'We are not an India-out company': Tata Tech CEO says Trump's H-1B hike won't hurt operations

Tata Technologies isn't worried about the Trump administration's hike in H-1B visa fees - at least not for now. The company's global hiring model, where most employees in each country are locals, has cushioned it from immediate disruption, according to CEO and Managing Director Warren Harris.

"The fee hike for the US H-1B visa by the Donald Trump administration has no short-term impact on Tata Technologies Ltd, although it will change resourcing plans for the future," Harris told news agency PTI.

The Trump administration's decision to raise the annual H-1B fee to $100,000 has rattled many Indian IT exporters. But Harris said Tata Technologies' approach is different from peers that rely heavily on sending talent from India. "We are not an India-out company. We were very much a global company, with the majority of our employees in different territories who were nationals of those countries," said Harris.

The Tata Technologies CEO underlined that the company's globally distributed workforce structure keeps it insulated from short-term policy shocks. "We have Americans running our US operation. We have the Chinese team running our China operation, unlike many of our Indian competitors that are India-out. They are much more exposed to visas," he said.

He clarified that while the fee hike will reshape future hiring plans, there is no immediate disruption. "The fee hike for the US H-1B visa by the Donald Trump administration has no short-term impact on Tata Technologies Ltd, although it will change resourcing plans for the future," Harris said.

Acknowledging the implications of the policy, he added, "We are cognizant of the challenge. It will certainly change our resourcing plans for the future, but there is no short-term impact associated with the H-1B decisions that the United States has made."

As of the September quarter of this fiscal year, Tata Technologies had a global workforce of 12,402 across 18 countries. "One of the principles around which we've architected the company is that we want about 70 per cent of employees in any country to come from that nationality or region. That is what underpins the type of special relationship that we have with our customers, and it is through that we leverage the engine that we built here in India," Harris noted.

On the trade front, Harris said US tariffs had initially caused some uncertainty among clients. "At the beginning of the fiscal year, when the tariffs were announced, it prompted many of our customers to revisit their product plans. Not only did they need to look at the products themselves and the viability of the products against the backdrop of the tariffs, but they also needed to look at their supply chains. I think what we've seen is that reset of strategies and plans is now largely played out."

Tata Technologies reported a 5.14 per cent increase in consolidated profit after tax to Rs 165.5 crore in the quarter ended September 30, 2025, up from Rs 157.41 crore in the same period last fiscal. Its consolidated revenue from operations rose to Rs 1,323.33 crore from Rs 1,296.45 crore a year earlier.

(With inputs from PTI)