Share Market Crash: U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to raise the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000 has had a severe impact on the Indian stock market, particularly the IT sector. This policy led to a sharp decline in shares of Indian IT companies, which in turn affected key market indices on Monday. This article analyzes the impact of the event on the market and the performance of various companies.
On Monday, September 22, 2025, the first trading day of the week, the Indian stock market witnessed a significant downturn. The BSE Sensex fell 466.26 points (0.56%) to close at 82,159.97, while the NSE Nifty 50 dropped 124.70 points (0.49%) to end at 25,202.35. The primary driver of this decline was the increased pressure on Indian IT companies due to the hike in H-1B visa fees, as these firms are heavily dependent on the U.S. market.
Out of the 30 Sensex companies, only 9 stocks closed in the green, while 21 ended in the red. Shares of Eternal posted the highest gain with a rise of 1.55%, while Tech Mahindra saw the steepest fall, closing 3.20% lower.
Gainers included:
Bajaj Finance: +1.31%
Adani Ports: +1.17%
UltraTech Cement: +0.98%
Hindustan Unilever: +0.42%
Axis Bank: +0.40%
Bajaj Finserv: +0.17%
NTPC: +0.16%
PowerGrid: +0.07%
Losers included (mostly IT firms):
TCS: -3.02%
Infosys: -2.61%
HCL Tech: -1.84%
Tata Motors: -1.69%
Trent: -1.38%
Reliance Industries: -1.23%
L&T: -0.92%
State Bank of India: -0.84%
Others: ITC (-0.74%), Sun Pharma (-0.73%), BEL (-0.61%), Kotak Mahindra Bank (-0.45%), Maruti Suzuki (-0.39%), HDFC Bank (-0.34%), ICICI Bank (-0.07%).
Among the 50 companies on the Nifty 50 index, 18 stocks closed higher, 31 declined, and 1 remained unchanged.
The H-1B visa has long been a crucial pathway for Indian IT professionals to work in the U.S. The steep hike in fees will increase operational costs for Indian IT firms, directly affecting their profitability and stock valuations. Companies like TCS, Infosys, and HCL Tech, which rely heavily on U.S. clients, were particularly hit.
This policy is expected not only to raise costs but also to impact the competitiveness of the Indian IT sector, forcing companies to explore alternative strategies alongside managing higher fees.