India’s second-largest information technology services provider, Infosys Technologies, has announced it will increase its headcount in the US from 10,500 to 11,500 by adding 1,000 US citizens to its rolls over the next 12-18 months.
Till March 31, 2009, the company had 800 American employees, which will now be increased to 1,800. The new recruits in the US will be laterals (experienced hires) from IT and consulting backgrounds, and will primarily serve US customers, a company spokesperson told Business Standard.
The US government, of late, has been perceived to be increasing its ‘protectionist’ stance and analysts say these moves (Wipro had announced a similar move earlier) need to be seen in this context.
US Senators Grassley and Durbin have proposed that firms should not be allowed to hire employees under H-1B and L-1 visas if more than half their workforce already holds these visas. US President Barack Obama proposed to disincentivise American multinational companies through tax reforms from transferring jobs and processes to lower-cost destinations.
Of the 10,500 employees the company has in the US now, 8,200 are H1-B visa holders, while 1,500 are L1 visa holders. The company does not appear eager to send more H1-B visa holders to the US to fill the vacant positions, a move which is expected to be in line with the strong anti-outsourcing sentiment that is brewing in the US at present. The company, however, declined to comment on this.
In April this year, Infosys’ Head of HR and Administration T V Mohandas Pai had said the company would hire 18,000 people during fiscal 2009-10, of which 15,000 would be freshers recruited during campus selections last fiscal.
The company had also announced its intent to induct 1,000 laterals and 2,000 non-Indians during the same period.
