“One must conclude that a degree in India is sub-par if one is sought in America.”
Actually, India graduates more than the US, see below. Experience tells me they are at least as good as Americans and the fact there are many more says that statistically, they have more “good” ones than we have. The reason Indians come here is to stay.
“India produces approximately 1.5 million engineering graduates annually, making it the largest producer of engineers globally, followed by the United States, which produces around 238,000 engineering graduates each year. This indicates that India has a significantly higher number of engineering graduates compared to the US.”
Degrees from the US are a foothold into the US and give them the acculturation for squishier jobs, such as in “data journalism”.