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Hans India
6 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
NITI Aayog suggests services focused trade deal with US
New Delhi: NITI Aayog on Monday suggested that India should follow the model of the India-UK agreement to pursue a services-oriented trade deal with the US, with special focus on information technology, financial services, professional services, and education. The Aayog in its third edition of 'Trade Watch Quarterly' said there will be significant opportunities for India in the US markets both in terms of the number of products and volume of the US market. "Building on the model of the India-UK agreement, India should pursue a services-oriented trade deal with the US, placing strong emphasis on key sectors such as information technology, financial services, professional services, and education," it said. The government thinktank said the agreement should include robust provisions for digital trade, creating a framework for enhanced cross-border service delivery. The Aayog also emphasised that India must advocate for improved visa access for its professionals, particularly under H-1B and L-1 categories. "This should include provisions for intra-corporate transferees and independent service providers, which are crucial for maintaining India's competitive edge in the global services industry," it growing global demand for Digitally Delivered Services (DDS), the Aayog said India should seek firm market access commitments from the US in high-growth areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, telecom, and design services. "Leveraging India's strengths in these sectors can help increase bilateral trade and innovation-led growth," it said. Observing that regulatory barriers such as inconsistent data compliance and intellectual property concerns hinder Indian service exports, the Aayog said joint efforts between India and the US are needed to simplify licensing procedures and address cross-border data flow issues, enabling smoother market access for Indian firms. The government thinktank also said that to expand professional opportunities, India should push for broader Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) that cover a wider range of professions, including engineers, architects, and healthcare workers. "These agreements would streamline certification processes and facilitate the mobility of Indian professionals to the US," it said.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Push services-oriented trade deal with US: Niti Aayog
AI image NEW DELHI: Building on the model of the India-UK agreement, India should pursue a services-oriented trade deal with the US, placing strong emphasis on key sectors, such as information technology, financial services, professional services, and education, the govt's policy think tank Niti Aayog said in a report. "The agreement should include robust provisions for digital trade, creating a framework for enhanced cross-border service delivery," the think tank's quarterly trade watch report said, while recommending policy measures to boost services trade. The report, released on Monday, said India must advocate for improved visa access for its professionals, particularly under H-1B and L-1 categories. "This should include provisions for intra-corporate transferees and independent service providers, which are crucial for maintaining India's competitive edge in the global services industry," the report said. It noted that with growing global demand for digital data services, India should seek firm market access commitments from the US in high-growth areas, such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, telecom, and design services. "Leveraging India's strengths in these sectors can help increase bilateral trade and innovation-led growth," the report added. The report highlighted that regulatory barriers, such as inconsistent data compliance and intellectual property concerns hinder Indian service exports. "Joint efforts between India and the US are needed to simplify licensing procedures and address cross-border data flow issues, enabling smoother market access for Indian firms," it stated. To expand opportunities, the report suggested that India should push for broader mutual recognition agreements that cover a wider range of professions, including engineers, architects, and healthcare workers. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
NDTV
14-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
The Great Indian IT Crash: Why You, An Engineer, Still Can't Find A Job
Recently, Geoffrey Hinton, the man who helped create AI, suggested that in the face of AI, entry-level jobs in the tech industry are plummeting. His advice is not to lose sight of ordinary jobs. Hinton half-jokingly (but also seriously) suggested plumbing as a future-proof career. Why? Because it's physical, not digital; it requires hands-on, practical problem-solving in the real world; and it's extremely difficult to automate or outsource. Hinton's advice isn't just about pipes - it's a wake-up call. TL;DR? Hold On Guys Yes, this article is a bit of a long read. But if you are a young techie (or hoping to be one), or even just standing at the edge of the job market, don't roll your eyes and go away, muttering "too long, didn't read (TL;DR)". Stick with me till the end. This isn't just another article - it's about your career. Just your entire future. Here We Go, Then It was the techie world's heyday. I still remember covering a glitzy event at the Taj Mumbai back in 2004. TCS had just become India's first billion-dollar IT company. Two of my young cousins were flying off to the US on L-1 visas, armed with nothing more than some decent C++ skills and a folder full of dreams. For families in Delhi, Dubai or Dhanbad, landing an IT job back then wasn't just employment, it was validation. Twenty-odd years ago, grabbing an entry-level gig at Infosys or Wipro was the holy grail for Indian engineers. You got a stable salary and a work visa if you were lucky. Campuses ran like conveyor belts, producing Level 1 coders who could slide right into testing software or logging support tickets. I saw this boom period up close. India's IT giants weren't just exporting talent. They were importing global respect. I once visited the Infosys campus in Mysore, where dozens of young Americans were being trained in tech skills they'd have paid a fortune to learn back home. The tables had turned, and for a while, India was at the centre of the digital universe But today? That conveyor belt is screeching. In some places, it's practically stalled. The jobs that once launched millions of careers are quietly vanishing. Yes, welcome to the slow, silent collapse of the entry-level IT job. This is not just a desi drama. It is unfolding on a global stage. And this shake-up is just getting started. India: From Campus Hires To Cautious Silence For decades, India's $245-billion-huge IT industry thrived on volume. Fresh grads from engineering colleges filled Level 1 (L1) roles: basic coding, software maintenance, tech support - low-risk tasks that big global firms outsourced en masse. The system worked. India became the back office of the world. But AI is now rapidly upending that system. Here's what the Indian tech media reported in recent days: Wipro, which hired 38,000 freshers in FY23, is down to just 10,000 in FY25. TCS added only 625 employees in Q4 FY25. Infosys has delayed fresher onboarding for over a year. A TeamLease Digital survey suggests that only 1.6 lakh freshers will find jobs in FY25, compared to 2.3 lakh just two years ago. This isn't a talent problem. It's a tech disruption problem. AI: The Great Equaliser (And Eliminator) AI is reshaping what it means to be "skilled". Tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT and other agentic platforms are taking over tasks once assigned to entry-level engineers - from writing boilerplate code to basic bug fixing. A media report quoted Mohit Saxena, CTO at InMobi, as saying: "AI has lowered the bar for becoming an average engineer. But at the same time, it's raised the bar for becoming a great one." What it means is that if you are not adapting, you are fading into oblivion. AI is not just helping elite engineers work faster, it is replacing low-end roles outright. And it is clear it is doing it quietly, line by line, task by task. Double Trouble For Indian Techies Indian tech workers in the US are facing a twin problem. As AI-powered automation sweeps through the industry, they are facing a twin trouble: widespread layoffs and mounting immigration uncertainty. Add rising political hostility to the mix, and the future looks anything but stable. For years, Indian professionals have been the silent engines behind America's tech boom - coding, analysing and keeping systems running. But now, things are changing fast. The rules are shifting and the safety net they once relied on is starting to fray. The Rise Of GCCs While big Indian IT firms like Wipro and Infosys are slowing down on hiring freshers, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are quietly stepping up - but on their own terms. These centres are the tech and innovation hubs of global giants like Goldman Sachs, Siemens and Walmart. Unlike traditional IT companies, they're not hiring in bulk. They are being choosy, focusing on smaller, high-skilled teams rather than mass recruitment. They are filtering for quality over quantity. They are recruiting from tier-1 institutions such as IITs, IIITs, and NITs. Internships have become their recruitment pipelines. No internship, no entry. What they want are thinkers, not coders; not JIRA (developers, testers or support staff) ticket handlers, but problem solvers who understand customer logic, regulatory frameworks, and domain-specific tech stacks. In a recent article, Neeti Sharma of TeamLease Digital explains, "The combination of engineering, technology and domain is what GCCs look for." The bar is high and rising. Not Just An Indian Crisis The unemployment rate for computer science graduates in the US is 7.5% - nearly double the national average of 4.1%. According to The Times, some British tech graduates are applying to 1,000 jobs just to land an interview. Bloomberg reports that AI could replace over 50% of tasks done by market research analysts and sales reps. For managers, it's under 25%. So if you are young and entry-level, AI is more likely to replace you than your boss. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 is even starker: as many as 40% of global employers plan to reduce the workforce due to AI. The report says that 170 million new jobs will be created this decade - but 75 million jobs will vanish. And the new roles being created require entirely new skillsets. The message is clear: adapt or be automated. Teaching 2015 In 2025 Our classrooms are our biggest problem. Various reports suggest that less than 12% of Indian engineering colleges currently offer full-time coursework in AI, data science, or machine learning. According to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), only 7% of faculty have any hands-on experience with generative AI tools. This mismatch is reflected in hiring data, too. The India Skills Report 2025 states that just 47% of engineering graduates are considered "employable" in the tech industry. The truth is that most campuses are preparing students for jobs that AI is already doing better now. Experts argue that this isn't just a skills mismatch - it is a potential social crisis. Imagine a family investing Rs 10-15 lakh in a student's B. Tech education, hostel, coaching and job prep. Now imagine that student sitting jobless for 18 months post-graduation, watching classmates pivot to gig work, delivery jobs or sales roles in unrelated sectors. It is happening. In Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, you will find PG hostels full of jobless coders, waiting, scrolling job portals. Wondering what happened to the IT dream. This is a story of a generation staring up at a ladder that no longer reaches the sky. Yet, all is not lost. Glimmer Of Hope? AI is not just killing jobs. It is creating new ones, just not in the old roles. There is an exploding demand for AI support roles, such as prompt engineers, junior AI trainers, chatbot testers, model auditors, so on and so forth. Many of these don't require elite degrees or several years of experience, but just curiosity, adaptability and a willingness to learn new tools. A post on the 'Indian Workplace' subreddit highlights the ordeal of a young software graduate "stuck in a loop" - submitting hundreds of job applications but receiving no callbacks. The post, which quickly resonated with thousands of users, captures the quiet despair shared by many young graduates and junior developers navigating today's overcrowded and AI-disrupted job market. It's not just an isolated complaint, it reflects a broader reality: fierce competition, shrinking roles and fewer clear entry points into the tech world. So What Needs to Change? Start with the curriculum. AI and machine learning should be core, not electives. Students need to learn systems thinking, prompt writing and real-world context, not just syntax. Expand degree-plus-internship models that let students earn and learn alongside real tech work. It's not just about skills, it's about confidence too. Skilling missions must scale. India's FutureSkills PRIME is a start, but we need a national AI readiness push with funding, incentives and commitment from startups to MNCs. Bring startup labs to campuses. Real tools, real prototypes, real failures. Replace handwritten exams with hackathons. Redefine "entry-level". Forget old L1 jobs. Think AI trainers, prompt engineers, ethics testers, and data labourers. If you are a student, know this: AI isn't your enemy - it's your co-pilot. Stackable micro-degrees, no-code tools, problem-solving skills - anyone from anywhere can thrive. The old career ladder may be broken. But the highway to new-age tech roles is wide open. Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
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Business Standard
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
11 million US visa backlog crushes Indian H-1B, green card dreams: Decoded
The United States is now sitting on an immigration backlog of 11.3 million pending cases—its highest ever—following a surge of 1.6 million cases in the second quarter of financial year 2025, covering January to March. This is the first major dataset published since Donald Trump returned to office, and comes from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) portal. USCIS processed just 2.7 million cases during the quarter, down from 3.3 million during the same period last year. Compared to the previous quarter alone, completions fell by 12 per cent. One of the more striking developments is the return of a 'frontlog' — over 34,000 cases were waiting to be opened or assigned, a scenario not seen in more than a year. Key forms are taking longer than ever Form I-129 (used for H-1B and L-1 employment-based visas): Median processing time jumped 25 per cent from the previous quarter, and 80 per cent year-on-year. Form I-90 (green card replacements): Wait time surged from 0.8 months to over 8 months within one quarter, marking a 938 per cent increase. Form I-765 (work permits): Pending initial applications rose 87 per cent. Total pending forms—across renewals and reissues—now exceed 2 million, up from 1.2 million. Net backlog for I-765s (cases outside processing norms): Up by nearly 181 per cent. There was some movement in the other direction for Form I-129s, which saw a 75 per cent drop in net backlog from the previous quarter. However, applications under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme declined by over 8,000. What this means for employers and foreign workers For foreign nationals on temporary work visas and their employers, the delays are already making daily operations uncertain. 'In some cases, candidates may not be authorised to enter the US or start work when anticipated. For employees currently maintaining status, adjudication delays may lead to a lapse in work authorisation or an inability to travel internationally,' Blake Miller, partner at Fragomen, a US-based immigration law firm told Business Standard. 'Ultimately, delayed processing causes uncertainty for employers around their workforce and for visa holders' ongoing employment and lawful immigration status.' Charles Kuck, founding partner at Kuck Baxter in Atlanta, put it bluntly: 'In simple words, people cannot start their jobs, companies cannot begin projects and growth, and visa holders cannot relocate.' 'It's all intentional,' he told Business Standard. Michael Wildes, managing partner at WILDES & WEINBERG PC, said delays now affect both first-time petitions and extensions. 'Backlogs can significantly delay approvals for both initial petitions and extensions, creating uncertainty for employers and foreign workers alike.' Indian green card applicants could face even longer waits For Indian nationals, the situation is compounded by the existing per-country limits for green cards. In FY2023, about 73 per cent of approved H-1Bs (new and continuing) were to Indian-born workers. Approximately 78,070 received lawful permanent residence (a green card). 'Indian green card applicants, already facing long wait times due to per-country limits, may see even further delays in adjudication of adjustment of status or consular interviews. These delays can affect work authorisation renewals and create added stress for families waiting to reunite,' Wildes told Business Standard. Miller pointed out that those already in the US on other visas such as the H-1B might not feel the pinch immediately. 'In many cases, delays in green card adjudications—whether through adjustment of status or consular processing—do not immediately affect individuals who hold another form of US immigration status or work authorisation.' Kuck noted that consular processing is slowing dramatically, adding, 'The data reflects a troubling slowdown in processing that undermines predictability and transparency in the immigration system.' Blame on staff cuts, enforcement shift, and new policies 'The Trump administration has told USCIS to slow down processing of cases,' Kuck said. 'Predictably, the system has quickly developed massive backlogs. By the end of 2028, we will pine for the days of a functioning legal immigration system because it will effectively not exist by the end of the Trump term.' He attributed the growing backlog to a mix of policy choices: 'Starting with the staff reductions ordered at the USCIS (which is funded by user fees, not tax dollars), followed by seeking 'volunteers' from USCIS to assist ICE in enforcement efforts, which then leads to the administration's effort to find fraud in every application, slowing down processing times.' 'There is zero per cent chance that processing times will speed up at any time under this administration,' Kuck said. Workarounds and suggestions for Indian applicants Some applicants are choosing to pay extra for premium processing, where available. 'Some employers may choose to use premium processing, when available, to help ensure timely adjudication of petitions,' said Miller. However, that may not be enough. 'Unless there is a meaningful increase in staffing, technological efficiency, or congressional support, delays are likely to persist,' said Wildes. He added, 'The backlog is largely driven by a combination of insufficient staffing, outdated processing systems, and inconsistent policy shifts that strain agency resources. Budgetary constraints and rising application volumes compound the problem.' For those still planning to apply for work, study or family-based immigration, Wildes suggested exploring more than one pathway: 'For those with flexibility, exploring multiple pathways—including consular routes or alternate visa categories—can help mitigate risk.' Kuck had a more candid list of dos and don'ts for Indian applicants: • Get a good, experienced lawyer who will tell you the truth • Listen to your lawyer • Be prepared for long delays at USCIS and the consulate • Always bring a lawyer with you to interviews
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Business Standard
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
US immigration backlog tops 11 million as Trump slows USCIS processing
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processed fewer immigration cases and recorded a backlog surge in the second quarter of FY2025 (January–March), according to new data published on the agency's portal. This is the first major dataset released since the Trump administration returned to office. USCIS completed 2.7 million cases during the quarter—down 18 per cent compared to the same period in FY2024, when it had processed 3.3 million cases. From the previous quarter alone, completions dropped by 12 per cent. Meanwhile, pending cases climbed by 1.6 million, pushing the total backlog to a record 11.3 million. The last time pending cases came close to this number was over a decade ago. More than 34,000 cases unopened For the first time in over a year, the agency recorded a non-zero 'frontlog'—cases that are yet to be opened or assigned. As of the end of Q2, over 34,000 such cases were pending at the front of the pipeline. The data showed that this slowdown is already affecting key immigration services. < Form I-129, used for employment-based temporary visas including H-1B and L-1, saw a 25 per cent increase in median processing time quarter-on-quarter, and an 80 per cent rise compared to Q2 FY2024. < Form I-90, used to replace green cards, saw the sharpest jump: from a median wait time of 0.8 months to over 8 months—a 938 per cent increase within just one quarter. < Form I-765, for work permits, had its own crunch. Initial applications pending rose by 87 per cent since Q1. The total number of pending I-765s (including renewals and replacements) crossed 2 million, nearly doubling from under 1.2 million. The net backlog—cases delayed beyond USCIS standards for Form I-765 alone went up by nearly 181 per cent. One category, however, moved faster. The net backlog of I-129s dropped by nearly 75 per cent from the previous quarter, although the number of individuals under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme continued to decline, falling by over 8,000. 'We will pine for a functioning system' Charles Kuck, founding partner at immigration law firm Kuck Baxter in Atlanta, said the shift was expected. 'The Trump administration has told USCIS to slow down processing of cases. Predictably, the system has quickly developed massive backlogs. By the end of 2028, we will pine for the days of a functioning legal immigration system because it will effectively not exist by the end of the Trump term,' Kuck told Newsweek. He added that the growth in backlog was '100 per cent predictable' given the new approach. 'Starting with the staff reductions ordered at the USCIS (which is funded by user fees, not tax dollars). Followed by seeking 'volunteers' from USCIS to assist ICE in enforcement efforts. Which then leads to the administration's effort to find fraud in every application, slowing down processing times,' said Kuck.
