India should build the capacity to attract students who may want to study in the US and those who may want to leave the US and explore opportunities elsewhere. For sure, this is not going to be easy. Bright students opt for American universities because of their brand value and the learning ecosystem they provide. Not all of it can be replicated immediately: The US universities are beneficiaries of legacy investments, including philanthropy, in learning and research, and they have mostly been welcoming of talent and independent inquiry. Top education facilities in India, such as the IITs and central universities, have the infrastructure to attract talent — both students and faculty. Also, US universities could be cajoled to take a cue from the tech firms, which are building capacities in countries such as India to firewall their business from the Trump Administration, to set up campuses here. A message should also go out that Indian campuses are welcoming of research and knowledge production, and that red tape or ideology will not be allowed to stymie such pursuits.