Indian Firms, Microsoft Top H-1B List

Indian outsourcers, along with Microsoft and Google, again lead the list of companies bringing foreign workers to the U.S. on the H-1B visa program.

According to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS), Four India-based companies topped the list:

Infosys Technologies (INFY, India): 4,559 H-1B visas approved in 2008, 4,559 in 2007
Wipro (WIT, India): 2,678 H-1B visas approved in 2008; 2,567 in 2007
Satyam (SAY, India): 1,917 H-1B visas approved in 2008; 1,396 in 2007
Tata (TCS.BO, India): 1,539 H-1B visas approved in 2008; 797 in 2007
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT): 1,018 H-1B visas approved in 2008; 959 in 2007
Google (NASDAQ:GOOG): 248 H-1B visas approved in 2008
Lehman Brothers: 130 H-1B visas approved in 2008

In fiscal year 2007, six of the top 10 visa recipients were based in India; two others among the top 10, Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH) and UST Global, are headquartered in the U.S. but have most of their operations in India, according to BusinessWeek

• The H-1B program, which started in 1990, was set up to allow U.S. companies to import the best and brightest in technology, engineering, and other fields when such workers are in short supply domestically.
• The H-1B visa program is currently capped at 65,000 per year, with another 20,000 set aside for advanced-degree graduates of U.S. universities.

USCIS will begin taking H-1B applications for the next fiscal year on April 1 and will distribute the new visas on Oct. 1.

Source: U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS)

China’s January Exports Fall 17.5%, Most Since 1996

According to Bloomberg: “China’s exports fell by the most in almost 13 years as demand dried up in the U.S. and Europe, worsening the outlook for jobs and industrial production in the world’s third-biggest economy.”

“China’s economic slide has already cost the jobs of 20 million migrant workers, adding pressure on the government to boost consumption and expand a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) stimulus package. Government researchers have advocated weakening the yuan against the dollar to support exports, a move that could add to trade tensions amid the worst financial crisis since World War II.”

“Imports declined 43.1 percent in January from a year earlier, the biggest decline since Bloomberg data began in 1995, on the nation’s waning demand for raw materials for manufacturing and lower commodity prices.”

“China’s industrial output grew 5.7 percent in December, down from 17.4 percent a year earlier.”

“Taiwan’s shipments to the mainland slumped 64 percent in January because of weaker demand for electronic components.”

“Philippine shipments to China fell 58 percent.”

“India imposed a six-month ban on imports of Chinese toys last month, citing health concerns.”

Yet Another Scandal for ‘India’s Enron’ (Satyam Computer Services)

According to FoxNews: “Satyam Computer Services Ltd., the Indian tech giant at the center of a $1 billion executive fraud and a World Bank ethics scandal, is involved in yet another kind of debacle — this time at the United Nations’ public health arm, the World Health Organization (WHO).

At issue is Satyam’s role in the development of a $55.5 million global business management system for WHO, which was slated to become the master control for staffing, financial payments and procurement by the organization by an initial deadline of September 2007.

That deadline has long since passed, and instead, according to documents obtained by FOX News, the project is far behind schedule, wallowing in glitches that have deeply affected WHO operations, and, despite management claims to the contrary, likely to end up far exceeding its budget.

Moreover, according to the documents, in the push to get at least part of the system up and running by last summer, Satyam ignored the instructions of the software’s manufacturer, Oracle, for implementing the complex system; ran user tests that validated the system without “being able to replicate a real-life situation,” provided little or no training to WHO employees; and failed to adequately involve health care professionals who see the system as a vital tool, among a host of other failings.”

Layoffs to continue in India.

In an indication that the global layoff wave has hit the Indian shores, global financial services major Citigroup believes that jobless numbers in the country could climb in the coming months.

According to a latest report by Citigroup, the country does not appear to have remain unscathed from the massive layoffs witnessed worldwide and unemployment could rise further with home coming of migrant workers.

India’s unemployment rate is officially at 8.2% but the point worth noticing is that disguised employment exists in developing economies, the report also said.

Source: LiveMint.com

500,000 jobs lost in three months in India

The global meltdown and the consequent slowdown in the Indian economy took 5 lakh [500,000] workers off factory floors in the last three months of 2008, the labor bureau announced today after a study that covered 2,581 units.

The study reveals that between October and December last year, 5 lakh workers have lost jobs in sectors like textile and garment, metals and metal products, automobiles, gems and jewelery, transportation, construction and mining industries.

However, according to the study, IT and BPO increased employment rate marginally by 0.33 per cent, which does not match popular perception. As the entire sample covered 2,581 units, the number of IT companies could not have been too high and the finding is unlikely to mirror the full picture.

Source: The Telegraph Calcutta

India: Software and service exports to grow 16-17% in 2009

According to India Times: “IT-BPO industry association Nasscom on Wednesday said software and service exports will grow 16-17% in 2008-09 to $47 billion, lower than earlier estimates of $50 billion as the global economic slowdown dampened demand.

The association had also estimated total IT-BPO revenues to grow 21-24% in the current fiscal. As per revised estimates, the total IT soft-ware and services revenues, including domestic revenues, are poised to grow 15.3% in FY09 to $60 billion. The total IT- BPO industry, including hardware, will be worth $71.7 billion in FY09.”

India needs 6,000 forensic accountants to fight corp frauds

Forensic accountants are now in a position to turn the Satyam scandal into an opportunity during tough times for getting jobs, as the country needs more than 6,000 such professionals to check corporate frauds in India.

According to the report, there are only 400 forensic accountants in the country though India loses approximately $40 billion because of frauds.

SourceL: TheHinduBusinessLine

Indian Exporters Cut 1 Million Jobs as Orders Decline

Indian exporters have shed as many as 1 million jobs, more than 15 times a December estimate, amid the most protracted decline in overseas sales in a decade, the commerce ministry said.

“The job losses are very substantial and are likely to be of the order of 700,000 to 1 million, including temporary staff,” Commerce Secretary G.K. Pillai told Bloomberg News in an interview in New Delhi yesterday. Exports fell 1 percent in December and any recovery “is likely only by June,” he said.

Source: Bloomberg

Accenture Philippines lays off 500 workers

Outsourcing firm Accenture said it is laying off at least 500 workers in the country due to a “redundancy” program.

This affects approximately three percent of its total workforce in the Philippines or approximately 500 out of a total headcount of more than 16,000 employees.

Source: INQUIRER.net

~LayoffBl0g.com: We have also received a report of Accenture layoffs in India coming February.~

India: Infosys Q3 net rises 33% on higher earnings growth

According to TheHinduBusinessLine (India): “Infosys posted better-than-expected earnings growth for the December quarter aided by a weaker rupee and improved operational efficiencies, but missed its forecast in dollar terms hurt by volatile currencies.”

“Infosys added 30 new clients during the quarter, and the gross employee addition was 5,997. Mr T.V. Mohandas Pai, Member of the Board, said the number of employees joining during the fiscal has been increased to 27,000 from 25,000.”

European investors unfazed by “India’s Enron” in IT

According to Reuters: “European investors remain upbeat about India despite an accounting scandal at IT company Satyam Computer Services (SATY.BO) that sent Indian markets tumbling on Wednesday.

Shares in the IT group fell almost 80 percent after founder and chairman Ramalinga Raju admitted inflating the company’s reported cash and bank balances by over 50 billion rupees ($1 billion).

While shaken by what has been dubbed “India’s Enron”, some investors say they will wait for signs of widespread malfeasance among Indian companies before deciding whether to change their investment policy on India.”

• Satyam is the fourth largest of the Indian IT outsourcing firms
• Satyam serves more than a third of the Fortune 500 companies
• Satyam’s clients include multinationals such as Nestlé, General Motors (GM), and General Electric (GE)
• Satyam’s auditor is PricewaterhouseCoopers, who endorsed the company’s accounts

Update: Ramalingam Raju, the chairman of troubled Indian IT outsourcing company Satyam Computer Services, resigned on Jan. 7, 2009, admitting the firm had falsified accounts and assets and inflated its profits over several years.

No layoffs in India, says AMD

According to ITExaminer: “AMD’s Indian employees can rest easy, as the company has no plans to follow up layoffs in the US with similar cuts in India.

AMD India managing director, Dasaradha Gude. said, “This is a global impact of economic slowdown, and AMD hopes to come back hard. It will affect India as well, but we are also at the hiring spree.” He added, “There are no such plans to have similar lay-offs in India.”