US advisor discusses US visa issue with India
by Guneet S - October 20, 2010
India, 20th October: The economic advisor to the US President Barack Obama held talks with the Indian PM(Prime Minister) Dr. Manmohan Singh for discussing the issue of increased US visa prices and their effect on Indian companies.
Lawrence Summers, the advisor to the US President had meeting with Dr. Singh to show concerns regarding the recent increase in the US visa fee. Summers came to India last week and had discussions over several other economic issues likely to figure in Obama’s visit to India next month.
Obama is set to visit India from November 5 to November 8 2010.
Among others participating at the meeting included Timothy J. Roemer, the US Ambassador.
Summers also happens to be director of US National Economic Council and assistant to US President for economic policy.
He stated that that the relationship between both the US and India will gain higher levels of significance in the next century and described the upcoming visit of US President Obama as quite different and the longest ever visit to overseas so far. This visit by Obama, who will also be accompanied by Michelle Obama, the First Lady, will be the first ever visit to India.
It is being increasingly felt that the US visa fee hike introduced for US H-1B visas and US L-1 visas for foreign IT companies wanting to move their workforce to the US will have a poor effect on $200 worth Indian IT sector.
India is likely to convey concerns of the Indian IT industry regarding outsourcing and introduction of stricter US visa norms by the US government to the US President during his visit to India next month. This was revealed by SM Krishna, Indian External Affairs Minister.
The US aide Summers also praised India’s approach towards economic development. Speaking at a meeting with the top business and cultural society in Mumbai, he called India’s approach as people-centric which was driven by increase in consumption, not in exports.
He said the US shares concerns of India over protectionism adding that protectionism is likely to make people poor, significantly cuts opportunities for workers and for businesses and makes countries more hostile towards one another.
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