Prospect of visa restrictions, a cause for concern: Infosys

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

The prospect of increasing restriction on visas in several countries, particularly in the US and the UK, is a concern for the IT industry, according to Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys.

“They (the Governments and States) are responding to high unemployment rates. I hope it is temporary and the impact, if at all, will be minimal. There is no impact as of now,” he said.

“There is a backlash happening everywhere. This is a challenge we are facing. All companies in India have grown in the last two quarters. The future too looks bright. But the prospect of restriction on visas is a concern,” he said.

He was here on Friday to deliver a lecture on the future of IT in modern warfare in the context of challenges being posed to cyber security, organised by the College of Defence Management.

He said Infosys was in touch with industry bodies such as Nasscom to understand the implications. “Preparedness is happening,” he said.

Stating that unemployment in the US was growing, he said, citing reports, about 50 per cent of people in that country were affected in someway or the other by the slowdown. “There are pressures in other countries as well,” he said, indicating the reasons for the threat of visa restrictions.