<p>Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told his American counterpart Gary Locke that New Delhi expected Washington to refrain from any measures detrimental to the interests of the Indian professionals particularly those in the Information Technology sector.<br /><br />“We hope that there will not be any measure which negatively impact on the movement of professionals between the two countries, particularly, our IT professionals in the US,” Sharma told journalists here after a meeting with Locke.<br /><br />The US Secretary of Commerce is leading a high-tech trade mission to India. In addition to New Delhi and Mumbai, the trade mission led by Locke would also visit Bangalore – the IT hub of India.<br /><br />Bangalore had been dropped from the itinerary of the US President Barack Obama during his visit to India in November 2010, ostensibly to keep him off from the controversy over his administration’s policy perceived to be intended to discourage outsourcing. <br /><br />Just a few weeks ahead of his visit to India, Obama had announced that his administration would offer tax benefits only to firms that would create jobs in the US. The announcement had been seen as a move that might hit Indian IT industry in a big way. <br /><br />The Obama Administration had also hiked visa fees in certain categories of H1B and L1, mainly used by Indian IT professionals, to fund security measures along the US-Mexico border. Ohio’s Democrat Governor Ted Strickland had also banned outsourcing of State Administration’s Information Technology and back office projects to offshore locations.<br /><br />The US is a key market for Indian IT-BPO sector, which is estimated to grow 19 per cent in revenue terms during 2010-11 to $ 76 billion. But Washington’s protectionist moves made the IT professionals in India worried over the past few months.<br /></p>
<p>Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told his American counterpart Gary Locke that New Delhi expected Washington to refrain from any measures detrimental to the interests of the Indian professionals particularly those in the Information Technology sector.<br /><br />“We hope that there will not be any measure which negatively impact on the movement of professionals between the two countries, particularly, our IT professionals in the US,” Sharma told journalists here after a meeting with Locke.<br /><br />The US Secretary of Commerce is leading a high-tech trade mission to India. In addition to New Delhi and Mumbai, the trade mission led by Locke would also visit Bangalore – the IT hub of India.<br /><br />Bangalore had been dropped from the itinerary of the US President Barack Obama during his visit to India in November 2010, ostensibly to keep him off from the controversy over his administration’s policy perceived to be intended to discourage outsourcing. <br /><br />Just a few weeks ahead of his visit to India, Obama had announced that his administration would offer tax benefits only to firms that would create jobs in the US. The announcement had been seen as a move that might hit Indian IT industry in a big way. <br /><br />The Obama Administration had also hiked visa fees in certain categories of H1B and L1, mainly used by Indian IT professionals, to fund security measures along the US-Mexico border. Ohio’s Democrat Governor Ted Strickland had also banned outsourcing of State Administration’s Information Technology and back office projects to offshore locations.<br /><br />The US is a key market for Indian IT-BPO sector, which is estimated to grow 19 per cent in revenue terms during 2010-11 to $ 76 billion. But Washington’s protectionist moves made the IT professionals in India worried over the past few months.<br /></p>
