GTech to seek Centre’s intervention as U.S. Green Card curbs hit IT giants

Representational image. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto KOCHIGTech (Group of Technology Companies), a non-profit industry body representing Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Management (BPM) organisations in Kerala and accounting for the majority of software exporters, will approach the Indian government to take up with its U.S. counterpart concerns over the fallout from the Trump administration’s recent decision to suspend major Indian IT firms from its Green Card programme.Among the eight major technology and IT services firms suspended from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme are Indian tech giants Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, HCL Technologies and Cognizant. The move will affect new employment-based Green Card applications, including pending applications from these companies. Microsoft, Adobe and Capgemini are the other three affected firms.“The move is a big blow to Indian companies and their employees working there. It pours cold water on the dreams of thousands of employees, many of whom have been eagerly waiting for their Green Cards for years. Since this is a U.S. government decision that not only targets Indian companies but also affects American firms like Microsoft, there is little we can do other than approach the Indian government for intervention,” said Jijo G. John, chairman of GTech.The Ministry of External Affairs has since clarified that the suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependants. However, it could impact the permanent residency or Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected companies.Progressive Techies, a collective of IT employees, however, sought to find a silver lining in what it admitted was bad news for employees working in the U.S. “The possible return of a highly experienced talent pool to India will prove a boon for the IT industry and the country’s technological advancement. That will be an advantage in the long term,” said organisation president Anish Panthalani.However, Nandakishore Harikumar, a tech entrepreneur, felt that was a misplaced assumption, considering the challenge of finding so many highly paid jobs and the wider economic impact. He pointed out how investments in the real estate sector, for instance, are largely driven by remittances from expatriates based in the U.S., Europe and the West Asia. “It remains to be seen whether the U.S. administration will go the whole way. Considering that Indians dominate the tech teams of major U.S. technology firms, the lower cost involved compared to the local workforce and the allure of the vast Indian market, the move will hurt the U.S. as well,” he said. Published - October 10, 2026 01:19 pm IST