Indian-Born Technologist Joins US Billionaires’ Club Amid H-1B Visa Restrictions

At a time when the United States continues to impose stricter rules on skilled Immigration and H-1B visas, an Indian-born entrepreneur has joined the elite ranks of America’s tech billionaires. Jyoti Bansal, founder of AI-driven software company Harness, has entered the Billionaire club following a major funding round that valued his company at $5.5 billion.

Born in Rajasthan and educated at IIT-Delhi, Bansal’s journey—from arriving in the US with just a few hundred dollars to building two multibillion-dollar technology companies—stands out as a powerful immigrant success story.

From Rajasthan to IIT-Delhi to Silicon Valley

Jyoti Bansal grew up in a small town in Rajasthan, where he helped his father run a farming machinery business. Academically gifted, he went on to study computer engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.

At the age of 21, Bansal moved to the United States with limited financial resources but ambitious goals. Over the next decade, he worked as an engineer at three enterprise technology firms, all while being sponsored on H-1B visas.

This experience shaped his strong views on skilled immigration. Bansal has often argued that restrictive visa policies deprive American companies of global talent and discourage innovation.

He became a US citizen in 2016 but has consistently criticised rules that prevent skilled workers on temporary visas from starting companies. According to Bansal, such restrictions block entrepreneurs at the very stage when their ideas and energy are at their peak.

AppDynamics: The First Breakthrough

Bansal’s first major entrepreneurial success came in 2008 when he founded AppDynamics. The company developed software that helped large enterprises monitor complex applications and resolve performance issues before they escalated.

As businesses rapidly digitised operations, demand for AppDynamics’ tools surged. By 2017, the company was generating over $200 million in annual revenue and preparing for an initial public offering.

Just days before the planned IPO in January 2017, Cisco acquired AppDynamics for $3.7 billion. At the age of 39, Bansal suddenly found himself immensely wealthy.

A Brief Retirement — And a Return to Entrepreneurship

Following the sale of AppDynamics, Bansal stepped away from the startup world and spent several months travelling. While the break offered perspective, it did not bring fulfillment.

He soon realised that entrepreneurship—not retirement—was his natural calling.

Reflecting on his experience, Bansal identified a major inefficiency in software engineering. Developers were spending far more time on testing, security, and deployment than on writing code, much of it manual and repetitive.

This insight laid the foundation for his next venture.

Harness and the Rise of AI-Driven Software Delivery

Bansal founded Harness to automate and optimise the entire software delivery lifecycle using Artificial Intelligence. The platform helps organisations test, secure, and deploy software faster and more reliably.

As generative AI accelerates software creation, Harness’s tools have become increasingly valuable. Major enterprises, including Citi and United Airlines, are among its clients.

Billionaire Status with Harness

According to Forbes, Harness recently raised $240 million in funding led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Institutional Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures. The funding valued the company at $5.5 billion.

This round propelled Jyoti Bansal into the billionaire league, with an estimated Net worth of $2.3 billion.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Harness employs over 1,200 people, operates multiple related products, and is growing at an annual rate of around 50%.

A Broader Message Amid Immigration Debate

Bansal’s rise comes at a time when immigration—particularly skilled Migration through H-1B visas—remains politically contentious in the US.

His story highlights the outsized contribution of Indian-origin entrepreneurs to America’s technology sector and economic growth, even as policy debates continue to question the value of skilled immigration.

From a small town in Rajasthan to the heart of Silicon Valley, Jyoti Bansal’s journey underscores how global talent, when given opportunity, can reshape industries and create immense economic value.