Mittal hopes that H-1B curbs will be removed in final bill.
By Dileep Thekkethil
Indian information technology companies may be steadfastly opposed to certain provisions of the Gang of Eight-backed immigration bill—especially the one that would increase the cost of H-1B visas—but the president of the Indian IT and services industry trade group Nasscom says there is no need to panic.
Even though there are some provisions of the bill that are discriminatory, there are others that are positive, and there is no need to panic, Som Mittal told reporters on the sidelines of the Nasscom’s Emerge out Conclave 2013 in Chennai.
He said Nasscom does have huge concerns about the version of the bill that is being debated in the Senate at the moment. It restricts Indian companies’ ability to service their clients and does not offer them a level-playing field, he said.
The Nasscom president, however, said the biggest impact of the bill will be on U.S. corporations, who are the clients of the Indian software industry. “They are batting for us,” he added.
He expressed the hope that “discriminatory” provisions will be taken out from the final legislation.
The Senate version of the bill increases the annual H-1B visas from the current quota of 85,000 to up to 180,000. However, it also penalizes companies that are primarily dependent on H-1B and L visas. They will have to pay $5,000, or $10,000 in visa fees, depending up on the number of H-1B and L visa holders in their workforce.
Nasscom has more than 1,350 companies as its members that represent 95 percent of industry revenues, according to its website.