Narayan AmmachchiTwo weeks after disclosing plans to expand operations in Mexico, Indian IT services giant Infosys is now talking about doubling its headcount in Canada, with analysts describing the move as an attempt to overcome the immigration hurdles thrown its way by the Trump administration.
Bangalore, India-based company currently has 2,000 employees across three delivery centers in Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver.
“We have planned to add 2,000 more employees to our Canadian payroll,” said the company’s Chairman Nandan Nilekani at a virtual investment conference recently.
“We work with clients in the US from Canada,” added Nilekani, who is also the company’s co-founder.
Earlier in October, Pravin Rao, Infosys COO, told stock market analysts that the company had recently expanded operations in Mexico to offer “same time-zone services” to clients. He, however, did not narrate as to how many people the IT provider would recruit in Mexico.
Infosys expanded its footprints to Canada in 2001 with a global delivery center in Toronto. It has since partnered with many Canadian universities to groom talent for its operations.
“We also have great relationships with universities in Canada …. like Toronto, Vancouver, and British Columbia,” Nilekani added.
The news comes two months after the IT provider announced plans to hire thousands of professionals in the United States.
The US is the main market for most Indian IT companies including Infosys. With the Trump administration tightening immigration rules, particularly with regard to the H1B visa, India’s IT services are struggling to serve their U.S clients.
Canada’s Economic and business immigration options are for skilled immigrants who have the right skill-sets and work experience that support the Canadian economy. Each program differs considerably in the qualifications required, so no one-size-fits-all description is possible.