'Deeply Offensive': MEA Rebukes JD Vance's 'Indentured Servants' Remark As US Bans Indian Tech Firms From Green Card Programme

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has criticised US Vice President JD Vance's description of H-1B workers, saying language with colonial connotations is "deeply offensive". The statement also responds to the US Department of Labor's suspension of certain tech companies like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme.

What the MEA said

The ministry opened by saying, "We are aware of the US Department of Labor's decision concerning the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme for certain companies."

On Vance's remarks, it said, "We have also seen some comments in this context by the US Vice President. We believe that such descriptions are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to its economy and innovation ecosystem."

It continued, "Indeed, the history of the United States itself has been shaped by generations of immigrants whose labour, enterprise and innovation have contributed to its growth and prosperity. Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive."

The statement did not name the phrase, but it is evident that the MEA was referring to Vance describing H-1B workers as 'indentured servants' at a news conference.

PERM is not H-1B, says MEA

The MEA also sought to clarify the practical impact. It said, "It should be noted that PERM is distinct from the H-1B visa programme. The suspension of PERM applications does not, by itself, affect the validity of existing H-1B visas or the status of H-1B visa holders and their dependents, though there could be some impact on the permanent-residency/Green Card process of eligible employees of the affected companies."

'Mutual benefit'

The ministry argued that skilled migration helps both countries. "It should also be clear that talent mobility adds value to both economies," it said. It added that the movement of talent "equally helps US companies with cutting-edge talent, innovation, research, productivity, competitiveness and job creation, besides creating shareholder wealth in the US."

It concluded that this is "an area of tremendous mutual benefit for the two countries" and said its expectation was that "all stakeholders in this process can appreciate this fact." It added, "The steps announced by the US do not advance the shared ambitions of both countries."

'Indentured servants'

The term 'indentured servants' has a specific history for India. After Britain abolished slavery in 1833, plantation owners turned to indentured labour, with most of the workers coming from India, until the British government banned the practice in 1917. That history explains the ministry's references to "painful historical and colonial legacy connotations".

The eight suspended companies include Indian IT majors Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL Technologies, along with Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe. That makes the move a direct concern for Indian IT companies and their employees, many of whom wait years for green cards.

The third is reassurance. The ministry's careful distinction between PERM and H-1B reads as an attempt to calm anxiety among Indian professionals on temporary visas and their families, who could otherwise read the news as an attack on their status.