Thursday, February 23, 2017

Nasscom team heads to US to discuss visa issues
A delegation of IT industry body Nasscom will be in Washington DC tomorrow to engage with members of the new US administration on issues like clampdown on work visas and flow of skilled manpower between the two nations. “We will be in Washington DC between February 23 and March 2,” Nasscom President R Chandrashekhar told PTI. More..

Making all efforts to protect Indians: VK Singh on H-1B visa issue
Amid apprehensions of a clampdown on H-1B visa by the US, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh today said his ministry is making all efforts in safeguarding the interests of Indian citizens. “The External Affairs Ministry is active in this direction (US President Donald Trump’s plan on H-1B visa) and we are making all efforts to safeguard the interests of Indian citizens,” Singh told mediapersons after inaugurating a Passport Sewa Laghu Kendra (PSLK) here.  More..

EU says open to accommodate more Indian skilled professionals
The European Union said it is ready to accommodate more Indian IT professionals and denounced any form of protectionism in global trade, amid anxiety in India over the Trump administration's possible clampdown on H1B visa.  
Pushing for deeper trade ties with India, a delegation of European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs also expressed "regret" over failure by both sides to resume the stalled dialogue to firm the long-pending EU-India trade and investment pact. More..

US law makers non-committal on rethink of H-1B visa norms
US law makers visiting India refused to give any assurance to the country’s policy-makers on the fate of the three Bills introduced in the US Congress for tightening H-1B visa rules.  
Instead, they pressed on the need for strengthening of Indian IP laws, a Commerce Ministry official has said.  
“The group of law makers who met the Commerce Minister on Monday said the situation on foreign workers was still fluid in the country and Senators were yet to make up their mind on the issue,” the official said. More..

America a land of immigrants, says Nadella
Calling America a land of immigrants, Microsoft Corp chief executive Satya Nadella said the US stands for inclusion and diversity and he himself had beneficiary of its "enlighten immigration policy".  
He, however, said it should be America first in the US like it should be India first in India when it comes to creating jobs. More..

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Commerce Minister, US lawmakers discuss H-1B restrictions
Concerns related to the proposed tightening of the H-1B visa regime topped Indias agenda in a meeting between a group of visiting American lawmakers and Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday. Eight bi-partisan US lawmakers were part of the meeting with the Minister. More..

Thank you, Trump, for wake-up call to Indian IT
Mr Trump has done In dian IT a big favour. I believe his focus on immigration reforms and planned restrictions on H-1B visas in the US is a boon in disguise for Indian IT because of four reasons. Firstly, change impacts everyone equally , however some respond to it by dragging their feet while others leap forward. 
I believe this is a great opportunity , as good as the recession in 2008, for smart and nimble organizations to increase market share by being part of the “solution“ rather than being at the centre of the “problem“.Winners this time around will be those who embrace the change, hire locally and proactively announce the number of local jobs they would create More..

WhatsApp launches new feature called Status in resemblance with Snapchats Live Stories
With the increasing popularity of Snapchat among teens, millenials and advertisers, WhatsApp, owned by Facebook Inc will now be providing an all-new feature, which apparently resembles almost exactly as that of Snapchat's. More..

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Republican Senator does not expect Trump to weaken H1B visas
A powerful Republican Senator has said he does not expect President Donald Trump to weaken the H-1B visa scheme, sought-after by Indian IT professionals, as the programme benefits Americans and the US economy.  
Senator Oriin Hatch, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, said that in his several meetings with Trump he had discussed the economic benefits of preserving and expanding H-1B visas programme, which is popular among Indian IT professionals. More..

H1-B visa worries hyped up, says Tata Consultancy Services boss N Chandrasekaran
Chandrasekaran, who is set to take over the chairmanship of Tata Sons next week, said at the annual Nasscom conference here this evening, "Every time there is a regulatory change or some kind of a perceived challenge, in our industry, everybody says 'there is a problem' ... and it is hyped up whether it is H1-B, whether it is increase in re-staffing." More..




Tuesday, February 14, 2017

ISRO all set to launch 104 satellites tomorrow, create a new record
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is all set to create history by launching a record 104 satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday.  
The satellites, to be launched at 9.28 am, will be the highest number to be launched in a single mission. While the Isro’s current record stands at 20 satellites in 2016, Russia achieved global distinction in this regard by launching 37 in 2014.  
Of the 104 spacecraft, three are Indian satellites of the Cartosat-2 series. The others are nanosatellites from Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA. More..

US visa curbs can accelerate IT work to Bengaluru, says Nilekani
Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani says that the proposed curbs on H1B visas that is given to attract technology talent to the US would help India, with more work coming to its tech hub Bengaluru. More..

Trump's Hire American plan hit by dearth of local talent is STEM courses
Indian technology services companies responding in earnest to President Donald Trump’s “Hire American” rhetoric are facing a problem they can’t fix on their own: a dearth of local tech talent on US campuses.   
Tata Consultancy ServicesBSE -0.30 %, InfosysBSE 0.39 %, WiproBSE -0.01 % and others are already at work to hire more Americans, as the Trump administration is moving to tighten a work-visa programme they depend heavily on to send Indian engineers to work on projects at client More..

Protectionist US - A major challenge for Indian IT services
Nearly 4 million. That’s the size of the workforce dedicated to a business that’s thrived for the past three decades on a growth model of labour arbitrage. In the process, it’s matured into a industry worth almost $150 billion. The multi-billion dollar question today is, where does it go from here, as it comes head to head with a series of challenges. More..

Indian-American professionals express concern over H1B bills
Silicon Valley-based Indian American IT professionals have expressed concerns over new bills on H1B visa being introduced in the US Congress by the Trump administration, saying it would adversely affect the community. More..

Monday, February 13, 2017

Indian techies welcome in Canada after Trump ban
TORONTO: Indian-origin tech leaders in Canada say the controversial visa and travel restrictions imposed by US President Donald Trump will be a boon for tech recruitment and investment in Canada.  
"This provides a great opportunity for the best talent from India to come, live and work in Canada," said Shafin Diamond Tejani, the CEO of Fantasy 360, a Vancouver-based global leader in creating immersive experiences and games using Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed R .. More..

Employees fear promotions will be halted, many consider likely impact on their positions
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Amid the crisis unfolding at India’s second-largest software services exporter, Infosys employees are most focused on their own limited pay hikes, with CEO Vishal Sikka’s 55% pay rise that’s in the spotlight causing some heartburn. The bigger worry for senior employees is about the potential impact to their positions in the company in the event of a management change. More..

Govt asks for data from industry on H1B visa row
The government has sou­ght detailed business data from the industry, mainly the information technology (IT) companies, so that it can effectively take up their concerns over the US visa issue with the Donald Trump administration. 
The issues related with visa were discussed during a meeting chaired by commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman last week. More..

IT companies should now strengthen domestic market: Ministry panel
The government on Thursday discussed a number of measures to respond to the proposed curbs on H-1B visas in the US with some of the senior officials suggesting that information technology (IT) companies should work towards strengthening domestic industry so that it lowered dependence on other markets. More..

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Indian IT firms have been preparing for changes in H-1B visa laws for nearly a decade
The buzz over proposals to tighten US visa rules caused a furore this week, with the move being interpreted as the death knell for India’s $150-billion IT outsourcing industry. However, for many Indian tech majors, this isn’t really breaking news because they’ve known for a while that US visa laws are a game of political roulette.More..

Cognizant finds 'improper payments' of $6 million made in India
US-based Cognizant today said it has identified "potentially improper payments" worth USD 6 million being made for company-owned facilities in India, higher than the earlier estimate of USD 5 million. More..

H-1B visa changes could stunt budding US-India ties under Donald Trump
The U.S. and India seem like a natural fit in the Trump era: rambunctious democracies, led by populists, focused on economic growth and fighting radical Islam. It’s a budding partnership that could be set back by a nuts-and-bolts dispute over employment visas.More..


Wednesday, February 8, 2017

H1B visa norm changes: Indian IT professionals look at returning home
 Vikramaditya, a business system analyst working with a US-based information technology (IT) consulting firm, is worried if he will be able to renew his H1B visa next year. “I have been on H1B visa for the last two years. With all the changes proposed, I don’t know if my renewal would be accepted next year,” he said.  
A few of his friends working on the same visa in the US are looking for options in other countries like Canada, Australia or even back in India, he said. More..

Trump to judges: Even a 'bad high school student' would rule in my favor
President Donald Trump sought to lend his own legal argument for his executive order banning travel from certain Muslim-majority countries on Wednesday, discounting a legal challenge to the order as anti-security. More..

Poll reveals shocking number of relationships that ended because of the 2016 election
Burning passions over Donald Trump's presidency are taking a personal toll on both sides of the political divide. For Gayle McCormick, it is particularly wrenching: she has separated from her husband of 22 years. More..

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

India closely monitoring developments on H1-B Visa row, soon to meet representatives of US: Nirmala Sitharaman
Amid the concerns raised by India Inc on the H-1B United State visa row, the Commerce and Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the ministry will soon conduct a meeting with the concerned industries including Nasscom to discuss the issue further. Sitharaman, while addressing a press conference today also said “India is closely monitoring the developments on the entire visa row and along with the External Affairs Ministry, we are in constant touch with the embassy in the US.” More..

H-1B looms big for Indian unicorn startups in the US
US Democrat Zoe Lofgren's bill introduced last week is set to ensure that the US retains the crown when it comes to creation of billion dollar startups. The bill seeks to curb job outsourcing through H1B program which has been long used by large IT companies, and make way only for the highly skilled like those who go on to build unicorn startups. More..

US visa norms, technology shift add to IT margin pressure
The $108 billion Indian IT services industry is bracing for tough times ahead as potential visa restrictions add to their troubles such as a shift towards automation and pressure on margins in traditional services. Technological disruption and faster-than-expected adoption of technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and the cloud platform are other major challenges for the industry.  More..

H-1B salary hike plan: L&T Tech fears 2.5 percent hit on margins
L&T Technology Services today said its pre-tax profit margin may be hit by up to 2.5 per cent if the US hikes minimum salaries for H-1B visa holders to $1,30,000, and that it is working on alternatives, including shifting the jobs to India.  
“We have over 1,600 engineers in the US and around 65 per cent of them are on H-1B visas. If the salaries were to be hiked, our calculations suggest an impact of 2-2.5 per cent on Ebidta margins,” Managing Director and Chief Executive Keshab Panda told PTI. More..

India attracted $32.5 billion foreign direct investment during April-November
India attracted USD 32.49 billion foreign direct investment (FDI) in April-November of 2016-17, Parliament was informed today. The key sectors that received a major chunk of FDI included metallurgy, computer software and hardware, telecom, information and broadcasting and automobile, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. More..

Melania Trump missed out on ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ to make millions, lawsuit says
A lawyer for first lady Melania Trump argued in a lawsuit filed Monday that an article falsely alleging she once worked for an escort service hurt her chance to establish “multimillion dollar business relationships” during the years in which she would be “one of the most photographed women in the world.” More..

DeVos hangs in balance before tight Senate vote
President Donald Trump's selection for education secretary, billionaire mega-donor Betsy DeVos, appears to be his most embattled Cabinet pick, but Senate Republicans have largely held tight in their support.  Senate GOP leaders are confident they can squeak DeVos through the Senate with the support of 50 Republican senators Tuesday afternoon, plus a historic tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. 
"The point is we're at a 50-50 moment where we only need one more senator to break and vote against Betsy DeVos and she won't be confirmed, and so we want to make our argument up until the last minute to see if we can get that 51st vote," Sen. Chris Murphy told CNN's Alisyn Camerota Tuesday on "New Day." More..



Monday, February 6, 2017

TRUMP: 'Any negative polls are fake news'
President Donald Trump blasted negative polls as "fake news" in a series of tweets Monday morning, also accusing what he called the "FAKE NEWS media" of lying. More..

Apple, Facebook, Google and 94 other tech companies call travel ban ‘unlawful’ in brief
In a rare coordinated action, technology companies are planning to step up their opposition to the ban by filing an amicus brief saying President Trump's executive order restricting immigration is unlawful and discriminatory.More..

Trump: Leaked transcripts of Mexico, Australia calls 'disgraceful'
Trump, speaking to Fox News, accused “Obama people” of giving news organizations embarrassing details of his recent tense phone conversations with his Australian and Mexican counterparts, and said that the holdovers from the Obama administration still serving on his White House and National Security Council staff were being replaced.More..

All eyes on 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in battle over Trump's travel ban
President Donald Trump has only been in office for 17 days, but his Justice Department is already embroiled in a high-stakes legal battle over his executive order on immigration that could have monumental implications. More..

Saturday, February 4, 2017

State Dept. reverses visa revocations; Homeland Security to follow ‘standard policy’
US authorities on Saturday suspended President Donald Trump's controversial ban on travelers from seven Muslim countries, following a court ruling that blocked its enforcement.  "We have reversed the provisional revocation of visas," a US State Department spokesman told AFP. The department had said some 60,000 travel visas had been revoked in compliance with the president's recent executive order.More..

Eric Trump’s business trip to Uruguay cost taxpayers $97,830 in hotel bills
President Donald Trump’s son Eric traveled to Uruguay for part of a Trump Organization promotional trip that resulted in almost $100,000 in hotel rooms for Secret Service and embassy staff.

What Trump's signature reveals?
Shortly after President Donald Trump took the oath of office, he went back inside the Capitol and did one of the main things presidents do: he signed a bunch of official papers while less powerful people stood around and smiled.More..


Thursday, February 2, 2017

Demonetisation great move for India in longer term: Apple CEO 
The demonetisation drive undertaken by the Indian government is a “great move” in the longer term, Apple CEO Tim Cook said as he emphasised the company’s strong intention to “invest significantly” in the country. More..

Budget 2017 focuses on greater transparency and accountability, says Sunil Jose
Budget 2017 highlights the government’s focus on enforcing greater transparency and accountability with a clear attempt being made to widen the tax base. More..

‘This was the worst call by far’: Trump badgered, bragged and abruptly ended phone call with Australian leader
Trump’s behavior suggests that he is capable of subjecting world leaders, including close allies, to a version of the vitriol he frequently employs against political adversaries and news organizations in speeches  More..

Trump's policies to face early test at the ballot box
Candidates for Virginia governor must pass through a rigorous primary in early June before entering the general election. Already, both Republicans and Democrats are using Trump's first few weeks in office to distinguish themselves against their primary opponents. More..

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Trump has fired the acting attorney general who ordered Justice Dept. not to defend president’s travel ban
President Trump fired acting attorney general Sally Yates on Monday night after she ordered Justice Department lawyers not to defend his immigration order temporarily banning entry into the United States for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from around the world.More..

Donald Trump administration drafts executive order on H1B visas
Donald Trump’s administration has drafted an executive order aimed at overhauling the work-visa programmes tech companies depend on to hire employees. More..

Top Trump's next target: skilled foreign workers
The White House is reportedly ready with an executive order targeting guest worker visa programmes that allows the movement of skilled workers to the U.S., which is used extensively by Indian IT companies.. Spouses of H-1B visa holders could lose their permit to work, says a draft copy of an executive order.More..

New H-1B Bill in U.S. calls for doubling minimum pay
A legislation, introduced in the United States House of Representatives, among other things, calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $ 130,000, making it difficult for firms to use the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers, including from IndiaMore..

Monday, January 30, 2017

No More 6 years on H1B unless you have approved I140 ??
Sens. Grassley (R-IA) and Durbin (D-IL) have reintroduced their H1-B bill. More to read..

Budget 2017: Worried by Donald Trump moves, IT industry eyes Arun Jaitley for relief
The $150 billion Indian information technology (IT) industry employing over 3.7 million people is now faced with the serious external threat of protectionism which could inhibit its growth even as it waits to realize the promise of digital infrastructure within the country.More..

Techies, Students in US Could Face Tough Times - DRAFTS OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS LEAKED
Future uncertain for science and tech students and spouses of H-1B visa holders.
The Trump administration could make life more difficult for legal immigrants to the US who are on H-1B visas, a large chunk of which is used by the Indian information technology industry .More..

Donald Trump's policy not to hit Indian IT, pharma firms: Union Minister HN Ananth Kumar
"Prime Minister Modi has already had a telephonic conversation with the US President (Trump). As per the relations we have been having with the US, I don't think there will be any change in the attitude of the US in terms of commerce-related issues. I also don't think, there will be any problem for the Indian IT, BT and pharmaceutical industries," Kumar said. More..

Trump’s immigration order prompts Google to recall travelling staff
Google’s India-born CEO Sundar Pichai today criticised President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration order against people from seven Muslim-majority countries, saying it will create “barriers” to bringing great talent to the US, as the Internet search giant ordered its travelling staff to return to America.  
Pichai in an email to staff said the US ban on foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries will hit at least 187 Google employees.More..

US tech industry says immigration order affects their operations
The U.S. tech industry has warned that a temporary entry suspension on certain foreign nationals introduced on Friday by the administration of President Donald Trump will impact these companies' operations that are dependent on foreign workers.More..

IT service providers prepare for potential H-1B visa changes
Indian providers prepare for possible H-1B visa reforms that could increase onshore costs by 20 percent for IT outsourcing companies who depend on the temporary worker visa program.More..

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Following Detainment, 'Refugees Welcome' Protest Erupts at JFK Airport
With chants of "No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here," protesters gathered at John F. Kennedy Airport where 12 refugees were detained Saturday under President Donald Trump's executive order to ban refugees from entering the United States for four months.More..

Green card holders included in Trump ban: Homeland Security
People holding so-called green cards, making them legal permanent U.S. residents, are included in President Donald Trump's executive action temporarily barring people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, a Department of Homeland security spokeswoman said on Saturday.More..

Tech leaders condemn Trump's immigrant ban, Google etc..
Three of America's biggest tech companies warned their employees about President Trump's immigrant ban. And leaders throughout the industry, where foreign-born entrepreneurs are central to the success of many business..More..

.Essential Politics: California politicians speak out against Trump's actions on immigration, Gov. Brown delivers State of the State address
This is Essential Politics, our daily look at California political and government news. Here's what we're watching right now..More..

Friday, January 27, 2017

Sometimes E-ZPass isn’t so easy
I’ve been receiving negative feedback about the E-ZPass toll system lately.  One woman said she had been charged for going through the same toll location multiple times in less than a half hour – a feat that would have been impossible to pull off. A friend of mine reported her family is still being billed for tolls racked up by a car she sold two years ago. My brother-in-law told me he is regularly double-charged for his commute.

Trump pressured Park Service to find proof for his claims about inauguration crowd
On the morning after Donald Trump’s inauguration, acting National Park Service director Michael T. Reynolds received an extraordinary summons: The new president wanted to talk to him.

How Donald Trump changed the presidency in 7 days
Forget the first 100 days. It's only been a week and Donald Trump is reinventing the presidency.  Amid a torrent of action, disruption and protest, the new President's moves on trade, immigration and foreign policy have honored his campaign promises -- and dramatically reshaped Washington's role in national and global affairs.

Australian Open 2017: Rafael Nadal Outlasts Dimitrov to Set Up Federer Date in Final
Rafael Nadal will try to set up a hugely anticipated Australian Open final with his old rival Roger Federer when he plays the in-form Grigor Dimitrov in the semis.




Thursday, January 26, 2017

H1B holder Deported at Port of Entry by US Immigration Officers
Subject cannot overcome the presumption of an intended immigrant and was allowed to withdraw her application for admission. Subject was working for 'A' client as a fourth party. Her petitioner 'D' was not directly contracted by 'A' client' or has a relationship with them, therefore xxx candidate is performing work for an unauthorized employer at this time, she was allowed to withdrawn under the provision of 212(a) 7(A) (i) (i) of the immigration and naturalization act. Subject was advised to obtain a new US visa for further travel to the united states. 

24 Months STEM OPT and H4 EAD to be Revoked By President Trump (Leaked Memo)
This is Developing News (and Breaking News). We have been hearing news about President Trump and his plans for restricting and reforming U.S. Immigration System. Two Executive Orders were signed today and leaked memo shows 4 more Draft of Executive Order that President Trump can sign.

IND Vs ENG : Easy Win to England in 1st T20

England's bowlers won it for them. Ensured batsmen didn't have much to do. A canter for England because their bowling was spot on and did not allow India a free license to score enough runs. India were at least 25 runs short.

Donald Trump is doing exactly what he said he would do
As he progressed from punchline to primary contender, from front-runner to nominee, and then from seemingly doomed general election candidate to president-elect, Donald Trump has, for all his idiosyncrasies, offered a remarkably consistent package of promises.

The Likely Impact Of Notes Ban On Arun Jaitley's Fourth Budget
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is likely to borrow more than originally planned when he presents the budget on February 1, senior aides and officials said, despite counting on revenues from a national sales tax whose launch date is still unknown.

Trump to Mexican president: Better to cancel our meeting
Donald Trump hasn't even been president for a week and already the US-Mexico battle over a border wall is turning red hot.
"If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting," Trump tweeted and in an earlier tweet he noted the US's trade deficit with Mexico and what he said were the American job losses caused by NAFTA.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Trump signs orders to start border wall with Mexico, ramp up immigration enforcement
President Trump signed an executive action Wednesday to begin planning for a border wall with Mexico and vowed that construction on the project would begin in months.
The construction of a wall along the southern U.S. border was Trump’s chief campaign promise.More..

Wipro’s TK Kurien set to retire      
Wipro on Tuesday announced that TK Kurien, Executive Vice-Chairman and member of the board, will retire on January 31. He served as CEO for five years before Wipro announced his elevation as Executive Vice-Chairman and the subsequent appointment of Abidali Z Neemuchwala as CEO and Executive Director, a year ago..More
Budget 2017: PM Modi’s ‘Achhe Din’ for IT start-ups coming? From tax to sunset clause, check out key MeitY proposals
With an aim to promote start-ups related to technology, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed that there should be income tax exemptions for new units under the software technology park (STP) scheme and harmonisation of tax rates for angel investors in the upcoming Union Budget 2017-18, according to The Indian Express report. Read More On Budget..
HCL Tech hiring more locals, says visa dependency down
HCL Technologies today said it has “stepped up” efforts in the US for campus and entry-level hires to support growth in coming quarters even though a “very high percentage of employees” is already local hires.More..
Google lunar XPRIZE : Indian Team, TeamIndus in final 5
TeamIndus, the only Indian team competing for the Google Lunar XPRIZE, has moved forward to the final phase of the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition, according to a statement from XPRIZE and Google. More..

TCS to enable passport services through post offices
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Wednesday extended its Passport Seva Project (PSP) together with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to enable the pan India network of post offices to offer passport services.More..