H-1B dependence of Indian IT firms has declined, says Mohandas Pai amid US 'scam' claims
The comments come amid scathing remarks from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who described the H-1B visa programme for highly skilled professionals as a “scam”
- Aug 30, 2025,
- Updated Aug 30, 2025 1:24 PM IST
Industry veteran and former Infosys CFO, Mohandas Pai, on Thursday said Indian IT firms’ reliance on H-1B visas has reduced significantly over the years. Data, he noted, shows many leading American tech companies now top the list of H-1B applicants.
The comments come amid scathing remarks from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who described the H-1B visa programme for highly skilled professionals as a “scam.” The IT industry association Nasscom has not issued any official response to these criticisms. Emails to TCS, Infosys, and Wipro also went unanswered.
“The current H-1B visa system is a scam that lets foreign workers fill American job opportunities. Hiring American workers should be the priority of all great American businesses. Now is the time to hire Americans,” Lutnick said in a social media post earlier this week.
Pai responded that Indian IT companies are less vulnerable today compared to the past. “Indian service companies’ dependence on H-1B has come down. Please look at public data, in the last year, who were the top 20 filers of H-1B? Many large American tech companies are filing H-1B. So it is not Indian service companies coming there for H-1B... but the stock of H-1B is very high,” he told PTI.
Under US law, Congress mandates a cap of 65,000 H-1B visas annually, with an additional 20,000 for professionals holding a US master’s degree or higher. “Last year, about 240,000 were renewed... renewal comes every three years. So incremental H-1Bs are being given more to American companies, less to Indian service companies. Indian service companies, most of them have more than 50 per cent of the staff they work with in America who are locals... and their dependence on H-1B has come down,” Pai added.
The remarks come as the US administration plans to overhaul the H-1B programme, which remains the most sought-after non-immigrant visa for Indian IT professionals, alongside changes to the Green Card process. “I'm involved in changing the H1B programme. We're going to change that programme, because that's terrible,” Lutnick said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday.
Indians have historically been the main beneficiaries of H-1B visas, which allow US employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in roles requiring highly specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field. Fiscal year 2025 data from USCIS (as of June 30, 2025) shows Amazon topping H-1B approvals with 10,044 visas.
(With PTI inputs)
Industry veteran and former Infosys CFO, Mohandas Pai, on Thursday said Indian IT firms’ reliance on H-1B visas has reduced significantly over the years. Data, he noted, shows many leading American tech companies now top the list of H-1B applicants.
The comments come amid scathing remarks from US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who described the H-1B visa programme for highly skilled professionals as a “scam.” The IT industry association Nasscom has not issued any official response to these criticisms. Emails to TCS, Infosys, and Wipro also went unanswered.
“The current H-1B visa system is a scam that lets foreign workers fill American job opportunities. Hiring American workers should be the priority of all great American businesses. Now is the time to hire Americans,” Lutnick said in a social media post earlier this week.
Pai responded that Indian IT companies are less vulnerable today compared to the past. “Indian service companies’ dependence on H-1B has come down. Please look at public data, in the last year, who were the top 20 filers of H-1B? Many large American tech companies are filing H-1B. So it is not Indian service companies coming there for H-1B... but the stock of H-1B is very high,” he told PTI.
Under US law, Congress mandates a cap of 65,000 H-1B visas annually, with an additional 20,000 for professionals holding a US master’s degree or higher. “Last year, about 240,000 were renewed... renewal comes every three years. So incremental H-1Bs are being given more to American companies, less to Indian service companies. Indian service companies, most of them have more than 50 per cent of the staff they work with in America who are locals... and their dependence on H-1B has come down,” Pai added.
The remarks come as the US administration plans to overhaul the H-1B programme, which remains the most sought-after non-immigrant visa for Indian IT professionals, alongside changes to the Green Card process. “I'm involved in changing the H1B programme. We're going to change that programme, because that's terrible,” Lutnick said in a Fox News interview on Tuesday.
Indians have historically been the main beneficiaries of H-1B visas, which allow US employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in roles requiring highly specialised knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field. Fiscal year 2025 data from USCIS (as of June 30, 2025) shows Amazon topping H-1B approvals with 10,044 visas.
(With PTI inputs)