Major action on H1-B visa would worry India: CEA

TIL Desk/World/Washington/Any “serious actions” taken by the Trump Administration on the H-1B visa programme would be a cause of “worry” as a majority of Indian exports in the services sector go to the US, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian has said. “If there are serious actions taken it’s something that’s going to kind of worry us a lot because, remember that our exports of services are about 40 to 45 per cent of the total exports, Subramanian told an audience here last week.

“Something like 50 to 60 per cent of all our exports of services goes to the United States. So it would worry us quite a bit, he said while responding to a question on the H1-B visa during his visit at the Peterson Institute, a top American economic think-tank. Subramanian said that India would be “okay” as long as the visa reforms are manageable and it’s keeping a close watch on it.

“Anything that is going to interfere with export growth creates anxiety (in India). In the context of the United States, we’re all watching very carefully the H1-B visa situation, the Chief Economic Advisor said. “On the visa side, I don’t know but as long as you know we can keep this thing manageable. You know it should be okay, he said.