New post (25) : Indian IT cries foul
One only hopes that the US President’s visit to India is not sabotaged by an over zealous Indian IT industry………..pushing to the background more substantive geo-political issues of “real” concern.
The USA is accused by Indian IT players of hiking visa fees making it less viable to post personnel in the USA.
Yet each quarter Indian IT majors post record “revenue growth” and “profits”.
The US President is merely protecting jobs in the USA.
He is after all the President of the USA and must quite rightly so act in the best interests of his people. Especially so in turbulent financial times.
A hike in visa fees is an “internal” matter of the USA where no outside entity has any say. Whatsoever.
The Indians can at most play the diplomatic game of tit for tat and counter with hiking visa fees for US citizens. To it’s own detriment.
Indian IT needs to do some soul searching.
Most Indian IT personnel posted “abroad” on a long-term basis on fancy titles are hand picked from among---friends, relatives, and based on community + language affiliations ---with the top-management of these companies.
Essentially, as a back door means to “camouflaged” legal entry and extended stay in the USA. With the hope that the company sponsored holiday can be converted eventually into a more permanent “residence” status………….. All in all ……….an emigration scam.
The interests of Indian IT would be better served by focusing genuinely on upgrading from being low level code writers …to… assuming primary client facing roles in proposing and creating sophisticated solutions architecture.
Beyond a point Indian IT will cease to rise in stature………(only) because of the people who are said to be “leading” it.
Meanwhile, it’s easier for the Indian IT industry folks to “misinform” their own government / ministry on the real issue…....play the victim………and indulge in chest beating and cry foul.
As an added bonus---That gets more “free” media attention (too). In India at least.
PS: US accounts for 61 per cent of India's $37 billion (nearly Rs. 1.74 lakh crore) IT exports.
Think about it:
The one Indian industry that has truly achieved scale both on a national and global level is the Indian Pharma industry where even (SME’s) Small & Medium Establishments, have established a truly global presence offering---“low cost affordable health care for all worldwide”. Without so much as a whisper and a murmur. Sadly, even the Indian media is totally “blind” to this fact. Talk about being unsung heroes………
Charlie Brown
