Government slams Vance’s remarks on Indian IT professionals as ‘deeply offensive’
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has condemned U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance for labeling Indian IT professionals as 'indentured servants' while announcing the suspension of labor certifications for several major tech firms. The U.S. government claims the move is a response to visa fraud, while India views the rhetoric as offensive and harmful to bilateral relations.
Why it matters
This diplomatic friction underscores the fragility of the U.S.-India economic partnership and the political sensitivity surrounding H1B visa policies.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday (October 9, 2026) slammed as “unwarranted” and “deeply offensive” U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s comments in which he called foreign workers, including Indian IT professionals, “indentured servants”.
Hitting out at the U.S. government for its decision to suspend “labour certifications” from several Indian technology firms based in America, the Ministry said the steps would not “advance the shared ambitions of both countries”, indicating further trouble in the already difficult economic relationship between the two countries.
On Thursday , Mr. Vance and U.S. Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme for eight IT outsourcing giants, including five Indian IT multinationals operating in the U.S., and accused them of visa fraud. The list included Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Cognizant, and HCL from India, often called the Big 5, as well as Capgemini, Microsoft, and Adobe.
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