Wipro’s Premji meets IT minister over proposed H1B curbs

The Dollar Business Bureau

Amid increasing concerns over the possible restrictions on H1B visas, Wipro chairman Azim Premji met IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to discuss visa and its involvement in the Indian IT industry.

Prasad assured Premji that India has been in constant touch with the US administration, requesting them to consider bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Last week, Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar met senior officials of Trump administration in the US last week to discuss India’s concerns over a possible overhaul in H1B visa norms. Jaishankar said the US’ main priorities are illegal immigration, not H1B visa norms. He suggested that the US should instead focus on augmenting bilateral trade and investment relations.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (US CIS) has temporarily suspended premium processing of H1B visas that could result in processing delays.

Wipro earns more than 55% of its revenues from its operations in the US.

The Indian government has been actively engaged in advocating a fair and rational approach on the ongoing H1B visa row from a trade and business perspective.

After Jaishankar’s visit, the IT industry body Nasscom also took a delegation to Washington DC to discuss its wide-ranging concerns including clampdown on work visas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to undertake a bilateral visit to the US later this year. His upcoming visit is widely considered a paramount one, as it will determine the future of Indo-US bilateral relation.

The clampdown of H1B visas is set to have a colossal impact on the Indian industry - battling slower growth and lack of skilled manpower - and the US, where Indian tech professionals have been instrumental in its technological growth.