Here's how the top H-1B sponsor is turning to India as Trump tightens visa rules

Google's parent company, Alphabet, is planning to significantly ramp up its presence in India, with the possibility of taking large office space in Bengaluru, the country's tech hub, Bloomberg reported. The company has reportedly leased one office tower and has also taken options on two more spaces in East Bengaluru.

Why is Alphabet increasing its presence now?

The latest development comes at a time when US President Donald Trump's administration has tightened visa rules, particularly around the H-1B visa programme. The heightened visa scrutiny is making it increasingly harder for American companies to bring in skilled foreign workers. As a result, India is now emerging as a crucial destination for global tech hiring.

Alphabet's India expansion plan to boost hiring

According to the report, Alphabet's plan to expand in the country can create at least 20,000 new jobs, provided it acquires all three towers. This would increase the company's workforce in the country, which currently stands at nearly 14,000 people of the total 190,000 employees Alphabet has globally.

Where is Alphabet expanding in Bengaluru?

According to the report, Alphabet has leased one office tower and has taken options on two more spaces at Alembic City in East Bengaluru, which is a large commercial development in Whitefield. The three towers together span about 2.4 million square feet. The first of the three towers, which is already leased, is likely to open up for employees in the coming months, whereas construction on the remaining two towers is likely to be finished next year.

The tech giant already has offices in several Indian cities, including Mumbai and Gurugram, with Bengaluru being its largest base.

US visa curbs impact hiring

The expansion plan comes amid tighter US immigration policies under Donald Trump. Earlier, in January, the administration announced an indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries. Since returning to the office, Trump has sought to limit both legal and illegal crossings into the country. Further, in September 2025, the Trump administration announced a staggering fee of $100,000 on fresh H-1B visa applications, making it more costly for companies to bring skilled foreign workers to the US.

A series of punitive measures announced by the Trump administration has compelled tech companies to boost their teams outside the US. According to the Bloomberg report, India, with its large pool of skilled engineers, has become the most sought-after destination, especially for artificial intelligence roles.

According to the US government data, Alphabet is among the top sponsors of H-1B visas.

India impacted by H-1B visa fee hike

The staggering fee hike for fresh H-1B visa applications to $100,000 from the previous range of $2,000-$5,000 has impacted Indians the most as they dominate the H-1B programme, accounting for more than 70% of recipients in recent years. China came second with only 12% of the beneficiaries.

According to a BBC report, the H-1B programme became a vehicle of aspiration for Indians, allowing small-town coders to become dollar earners. For the US, on the other hand, it meant an infusion of talent that filled labs, classrooms, and startups.

Indian workforce rises in US

Today, Indian-origin executives are at the helm of several tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and IBM. Indian doctors constitute nearly 6% of the US physician workforce.

According to staffing firm Xpheno Pvt, India's combined workforce at major US tech companies has risen over 16% in the last year, making it the highest rise in the last three years. The companies include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Netflix.