'Come back, let's build India': Sridhar Vembu urges Indian techies to return after US Green Card freeze

Zoho Corporation co-founder Sridhar Vembu has called on Indian technology professionals currently working in the United States to return home and contribute to India's growing technology sector. He made this appeal in a post on social media, following a decision by the U.S. Labor Department to suspend green-card sponsorships for eight major technology firms, including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft, and Adobe.

The suspensions are due to ongoing federal investigations, and they prevent the companies from accepting new or pending PERM-based labor certification applications.

Former Indian education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has backed Vembu's appeal, emphasizing the importance of strengthening India's domestic technology capabilities. He agreed with Vembu's sentiment that Indian talent has made significant contributions to technology worldwide and that every challenge presents an opportunity to build on this strength and foster greater innovation at home.

Vembu highlighted the significant contributions Indian professionals have made to the U.S. technology industry but expressed concerns over the uncertainty faced by these individuals regarding their future in the country. He urged Indian professionals to consider returning to India to help build the nation's technology sector, drawing attention to the challenges faced by those who have built lives in the U.S. and may now need to reconsider their future.

Pradhan echoed this sentiment, stressing the need for India to bolster its domestic technology capabilities and foster greater innovation. He emphasized that challenges present opportunities for India to strengthen its technological prowess and deepen its capabilities. The suspensions of PERM processing, while not affecting existing H-1B visa applications, have raised concerns among employees pursuing permanent residency and companies with long-term workforce plans.