The Aporia · 'When Amazon hired me on H-1B...': Indian university co-founder wishes good luck to US without 'indentured servants'

Shobhit Mathur, co-founder and vice chancellor of an Indian university, responded to Vice President JD Vance’s comment about H-1B visa workers being “indentured servants” by sharing his personal experience working for Amazon. Mathur was part of the initial team that built AWS while on an H-1B visa during a period when Amazon faced annual losses; today, AWS contributes over 60% to Amazon's profits. He questioned how companies like Amazon could have achieved such success without H-1B workers and challenged critics who label these employees as exploited laborers.

Written by AI on 2026-10-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Shobhit Mathur, co-founder and vice-chancellor of Rishihood University in India, defended skilled foreign workers' contributions to the U.S. tech industry by recalling his experience joining Amazon on an H-1B visa when the company was still making losses. He stated that he was part of the initial team that built Amazon Web Services (AWS) and noted that approximately 100 H-1B visa holders were involved in building AWS, which has since become a significant source of revenue for Amazon. Mathur’s comments come as the U.S. administration imposes restrictions on green-card sponsorship processing for several tech companies amid debates over skilled immigration policies.

Mathur highlighted how these foreign workers contributed to Amazon's growth from operating out of rented spaces with makeshift desks made from doors inside small cabins to becoming a technology giant. He emphasized that AWS now contributes more than 60% to Amazon’s profits and has driven up the company’s stock price by over 300 times, changing Seattle’s skyline in the process. In response to criticism like Vice President JD Vance's "indentured servants" comment, Mathur remarked sarcastically, “Good luck building companies and wealth without these 'indentured servants.'”

Written for “H-1B Visa Policy Criticism” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 H-1B Visa Policy Criticism

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This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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⚖️ Leans left Hedges 1 of 40 claims Outlet record 59/100

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Amid overall outrage against Vice President JD Vance's "indentured servants" comment, Indian entrepreneur Shobhit Mathur, co-founder and vice chancellor of a private university in India, recalled his employment with Amazon in the US and said how such "indentured servants" helped Amazon grow over the years and how Jeff Bezos went on to become the world's richest man at that time. asserted

Bezos → recall → time

"When Amazon hired me on an H-1B visa, Amazon was making losses for 10 straight years. asserted

Amazon → hire → years

It was operating out of a rented building where we worked on door desks in small cabins. asserted

we → operate → cabins

I was in the initial team that built AWS," Mathur said. asserted

Mathur → build → AWS

"Today AWS contributes more than 60% to Amazon's profit. asserted

AWS → contribute → profit

The stock price has gone 300x. asserted

price → go → ?

Amazon's buildings have changed the skyline of downtown Seattle. asserted

buildings → change → Seattle

Jeff Bezos went on to become the world's richest man. asserted

Bezos → go → ?

Good luck building companies and wealth without these 'indentured servants'," Mathur, the VC of Rishihood University said. asserted

Mathur → build → University

Strong reactions to US crackdown on Green Card In its continued effort to weed out visa abuse, the Donald Trump administration stopped the Green Card process for workers in eight IT majors: Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini. asserted

administration → continue → majors

Amazon and Google were not named. asserted

Amazon → name → ?

The restriction announced is also not on H-1Bs but on Green Card sponsorships for their employees. asserted

restriction → announce → employees

When Vice President JD Vance announced the restriction, he mentioned the H-1B visa workers and called them bonded labor. asserted

he → announce → them

"If you are working as an H-1B visa in the United States of America, you’re earning $20,000 less than an American citizen hired in the same position. asserted

you → work → position

If you were brought in by one of these foreign outsourcing firms, you’re making $48,000 less than an American citizen in a similar position. asserted

you → bring → position

So I’m sure that everybody here understands the game that is being played. asserted

that → ’m → game

You bring in indentured servants from outside the country, you lay off American workers and, if you’re a corporation, you make a ton of money by under cutting the wages of American workers, replacing them with people who frankly shouldn’t be in the United States of America to begin with," Vance said. asserted

Vance → bring → America

India officially objected to the use of the words and said i was unwarranted as talent mobility from India to the US help US companies with "cutting-edge talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness and job creation, besides creating shareholder wealth." asserted

mobility → object → wealth

'When Amazon hired me on H-1B...': Indian university co-founder wishes good luck to US without 'indentured servants'

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