The US government’s decision to suspend green card sponsorship processing for eight major technology companies has triggered concerns over its impact on Indian IT firms and skilled professionals. NASSCOM chairperson Srikanth Velamakanni, however, believes the move could create new opportunities for India.
The Trump administration has suspended new and pending permanent labour certification applications involving eight companies, including Microsoft, Adobe and six IT services firms with ties to India. The six IT services companies are Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant and Capgemini.
Velamakanni described the situation as a potential opportunity for India, arguing that restrictions on the movement of workers could encourage companies to move jobs to countries where the talent is available. Asked whether India could absorb talent, Velamakanni pointed to the opportunities created by artificial intelligence.
“When labour is not able to move to where the work is, the work will move to where the labour is,” he said. He said AI was making it easier and less expensive to develop products, start businesses, and raise capital. These changes could help India’s talent turn ideas into businesses, according to him.
NASSCOM Sees Limited Short-Term Impact On Indian IT
He also said the companies involved were well-governed and compliant with the laws of the countries in which they operate. he said the industry should continue contributing to US growth While describing some of the remarks against Indian technology companies and professionals as insulting. Indian technology companies had already reduced their reliance on H-1B visas, which could limit the immediate impact of the decision on their operations, according to Velamakanni.
