US Green Card curbs may shift tech work to India: Priyank Kharge

BENGALURU: Karnataka's Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge stated on Friday that the United States government's decision to suspend the Permanent Labour Certification Programme for major technology corporations could compel companies to shift high-value operations back to India.

The policy shift by Washington places restrictions on employment-based permanent residency sponsorships for several large outsourcing and technology firms. State officials in Bengaluru noted that while the development creates immediate hurdles for traditional on-site deployment models, it offers a structural opportunity for domestic technology hubs.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge explained that the suspension of the PERM process would increase operating expenses for Indian IT service providers within the United States. He added that restrictions on relocating engineering personnel across borders would naturally push corporations to execute complex projects where the primary talent pool resides.

Under the updated US labour guidelines, companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft, and Adobe face freezes on new and pending permanent labour certification filings. US authorities attributed the measures to active federal evaluations concerning local wage impacts.

Industry analysts in Karnataka pointed out that constraints on on-site mobility will likely boost the expansion of Global Capability Centres across urban centres such as Bengaluru. Domestic demand for senior engineering talent is expected to rise as multinationals scale up local research and development operations.

Kharge observed that Indian technology enterprises must adapt their long-term operational strategies to counter higher overseas costs and enhance professional retention. He emphasized that the state remains focused on capturing advanced product development and artificial intelligence mandates.

Corporate leaders in Bengaluru suggested that the freeze on green card sponsorships carries a limited immediate operational impact given existing multi-year backlogs in permanent residency queues. Nevertheless, local firms are recalibrating deployment pipelines to manage regulatory changes in key overseas markets.

State technology authorities intend to monitor policy adjustments from Washington while engaging with industry stakeholders to strengthen infrastructure for forthcoming global engineering and product mandates.