Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said restrictions on H-1B visas did not feature in his recent talks with his US counterparts, as he reportedly downplayed concerns about tougher rules within Indian industry.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal addresses a press conference on the recently announced India-US trade agreement, Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Banijya Bhavan in New Delhi. (PTI)According to Goyal, the response from Indian industry suggests that companies are largely unfazed by the changing visa landscape, reported CNBC-TV 18.
Goyal was speaking to the news channel days after India and the US finalized the interim framework of a trade deal, which brought down US tariffs on Indian goods to 18%. Against that backdrop, questions were raised as to whether visa issues, particularly H-1B, were part of a broader engagement.
In post-Covid work models During the conversation, Goyal said that Indian companies are confident of having access to skilled talent when needed. He noted that the shift in global work practices following the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced the reliance on outsourcing of employees.
“H-1B has significantly lost its significance post-Covid. We have already seen its impact in the growing number of GCCs who are now working in India,” he said. CNBC-TV 18.
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The Union Minister underlined that the emergence of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) has changed how global companies deploy talent, with more work being sourced from India instead of high-cost overseas locations.
The GCC boom India currently hosts about 1,800 GCCs, and this number is set to rise, the commerce minister said, adding that multinational companies are increasingly relying on offshore delivery models rather than relocating employees to the US, UK or other global hub cities.
This change, he added, brings home multiple benefits. According to the report, GCC growth increases domestic revenue, strengthens tax collection, attracts investment inflows and adds to foreign exchange earnings, as Indian professionals live and work locally while serving global markets.
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H-1B visa modificationFor decades, the H-1B route has been central to the Indian-American story. Indian students coming to the US on F-1 visas often find jobs with employers willing to sponsor H-1B visas and, later, employment-based green cards. That path helped build the 5 million-strong Indian diaspora in the United States.
However, following the Trump administration’s announcement, employers will now have to pay a $100,000 fee for each new petition, a sharp increase from the previous cost of about $2,000 to $5,000 per petition, depending on the employer’s size.
The move significantly increases the cost burden on companies seeking to sponsor foreign workers under the program.
