COMMUNITY


Obama’s outsourcing comment worries India Inc

Denver: As Barack Obama made history in accepting Democratic Party’s nomination for US President, something he said in his speech is starting to create ripples across the Pacific. Obama’s stand on outsourcing has left Indian IT companies worried about business.
Obama has indicated that he would not let American jobs go abroad as he would eliminate tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs. He also said that he would instead give tax breaks to companies that retain jobs in America.
Major Indian IT firms have reacted cautiously to Obama’s statement. NASSCOM chief Som Mittal was of the view that American firms should decide themselves on the issue of outsourcing.
Infosys is reported to have said that they are not concerned as what was on offer for US firms couldn’t be resisted. “Outsourcing has enhanced America’s position and I am sure policy-makers appreciate it. There is no great concern; we’ll just have to wait and see, Infosys HR Director is reported to have said.
What is worrisome for India is that this is not the first time that Obama has expressed his feelings against outsourcing. Once, while debating Hillary Clinton, he had said: “We can’t have medicines that are actually making people sicker instead of better because they’re produced overseas.”
At a rally he had said: “ We’re here because there are workers in Youngstown, Ohio, who’ve watched job after job after job disappear because of bad trade deals....They need us to end those tax breaks that go to companies that ship jobs overseas.”
Apart from the outsourcing concern, Obama brought what the Democrats called “red meat” to the convention.
He left the huge crowd speechless, with a speech which promised to “fix Washington” and restore America’s “legacy.” Surround-ed by an enormous, adoring crowd, Barack Obama promised a clean break from the “broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush” on August 28 night as he embarked on the final lap of his audacious bid to become the nation’s first black President.