador Kwatra under- scored India’s strong economic growth trajectory, skilled talent pool, and robust innovation ecosystem. The Ambassador also invited US enterprises to ac- tively participate in realising the vision of “Viksit Bharat” while driving toward the shared goal of reaching $500 billion in bilateral trade between India and the United States. “Glad to engage with business leaders from across the southeastern United States at the @USISPForum Busi- ness Reception in Atlanta. India’s strong growth, expand- ing manufacturing base, skilled talent, and innovation ecosystem offer unprecedented investment and supply chain partnerships. I invited businesses in the region to partner with India in realizing the vision of #ViksitBharat and advancing our shared goal of US$500 billion in bilat- eral trade,” Kwatra wrote in a post on X. Earlier on Monday, India’s Ambassador to the United States, Kwatra, held a series of high-level engagements in the US state of Georgia, focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, logistics, innovation and education, as India and the US continue to strength- en their strategic partnership. In a series of posts on X, Kwatra shared details of his meetings with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, UPS Chief Executive Officer Carol Tome, and academic leaders from universities across the southeastern United States. Kwatra said he had a “warmmeeting” with Governor Brian Kemp, during which he congratulated the governor on his successful tenure and discussed the expanding India-Georgia trade and investment partnership. “We discussed the expanding India-Georgia trade and investment partnership, greater connectivity, and oppor- tunities to deepen collaboration in business, innovation, and education. Looking forward to Georgia’s continued contribution to stronger India-U.S. ties,” the envoy said. The Indian ambassador also met UPS CEO Carol Tome to discuss the growing India-US economic partnership, resilient supply chains, logistics connectivity, and the company’s expanding investments and presence in India. “We discussed the growing India-U.S. economic part- nership, resilient supply chains, logistics connectivity, and UPS’s expanding investments, engagement and pres- ence in India. Indian economy offers exciting opportuni- ties in innovation, manufacturing, and global business partnerships,” Kwatra said. As part of his engagements, Kwatra also participated in the India-US Education Roundtable hosted by the Con- sulate General of India in Atlanta, where he interacted with leaders from 20 universities across the southeastern United States - ANI PHOTO:X.COM @AMBVMKWATRA Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra at USISPF business reception in Atlanta, GA. T he number of US F-1 student visas issued to Indian and Chinese nationals witnessed a significant decline in 2025 compared with previous years, according to a report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which said the reduction could have implications for American students, the labor market and national security. According to the CIS study, students from India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) accounted for more than half of all international students enrolled at US post-secondary institutions during the 2024-25 academic year. The report compared F-1 visa issuances during the May-August period from 2017 to 2025, while excluding 2020 from the analysis due to the significant decline in visa issuance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing data from the Institute of Inter- national Education’s (IIE) annual census, the report said India had 363,019 students, and China had 265,919 students in the US during the academic year, together repre- senting 53 per cent of the total 1,177,766 foreign students. The study said that F-1 student visa issuances to nationals of both countries declined sharply during the May-August 2025 period, which typically sees the high- est number of student visas issued ahead of the academic year. According to CIS data, the US issued 22,149 F-1 visas to Indian nationals between May and August 2025, a decline of 60 per cent from the average number issued during the 2017-19 and 2021-24 periods, when the figure stood at 55,717. The number also marked a 62 per cent decrease from 2024, when 58,694 visas were issued. For Chinese nationals, the number of F-1 visas issued during the same period fell to 40,034 in 2025, down 46 per cent from the 2017-19 and 2021-24 average of 73,853, and 34 per cent lower than the 61,075 visas issued in 2024, the report said. The CIS report noted that it selected the May-August period for comparison, as most F-1 visas are issued during these months in preparation for the upcoming academic year. It added that in 2024, 77 per cent of all F-1 visas issued to Indian nationals and 76 per cent issued to Chi- nese nationals were granted during this period. The report highlighted the role of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) pro- gram, under which foreign students who complete their degrees can work in the US. According to IIE data cited by CIS, 294,253 foreign students out of more than one million international students in the US during 2024-25 had completed their degrees and were working under OPT. The report said Indian and Chinese nationals accounted for nearly 70 per cent of these OPT participants, with India rep- resenting 143,740 participants and China accounting for 61,981. Citing data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), CIS said that of the 165,524 foreign students authorized to participate in science, technology, engi- neering and mathematics (STEM) OPT in 2024, 68 per cent were Indian or Chinese nationals. Indian citizens accounted for 79,331 participants, while Chinese citizens accounted for 33,807. The report argued that reductions in the number of foreign students from India and China could reduce the OPT pipeline and affect the availability of foreign work- ers entering the US labor market. The CIS report also raised concerns regarding national security, particularly in relation to Chinese students studying in sensitive fields such as STEM. The report alleged that the Chinese government has been pursuing military and technological advancement and said some Chinese students and researchers could face pressure to assist state objec- tives. It cited remarks by former US officials who have warned about risks related to technology transfer, espionage and intel- lectual property theft. The report quoted former Trump administration Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Edward Ramotowski as saying in 2018 that “foreign students, often with no nefarious intent in their plan of study in the United States, are later co-opted to work for their government.” It also cited former CIA officer Joe Augustyn, who said, “We know without a doubt that anytime a graduate student from China comes to the US, they are briefed when they go, and briefed when they come back.” However, the study acknowledged that not all Chinese students come to the US with malicious intent but argued that reducing the number of students from China in sensitive fields could help lower risks related to technology transfer. The report also examined the relation- ship between OPT and the H-1B visa pro- gram, arguing that OPT has expanded the pool of foreign workers beyond congres- sionally established H-1B limits. It noted that the H-1B program has an annual cap of 65,000 visas, with an additional 20,000 exemptions for foreign graduates with advanced US degrees, while OPT has no numerical limit. CIS said that by 2024, the number of foreign nationals working under OPT and STEM OPT had reached 505,590, which it said was comparable to the scale of the H-1B program. The report argued that reducing reli- ance on foreign graduates through OPT could benefit American students and workers by creating more opportunities in competitive sectors. - ANI US Student Visas To Indian, Chinese Nationals See Sharp Decline In 2025, Says CIS Report News India Times (August 8, 2026 - August 14, 2026) August 14, 2026 6 US - India