The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
US leadership must consider India’s contribution: Prasad
AN EIGHT-MEMBER delegation led by US Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday met Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, at a time when the new administration in the US under Donald Trump could propose an overhaul of the H-1B visa regime, which is at the heart of Indian IT companies’ operations in the US.
“We talked about ways to help build the growing relationship between India and the US ... and we discussed a number of issues. Now, the US has a new President — who is the first president in our country who has no previous political or government experience. He is a businessman. He likes to do deals, and he wants to do deals with India and other countries,” Goodlatte said.
“At this point we are not in a position to say what some of the policies could be because the President who has made campaign promises is also now in the process of attempting to turn some of those promises into some of his own policies in the US,” he added.
Prasad said that it was important for the US political leadership to consider the contribution of Indians towards adding value to the US economy. “While we completely acknowledge the right of the US Congress and the political leadership to reassess their policies, (they must) consider the value added by the Indian mind and talent has contributed to make US economy more competitive in terms of creating jobs and also creating revenue,” Prasad said.
The US market accounts for over 60 per cent of the Indian IT sector’s exports, and any clampdown in the visa regime are expected to result in higher costs. On Tuesday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella met Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the IT Minister and discussed the company’s digital inclusion programme.