After cancelling Zoho appraisals, Sridhar Vembu says India has a million things to build if software jobs dry out

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has urged Indians facing uncertainty over their US future to return home and build India. His remarks come after the US suspended Green Card labour certification processing for several major technology companies.

In Short

• US suspends Green Card processing for major IT firms
• Vembu says India has a million things to build
• Zoho will skip annual salary hikes amid rising AI costs

Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has urged Indians working in the US to return home and build new opportunities in India, as the Trump administration's latest move against major technology companies raises concerns over their employees' path to permanent residency.

“If another country tells you to go home, you come home. What is the alternative? Beg them to allow us to stay? Stay illegally?” Vembu wrote in a post on X. He added that India has “a million things to build”, even if software jobs become scarce or the sector loses its relevance.

His remarks come after US Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of new and pending permanent labour certification applications involving several major technology and IT outsourcing companies. The move could complicate the Green Card process for Indian professionals employed by these firms. Vembu had earlier called on Indians facing uncertainty over their future in America to return home and help build the country's technology industry.

US move puts Indian tech workers' Green Card plans under pressure

On October 8, Sonderling announced that the US government was suspending companies including Cognizant, Adobe, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme.

“We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies,” Sonderling said. He added that the companies had collectively requested almost three million foreign workers through the programme since 2009.

PERM is an important step in the employment-based Green Card process for many foreign workers. The suspension could leave Indian employees at the affected companies facing delays or uncertainty over their applications to become permanent US residents.

The consequences could be particularly serious for some H-1B visa holders approaching the six-year limit on their stay. Under US immigration rules, eligible workers can receive extensions beyond that period in certain circumstances linked to the progress of their employment-based Green Card applications. Disruptions to the PERM process could therefore create additional difficulties for those nearing the deadline.

The move could also influence companies' future hiring and immigration sponsorship decisions, potentially making the path to permanent residency less predictable for Indian professionals.

Separately, US Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of abusing the H-1B visa programme, alleging that the company had laid off American employees while hiring foreign workers. His remarks added to the scrutiny facing technology companies over their use of overseas talent.

Vembu points to opportunities in India amid software uncertainty

Reacting to the wider situation, Vembu said Indians had made a major contribution to America's technological progress, but many were now facing uncertainty over whether they could continue building their lives there.

In a separate post, he acknowledged the difficulty of leaving behind a life created through years of hard work. He described the moment as an opportunity to begin building a different future in India.

Vembu's call comes as AI is also creating uncertainty for the software industry. Earlier, he said Zoho would not provide its usual annual salary increases this year because of rising costs and an uncertain business outlook.

He cited a fourfold increase in server prices and higher expenses from growing AI usage. Zoho has cut its marketing budget, and Vembu said the company had not expanded its workforce for 18 months. He added that it would work to avoid mass layoffs while reinventing its business over the next three to five years.

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