Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced a major shift in its overseas workforce strategy, deciding to stop hiring new employees on H-1B visas in the United States. Instead, the IT major will strengthen its local recruitment efforts to build a more regionally- rooted talent base.
TCS, which has been the single largest employer of H-1B visa holders in the US, has sponsored 98,259 workers between 2009 and 2025 — more than any other tech company. In 2025 alone, it hired 5,505 H-1B professionals, surpassing giants such as Microsoft, Google, Apple and Meta. However, the company’s leadership has now confirmed that this approach will change.
According to K. Krithivasan, CEO, the company already has a strong H-1B workforce in place and does not plan to expand that pool in the near future. Renewal decisions for existing visa holders will be taken as needed, but the focus will be on increasing local participation in overseas markets.
The move is in line with TCS’ global strategy to prioritise local talent in regions such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The company believes that emerging client requirements—especially in artificial intelligence and digital transformation—demand closer collaboration, diverse skill sets, and local market understanding.
This policy marks a significant turning point for Indian IT firms that have long depended on H-1B visas to deploy engineers to the US. As regulatory costs rise and the demand for AI-driven services accelerates, the sector appears to be embracing a new phase of localised, future-ready workforce strategies.
