India News Live Updates, 9 October 2026: India slams US green card suspension for IT firms, calls Vance’s remark ‘deeply offensive’

What US immigration measure was suspended, and which major IT companies were affected?

The suspended measure is the Permanent Labor Certification programme, known as PERM. It is an employment-based immigration process used by US employers seeking permanent residence for eligible foreign workers. Its suspension matters because it can interrupt a route from long-term employment to a US green card. The article describes the move as affecting major technology and outsourcing companies.

Eight companies were included. The named firms include Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Cognizant, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe. The article says the measure is a major blow for Indian professionals hoping to work for some of these companies in the United States. TCS shares nevertheless rose 3.5 per cent on Friday.

India criticised the decision and said it did not advance the countries’ shared ambitions. The Ministry of External Affairs also defended Indian professionals’ contribution to the US economy and innovation ecosystem. The suspension could therefore affect hiring, retention and long-term immigration planning, although the article does not specify its duration or final legal effect.

What is the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme, and how does it connect to getting a US green card?

The Permanent Labor Certification programme, or PERM, is a US Department of Labor process used by an employer before sponsoring many foreign workers for permanent residence. The employer generally must show that hiring the foreign worker will not improperly displace qualified US workers. If certification is approved, the employer can usually continue with the wider employment-based green-card process. These details come from established immigration knowledge, not the article.

The connection is therefore sequential. PERM is not itself a green card. Instead, it is commonly an early labour-market certification step in an employer-sponsored route. A company may begin that process for a worker it wants to retain permanently in the United States. Suspension can block or delay new cases at that stage.

The article says the US halted the programme for eight major IT companies, including Infosys, TCS and Wipro. It calls the move a major blow for Indian professionals seeking US work. The exact scope, duration and treatment of existing applications are not provided, so those effects cannot be determined from the article.

How many major IT companies were included in the suspension, and which Indian firms were named?

The suspension covered eight major technology and IT outsourcing companies. That number matters because the decision was not described as applying to every technology employer or every foreign worker in the United States. It targeted a defined group of large firms, many of which rely on international professionals and cross-border staffing.

The article names Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL, Capgemini, Microsoft and Adobe. Among these, Infosys, TCS and Wipro are the Indian companies specifically identified in the Ministry of External Affairs’ criticism. The article also says the move could adversely affect major Indian IT firms, even though TCS shares rose 3.5 per cent on Friday.

The affected companies operate across technology and IT outsourcing. The article presents the decision as a serious setback for Indian professionals seeking work at some of these companies in the US. It does not provide a breakdown showing how many employees, applications or offices could be affected at each company.

What could happen to Indian professionals and companies if they can no longer use this green-card pathway?

If companies cannot use PERM, eligible foreign professionals may lose or face delays in an employer-sponsored route toward permanent residence. That can make long-term US employment less predictable. Workers may have to remain on temporary arrangements, move to another country, change employers or reconsider assignments. These possible effects are based on how employment-based immigration normally works, not on a forecast stated in the article.

For companies, the main mechanism is a disruption to workforce planning. A firm may find it harder to promise a permanent US future to an employee it wants to retain. It could also face extra recruitment, relocation or compliance costs. The article identifies eight affected firms and says the move is a major blow for Indian professionals seeking work with some of them.

India highlighted the contribution of Indian professionals to the US economy and innovation ecosystem. The suspension could therefore affect both workers and firms’ ability to build stable teams. However, the article gives no figures for affected employees, cancelled jobs, pending applications or the suspension’s duration.

Why did India describe the US vice president’s “indentured servants” remark as deeply offensive?

India considered the phrase offensive because “indentured servants” portrays foreign professionals as people bound to an employer rather than as skilled contributors with professional agency. The Ministry of External Affairs rejected that description as unwarranted and deeply offensive. The article does not provide the full context of the vice president’s remarks, so the explanation rests on the wording and India’s response.

The dispute is tied to the wider immigration decision. The US suspended PERM for eight major IT companies, including Infosys, TCS and Wipro. India responded not only to the policy but also to language that it believed diminished foreign workers. The government instead pointed to Indian professionals’ role in the US economy and innovation ecosystem.

The remark can make an administrative disagreement more diplomatic and political. It may increase concern among Indian workers and technology companies about how their role is viewed in the US. The article records India’s criticism, but it does not report any change to the suspension or a later response from Vance.

What other immigration routes or work arrangements might companies and foreign professionals use instead of PERM?

PERM is only one route connected with permanent residence, so employers and workers may look for arrangements that do not require it immediately. Possible options include temporary work visas, intracompany transfers, hiring workers already authorised to work in the US, or placing work with teams outside the country. These alternatives come from established immigration and business practice, not from the article.

The mechanism differs by option. Temporary status can support a time-limited assignment, while an intracompany transfer can move an eligible employee within the same multinational group. Local hiring avoids sponsoring a foreign worker for that role. Remote or overseas work can preserve a project without placing the worker in the US. Each option has separate eligibility rules, costs and limits.

The article names eight affected companies and says the move is a major blow for Indian professionals seeking US work. It does not say whether Infosys, TCS, Wipro or the other firms have adopted alternatives. It also gives no information about visa eligibility, existing applications or how long the suspension will continue.

Why do countries use employment-based immigration programmes, and how can foreign workers contribute to a host country’s economy and innovation system?

Countries use employment-based immigration to help employers recruit people with needed skills and to support economic activity. It can also let companies build international teams and compete in fast-changing industries. These broad purposes are established economic principles; the article does not set out a general explanation of immigration policy.

Foreign workers can contribute through their technical expertise, project work, research and business creation. Their work may support company growth, services, productivity and innovation. In this case, the article specifically highlights Indian professionals’ contribution to the US economy and innovation ecosystem. It also identifies major technology and IT outsourcing firms such as Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Microsoft and Adobe.

The PERM suspension matters because it may affect how companies retain foreign professionals for long-term US roles. India said the move does not advance the two countries’ shared ambitions. The article does not measure the workers’ economic contribution or predict the policy’s final impact, but it presents immigration access as closely connected to technology-sector cooperation.

Key Facts:

📌 The US suspended the PERM programme for eight major IT companies.

📌 Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro were among the affected firms.

📌 India said the suspension does not advance shared bilateral ambitions.

📌 PERM is linked to employer-sponsored permanent residence applications.

📌 PERM is not itself a green card.

📌 The article does not explain PERM’s detailed legal process.

📌 The suspension covered eight major IT companies.