The Indian government is actively observing the situation surrounding backlash against Indian H-1B visa holders in the United States. Ministries of External Affairs, Commerce and Information Technology are collaborating to safeguard the interests of Indian professionals legally employed in the US.
Speaking to a section of the media, a government source said, “We shouldn’t have a situation where there is an unpleasant issue created for our Indian workers who are there legally. That is something the government is constantly concerned about.”
The IT Ministry is engaging with major software companies and industry associations, including Nasscom, to collect insights from the ground level.
“We would like to make sure our competitive position is not affected and that other factors do not interfere with legal frameworks, even from an American setup,” the source added.
The government is also monitoring the direction of American visa policies, particularly in the context of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. “We don’t want to view this as a scenario of increasing restrictions but as an opportunity to see how American policies develop,” the source emphasised.
Officials highlighted the growing establishment of global capability centres (GCCs) in India by multinational companies, including US firms, as evidence of the high demand for skilled Indian professionals.
“The fact that they are setting up GCCs in India shows they are keen to hire qualified Indian workers for cutting-edge work,” a source explained.
The Ministry of External Affairs is coordinating with the Indian mission in the US to closely follow developments.
Recent controversy arose following the appointment of Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan as Senior White House Policy Advisor on AI, which triggered backlash from far-right groups alleging that H-1B visa holders are displacing American workers.
Despite this opposition, President-elect Trump defended the programme, stating, “I’ve always liked the visas. I have always been in favour of the visas. That’s why we have them… It’s a great programme.”
Elon Musk, a prominent US-based businessman, also supported reforms while advocating for the continuation of H-1B visas.
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