Anti-India hate surges online

The US-based Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) in a recent study traced a surge in anti-Indian rhetoric online, citing 24,000 posts on X in 2025 that were viewed more than 300 million times, with such content tripling compared to the previous year, a report said on Thursday.

“The attack was led by just a few accounts rather than organically spreading online. According to the study, the three ‘most prolific posters’ generated a total of 525 posts on X — and those posts were viewed, liked, and reposted 18.4 million times. Those three X accounts attracted over 10 per cent of all likes and 20 per cent of all reposts among the anti-Indian posts reviewed by NCRI,” a report in American news website ‘The Free Press’ highlighted.

According to the report, the study documented that spikes in anti-Indian posts frequently followed announcements of changes to immigration policy under President Donald Trump's administration, including the introduction of a $100,000 fee for employers sponsoring H-1B workers. In an executive order in September 2025, Trump said the fee was intended to curb fraud.

“Most of the highly-engaged anti-Indian tweets during this period applauded this order as a way to curb Indian immigration while simultaneously engaging in racist verbal abuse,” The Free Press quoted the NCRI study as saying.

The report noted that ethnic slurs and stereotypes were frequently used alongside discussions about visas, legal and illegal immigration, and assimilation. Citing NCRI, it stated that the volume of anti-Indian posts reached their peak in mid-December, including over 800 posts per week featuring slurs such as “pajeet and dothead”.

Recently, a viral video of an Indian couple participating in an online dance challenge at Washington DC’s World War II Memorial triggered outrage with calls to slash visas.

"The clip led to demands from some Americans to acknowledge the solemnity of the space. ‘No more H-1B,’ one user replied. The work visa has become a frequent reference in insults lobbed online at some immigrant group,” it mentioned.

A report in India Narrative stated that the rise in anti-Indian hate, revealed by NCRI analysis, is not mere random bigotry but a coordinated digital attack amplified by influencers and algorithms, endangering immigrant communities and free discourse.

“Even prominent Indian-Americans face the barrage. Usha Vance, the US Second Lady with Indian immigrant parents, drew over 2,000 hostile posts; Vice President J D Vance fired back bluntly against critics. FBI Director Kash Patel and DOJ Civil Rights head Harmeet Dhillon endured racist attacks. Dhillon called out “blatant racism and nativism” during the 2024 RNC. Indian conservatives like Utsav Sanduja warn that this erodes bipartisan support built over the years,” it detailed.

The report further said, “Platforms must act: curb algorithmic boosts for hate, verify influencer networks, and enforce transparency on high-view content. Policymakers should distinguish legitimate H-1B reforms from ethnic scapegoating. India, a key US ally in tech and defence, deserves better than slurs.”