Indian IT supported 2.8 lakh jobs in US in 2011, says Nirupama Rao

Indian IT supported 2.8 lakh jobs in US in 2011, says Nirupama RaoIndian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao has said that the Indian IT firms supported as many as 2.8 lakh jobs in the US during the 2011, even as the world’s largest economic faced an economic slowdown.

Leading Indian IT sector outsourcers are aiming to get an image get over in the US market as the public sentiment is being turned against general outsourcing by various segments for the upcoming US presidential elections.

“Our IT companies supported 280,000 jobs in the US last year. The IT companies have invested more than 5 billion dollars in FDI through acquisitions and green-field projects. The unemployment rate in the tech-space in this country is much lower than in manufacturing and that is where the effort is concentrated we believe today - to get back the jobs in manufacturing to this country,”she said.

Wipro, Infosys and others want to be perceived not as a cheaper alternative for performing jobs but as responsible US listed firms that are creating jobs and investing in the future of the country. The makeover is more required at this tie because of the upcoming US presidential elections in November, in which jobs is set to be a core issue and much hype will be created against outsourcing.

Officials in Indian firms say that they wish to become part of the US job market and attract young talent in the country. It is not pointed out that the India’s $100 billion IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry supports more than 2.8 lakh jobs in the country.