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By Shakir Husain Bernama's correspondent in New Delhi shares with readers the happenings in India. NEW DELHI, March 27 (Bernama) -- United States President Donald Trump's policies have hit the stock of overseas Indians in the marriage market in which US-based non-resident Indians (NRIs) used to command a hefty premium. There is an abundance of matrimonial advertisements in India seeking partners settled aboard. NRIs also often flaunt their status in seeking brides as well as grooms from India. The NRI factor can fetch higher dowry, a partner with most desirable attributes, or a marriage alliance that comes with political or bureaucratic connections. NRI software engineers, doctors and academics settled in the US are high in demand. The so-called American Dream has been well-publicised in India. Getting into some of India's top technology institutes is still considered a passport to America. A large number of Indian students also seek higher education in the US. While many come back, a good number of them stay back in North America. However, disillusionment may be setting in. The reasons are both personal safety and insecurity about US visas in the new racially-charged atmosphere in that country. Stories appearing in the local media point to a reluctance among parents of marriage-age girls to entertain US-based grooms following a number of hate crimes. There is also a rising worry in India that Trump's immigration policies will cut visas for Indian professionals, especially those in the information technology industry. Increasingly, parents of girls are looking for grooms working in well-paid jobs in India itself. What drove the craze for NRI marriage alliances in India? It's the prospect of prosperity, advanced infrastructure, healthcare facilities, easily accessible top-class education for children, and a lack of daily stress generated by India's crowded and polluted cities. All that was good as long as it didn't come with risks to life. There has been a 25 per cent fall in queries for NRI grooms in the past two months, especially those in the US, the Hindustan Times daily reported in early March, citing Shaadi.com, a popular matrimonial website. "This number has been on a steady decline since November, but the sharpest fall came in February because of the political developments there," said Richa Garg, a manager with the site. In February, 32-year-old Indian national Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed and his friend Alok Madasani wounded in a racially-motivated shooting at a bar in Olathe, Kansas. For people in India, the perils for foreigners in Trump's America became clearer. A chilling video also surfaced around that time in which a white man is seen stalking Indian immigrant families. "NRI grooms are not in demand anymore. Donald Trump's immigration policies have made Indian parents worried. Considering the recent events in the US where Indians were attacked, it's not a safe option anymore," Niti Jha, a vice president at Sycorian Matrimonial Services in Delhi, said in the Hindustan Times report. There are indications that Trump's policies that put "America First", may result in fewer opportunities for Indian nationals in certain sectors. The stakes are high for India's $150 billion information technology industry, which heavily relies on H1-B visas to employ Indian professionals for doing US business. The foremost IT services firm Tata Consultancy Services indicated recently that it would hire more workers locally in the US. India's other big IT companies Infosys and Wipro are grappling with similar issues. This uncertainty is unsettling for those looking for marriage alliances. Rather than wishing to migrate to the US, girls these days are asking their prospective husbands to move back to India. --BERNAMA