TCS unperturbed by possible changes to H1-B regime: CEO

Unfazed by the possible changes to the H1-B visa regime, CEO of India's IT major TCS Rajesh Gopinathan has said the current discourse on the issue in the US is driven by emotions rather than economy and the best way to tackle it is through greater engagement.

Gopinathan favoured a policy of engagement with various stake holders on the issue of H-1B visas in the US. He noted that the discourse is currently driven by emotions rather than economy.

"The best way to tackle that is greater engagement.

Because the way, sometimes, companies like us get characterised is very different from the reality of what we bring to the table," Gopinathan, who is in his mid-40s, said.

"Some of these engagements actually help get that message out also. People will understand us better for who we are, and I think engagement, communication and collaboration is the best way to deal with the political lack of understanding which comes. Democracy ought to deal with the emotional response that you see and you have to get over it and engage positively," Gopinathan said.

He said the US has been a "very welcoming market" for the IT major and has provided it with a fair, open and competitive environment.

"All said and done, the US has been a very welcoming market for us. So you keep aside the immediate issues, it's been a market that has been fair, it has been an open, competitive environment," Gopinathan said, exuding confidence that TCS would be able to successfully compete in any environment. Gopinathan said TCS has competed and has won against the best in the country.

"We have competed and we have won against the global best in this country, on equal footing. So, it has been a market that has helped us grow in confidence as we have gone," he said but repeatedly refrained from having any complaint from the present system or the possibility of a new executive order that would adversely have an impact on his company's performance due to any action by the Trump Administration on H-1B visas.