Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu has offered a fresh perspective on why Indian professionals dominate leadership roles at American technology companies, explaining how America’s lengthy H-1B visa and green card processes inadvertently created a pool of committed tech talent rather than any deliberate strategy. The immigration system’s restrictions made job switching risky, fostering long-term loyalty that naturally led to their rise in senior positions at major US firms.In a social media post on X, Vembu explained that the H-1B visa program and the notoriously long green card process created conditions that fostered long-term commitment among Indian workers. “American companies solved the need for long term committed people with the H1-B visa and the extremely long green card process, both of which made it painful or risky to switch jobs,” he wrote.This system, Vembu argued, gave US tech companies a reliable source of dedicated talent willing to stay with organisations for extended periods. Since companies naturally promote employees who demonstrate commitment, Indians who remained loyal to their employers advanced into senior positions. “There was no conspiracy to promote Indians, it was one consequence of the visa/green card system,” he emphasised.
Zoho founder says long-term R&D commitment drives innovation success
The Zoho founder stressed that research and development is “not expensive but time intensive,” with best results achieved by teams committed to long-term goals. The visa system inadvertently created these conditions by making job transitions risky for foreign workers seeking permanent residency.Vembu’s comments come amid intense controversy over President Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee imposed in September, which has sparked heated debate about foreign talent in American technology. Critics, including billionaire investor Michael Moritz, warn the policy could backfire by pushing innovation overseas. Moritz cited successful immigrant CEOs like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Google’s Sundar Pichai as examples of the program’s benefits, arguing that “two of the finest chief executives in the US” are products of previous administrations’ immigration policies.The fee has divided tech leadership. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged his own family couldn’t have afforded such costs when they immigrated, yet called it “a great start” while warning it “probably sets the bar a little too high.” Nvidia, with over 1,400 H-1B employees facing potential $147 million in fees, committed to covering all visa costs. Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings supported the fee as ensuring visas are “used just for very high-value jobs,” while most Silicon Valley executives warn it disadvantages startups and could drive talent to competitors in India, Turkey, and Eastern Europe.
Indian companies must build culture of sustained innovation, Vembu argues
Vembu urged Indian tech companies to learn from this pattern, emphasising the importance of creating a culture focused on long-term R&D commitment. Earlier this month, Vembu stepped down as Zoho CEO to become Chief Scientist, dedicating himself full-time to research and development initiatives amid rapid AI advancement.Despite growing talent migration concerns, Vembu maintains an optimistic outlook, arguing that rising emigration actually signals economic transformation rather than decline—a pattern historically seen in Korea, Taiwan, and China during their development phases.
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