Business
US H-1B visa fee hike: Indian IT firms facing $150-550 million in immigration bill – Know all about it – The Times of India
India’s top IT services firms are bracing for a steep rise in costs after the US government sharply increased the H-1B visa application fee to $100,000, nearly ten times the earlier $7,500–10,000. According to estimates, leading players could each end up spending an additional $150–550 million in immigration fees based on their past visa sponsorship levels, ET reported.
The US remains the largest market for Indian IT, contributing up to 85% of their revenue and employing 3-5% of the industry’s workforce onsite. For India’s IT giants like TCS, Infosys, HCLTech, and Wipro, the recent hike in US H-1B visa fees could cut their core operating profits (EBITDA) by 7–15%, according to industry analysts.TCS, for example, had about 7,000 H-1B approvals in FY23. If these visas come up for renewal in October 2025, the added cost of roughly $90,000 per petition could reduce EBITDA by 7–8%. As of FY25, TCS had 5,500 employees on H-1B visas.To mitigate the impact, firms are expected to accelerate offshoring and execute more work from India or other low-cost locations. However, for specialised roles requiring onsite presence, they will still need to sponsor visas-now at sharply higher costs. This could push companies toward greater local hiring and subcontracting in the US, though both options are costlier and may erode margins further.Industry executives caution that the move could disrupt project timelines, especially around renewals and workforce mobility. Clients may also feel the pressure, as IT vendors are unlikely to absorb the entire burden and will pass on costs directly or indirectly. “Profitability will be impacted as the overhead costs will go up, but companies will also cut corners in what skills will have to be kept onshore, and if they can make do with fewer people,” Akshat Vaid, partner at US consultancy and research firm Everest Group told ET.Recruitment experts believe the change will accelerate alternative models such as offshore delivery, gig-based work, and remote contracting.“This may stretch the project implementation timelines of clients as people will not be available locally. For individual professionals, there will be disruption, especially around renewals and mobility, but over time both employees and companies will find new ways of working,” Aditya Narayan Mishra, managing director and CEO of recruitment services firm CIEL HR told the outlet.“This will accelerate alternative talent models. With employers reluctant to commit to the heavy cost of sponsorship, we could see greater reliance on remote contracting, offshore delivery, and gig workers,” he added.The impact may not be immediate, as the next round of visa applications will only be filed in 2027. However, with $13 billion worth of deals due for renewal since July, analysts say the uncertainty could weigh on negotiations, renewals, and new project pipelines.While Indian IT vendors are better prepared for localisation, already embedding subcontracting and nearshore delivery into their models, analysts warn the broader $283 billion outsourcing industry faces renewed margin pressure after three years of sluggish growth. Interestingly, experts also point out that Big Tech companies, not just Indian IT firms, account for a large share of fresh H-1B applications, meaning the cost impact will be felt widely across the tech ecosystem.Experts suggest that companies may increasingly rely on offshore teams where possible, reserving onshore roles for critical skills exempt from the new fee order. The move comes amid broader disruption from slowing demand and the growing adoption of AI, forcing software exporters to adapt their delivery models and talent strategies.According to Motilal Oswal, Indian IT firms are relatively well-positioned to adjust because localisation and subcontracting are already integral to their operations. The report also notes that while H-1B visas are often associated with Indian IT, major US tech firms like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta actually account for a larger share of fresh applications.Overall, the fee increase is expected to pressure margins and client deals, but IT companies are likely to explore new ways to manage costs through offshore delivery, subcontracting, and selective onshore hiring.
Beermaker BrewDog could be broken up after consultants were called in to help look for new investors.
The Scotland-based brewer, which makes craft beer such as Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has appointed consultants AlixPartners to oversee a sale process.
Last month, BrewDog announced it was closing its distilling brands, sparking concerns for jobs at its facility in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The company, which was founded in 2007, said it made the decision to focus on its beer products.
No decision has been made in respect of the sale process.
A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “As with many businesses operating in a challenging economic climate and facing sustained macro headwinds, we regularly review our options with a focus on the long-term strength and sustainability of the company.
“Following a year of decisive action in 2025, which saw a focus on costs and operating efficiencies, we have appointed AlixPartners to support a structured and competitive process to evaluate the next phase of investment for the business.
“This is a deliberate and disciplined step with a focus on strengthening the long-term future of the BrewDog brand and its operations.
“BrewDog remains a global pioneer in craft beer: a world-class consumer brand, the number one independent brewer in the UK and with a highly engaged global community.
“We believe that this combination will attract substantial interest, though no final decisions have been made.
“Our breweries, bars, and venues continue to operate as normal. We will not comment on any further speculation.”
Brewdog operates 72 bars around the world as well as four breweries.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has raised serious concerns over how real estate regulatory authorities are functioning across the country. Taking a sharp view, the top court said it may be “better to abolish” these bodies, suggesting they have failed to protect homebuyers and instead appear to benefit defaulting builders. The court added that states should reconsider the very need for such authorities if they are not serving their intended purpose.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said states should rethink the original purpose behind introducing RERA. The court observed that instead of protecting homebuyers, the law appears to be helping defaulting builders and not serving its intended role.
Expressing strong concern, CJI Surya Kant said states should reflect on the purpose for which RERA was created. He suggested the institution is failing to serve homebuyers and instead appears to benefit defaulting builders. “All states should now think of the people for whom the institution of RERA was created. Except facilitating builders in default, it is not doing anything else. Better to just abolish this institution,” CJI Kant said, quoted by Bar and Bench.
Last year, the High Court had stayed the state government’s decision to shift the RERA office, pointing out that the move was taken “without even identifying an alternative office location”. The court also noted that transferring 18 outsourced employees to other boards and corporations, as requested, “would render the functioning of Rera defunct”.
The Supreme Court, however, set aside the High Court’s order and allowed the state government to shift the RERA office to Dharamshala. It also permitted the relocation of the appellate tribunal to the same location. “With a view to ensure that persons affected by Rera orders are not inconvenienced, the principal appellate is also moved to Dharamshala,” the apex court said.
What Is RERA And Why It Matters
RERA, introduced in 2016, was aimed at addressing project delays, improving transparency and safeguarding homebuyers’ interests. Earlier, each state and union territory operated its own RERA website. However, in September 2025, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched a unified RERA portal that brings together data from across states and UTs on a single platform.
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SEBI proposes stricter base price and band rules for gold, silver ETFs, including cooling-off periods after sharp global price swings to curb volatility.
Amid Global Commodity Volatility, SEBI Plans New Price Band Rules for Gold, Silver ETFs
The market regulator has sought to curb extreme volatility in gold and silver Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by proposing changes to the base price and price band framework. Currently, there are no separate price bands for ETFs aligned with their underlying assets, making them vulnerable to sharp price movements.
The proposal comes after sharp volatility in gold and silver ETFs triggered by fluctuations in global commodity prices. On some days, these ETFs fell by over 15%, while on others, they recorded sharp gains.
Stock exchanges currently apply a fixed price band of plus or minus 20% on the base price of ETFs, except for Overnight ETFs investing only in TREPs, which have a price band of plus or minus 5%.
Moreover, the base price for applying price bands to ETFs is taken as the T-2 day closing Net Asset Value (NAV) by exchanges, instead of the T-1 day closing NAV or price, as is the case with indices and individual stocks. This creates a challenge, as the closing NAV of ETFs typically differs between T-1 and T-2 days. Corporate actions such as bonuses and dividends are adjusted manually, increasing the risk of errors.
What Are the Key Proposals?
SEBI has proposed that the base price be determined using either the closing price of the ETF on T-1 day (weighted average price of the last 30 minutes), the closing NAV of T-1 day, or the average indicative NAV (iNAV) of the last 30 minutes of T-1 day.
Further, the regulator has proposed an initial price band of plus or minus 10% for equity and debt ETFs, which can be flexed up to plus or minus 20%. A cooling-off period of 15 minutes will apply, and up to two flexes will be allowed in a day.
For gold and silver ETFs, the regulator has proposed an initial price band of plus or minus 6%, which can be flexed up to plus or minus 20%. This will also include a 15-minute cooling-off period.
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February 14, 2026, 16:08 IST
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