Elon Musk said the United States has benefited greatly from Indians who moved there over the years. He shared this view while speaking on the “WTF is” podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath. The episode was released on Sunday.

According to Musk, Indian engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs have played a major role in strengthening American technology and businesses. In response to Kamath, he clearly stated, “America has benefitted immensely from talented Indians that have come to America.” He added that, from what he has seen, “America has been an immense beneficiary of talent from India.”

He pointed out that many Indian-origin professionals today are leading big Western companies. This, he indicated, reflects the impact of Indian talent on the global stage.

Talk Shifts to Immigration Debate in the US

The conversation then moved to the growing anti-immigration sentiment in America. Kamath asked why the immigration narrative had changed in recent years.

Musk replied that opinions in the country are deeply divided. He blamed the situation on weak border control under the Biden administration. He described the situation as “a total free-for-all with like no border controls.”

Musk explained that this had encouraged illegal immigration. He said many people were entering the US due to economic opportunities and social benefits. He called this movement a “diffusion gradient” of people heading into the country.

Musk Flags Problems with the H-1B Visa System

Musk also spoke about the H-1B visa programme. He said some people want stricter immigration rules because they believe the system has been misused. He described the way it has operated as “a free-for-all” in some cases.

However, he rejected the idea that foreign workers are taking jobs from Americans. He said his experience shows a different reality.

“I don’t know how real that is. My direct observation is that there’s always a scarcity of talented people,” he said.

He explained that companies struggle to find enough highly skilled workers for complex tasks. “So you know, from my standpoint, I’m like we have a lot of difficulty finding enough talented people to get these difficult tasks done and so more talented people would be good,” he added.

He repeated that the fear of foreign workers replacing locals is likely overblown. In his view, talented people are always in short supply, and more skilled workers would help businesses grow.

Why Musk Believes More Talent Is Needed

Musk stressed that the world needs more capable workers, not fewer. He said innovation depends on skilled people who can handle hard problems. Without sufficient talent, progress slows down.

He made it clear that, in his experience, talent is rare. Because of this, he continues to support the entry of highly skilled workers into the American workforce.