Immigration bill to hurt Indian IT companies: Ajay Banga

Washington: Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard and chairman of the US-India Business Council wrote in an op-ed in The Hill that certain provisions of the immigration reform bill hurts Indian IT companies and imperil thousands of jobs.

 

"US policymakers need to understand the significant and harmful unintended consequences if legislation is passed containing provisions that would limit market entry of IT professionals," the top US corporate leader has argued as the legislation is being debated in the House of Representatives.

 

The provisions discriminate against Indian IT companies, but to be very clear, some US IT providers would be blocked from providing these services, wrote Banga.

 

US and Indian companies that bring temporary IT personnel to American businesses when such trained professionals are in short supply domestically provide a critical service in the US marketplace.

 

"High-skilled workers play a major role in the US economy today. They work for our biggest job creators, are often entrepreneurs themselves and are directly contributing to the innovative companies that will employ Americans for generations to come," he said.

 

"Until the US can produce sufficient numbers of skilled professionals domestically, the reality is that talent must be sourced from around the globe so our companies can continue to compete successfully on the global stage," Banga insisted.