Following the US Department of Labor’s decision to halt PERM processing for major technology employers including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe, global enterprises are re-evaluating their cross-border talent strategies.
While existing H-1B visas remain active, the freeze on green card processing is accelerating a structural shift from traditional onsite delivery models toward Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and domestic engineering hubs in India.
Shift toward offshoring and GCCs
As long-term settlement in the US becomes harder to plan around, global enterprises are likely to look more closely at building and owning engineering capability in India through GCCs.
Divesh Agarwal, CEO and founder of Aumni, believes this disruption creates a clear turning point for Indian engineering capability.
"I’ve spent 25 years working between the US and India, and every time there’s immigration uncertainty, the same thing happens. Companies start asking where they can build engineering teams that last. Indian IT services will feel the squeeze on onsite-heavy models, but the real shift is towards offshoring and GCCs here in India. Offshore fails when it’s treated like a vendor. When the offshore team feels like part of your product organisation, it works. More global careers will now start from India," said Agarwal.
Echoing this outlook, Kishore Reddy, co-founder & chief strategy officer at ProHance, notes that immigration uncertainty naturally pushes firms toward a more balanced delivery model. Rather than relying solely on onsite mobility, companies are utilising local US teams supported by larger delivery hubs in India. Ultimately it is driving long-term investment into India’s talent pool and GCC ecosystem.
Workforce flexibility
Regulatory constraints in the US are also prompting companies to evaluate how they secure specialised, high-demand skills in critical domains.
Sriram Chidambaram, executive director at Bhartiya Group, emphasises that moving capabilities to India through GCCs is a strategic necessity rather than a simple reaction to policy shifts.
"Regulatory constraints may make it harder for companies to access specialised talent in the US, particularly in emerging areas such as AI, advanced analytics and next-generation engineering. This could encourage companies to combine local US hiring with expanded capabilities in India through GCCs.The appeal of a GCC is that, even when work moves offshore, the capability remains within the corporation," said Chidambaram.
Further expanding on hybrid talent structures, Tushar Dhawan, partner at Plus91Labs, points out that while permanent residency hurdles complicate long-term career planning for individuals, they reinforce a healthy recalibration toward distributed engineering teams and robust domestic capabilities. Dhawan highlights that true value is defined by where innovation is created rather than simply where talent physically sits.
Similarly, Ankit Sarawagi, chief financial officer at Verloop.io, observes that green card backlogs are prompting enterprises to pair localised US hiring with aggressive expansion of domestic delivery centres and GCCs, providing a sustainable framework to manage hiring headwinds while maintaining service quality.
Long-term growth
Mayank Maggon, founder, CEO & CTO of TechChefz Digital, highlights how these shifting dynamics ultimately position adaptable tech organisations for sustained growth.
"The evolving US immigration environment is likely to encourage technology companies to build more flexible and diversified talent models rather than fundamentally alter their business strategies. For India, this presents an opportunity to retain more globally experienced technology talent, strengthen GCCs and create new possibilities for entrepreneurship and innovation," said Maggon.
"Ultimately, companies that can combine global client proximity with India’s deep technology talent pool will remain well positioned for long-term growth,” he added.
Upskilling the talent
Ravi Kaklasaria, co-founder at edForce, notes that immigration hurdles make international career planning more complex, placing a premium on practical experience and specialised expertise in AI, cloud, cybersecurity and data engineering.
According to Kaklasaria, enterprises must proactively invest in role-specific learning and assessments rather than simply adding headcount, ensuring that domestic teams possess the architecture, consulting and project ownership skills necessary to service global clients seamlessly.
