Incredible ‘Chop Shop’

Some three years ago, parts of New York were decked up to look like a mini-India. The event, labelled IncredibleIndia@60, was funded in part by 33 Indian firms, including Infosys. A prominent guest was New York senator Charles Schumer.

So when a few days ago, the same senator described Indian companies “such as Infosys” as “chop shops”, there was understandable outrage. The statement can be dismissed as election year populism. Except that its timing coincides with a steep (seemingly targeted) hike in visa fees. With Indian firms among the few still hiring in the US, such statements could end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater.