Zoho Founder Sridhar Vembu Urges Indians in the US to Return Home After Green Card Freeze
The Zoho founder’s appeal follows a US suspension of new and pending PERM labour-certification applications involving eight technology companies, creating uncertainty for some employer-sponsored green-card applicants. Copy headline and subtitle
NextWise News Desk | October 9, 2026
NEW DELHI — Sridhar Vembu, founder and Chief Scientist of the software company Zoho, has asked Indian technology professionals working in the United States to come back and help build India. His appeal, made on October 9, follows the US government’s decision to suspend several major IT companies from a key green card programme.
In a post on X, Vembu pointed out that Indians have made a major contribution to America’s strength in technology. At the same time, he said a large part of American society no longer seems to want them. He voiced concern for Indians on work visas in the US, who now face the painful possibility of leaving behind lives they have built through years of hard work.
Vembu chose to look at the situation as a turning point. He described the current disruption as the painful start of a bold new future and invited people to return and take part in building the country.
His comments come after the US Department of Labor announced that it would stop accepting new applications under the Permanent Labor Certification Program, known as PERM, from the suspended companies. It will also hold back processing of their pending applications while the suspensions last. The affected firms include Indian IT majors such as Infosys, TCS and Wipro. PERM is an important early step in the employer-sponsored route to a green card. According to ANI, the freeze does not by itself stop H-1B visa applications, which continue under the usual rules.
This is not the first time Vembu has made such an appeal. In May, he made a similar request to Indians in America to come home and make the country proud. He has also practised what he preaches. After many years in the US, Vembu moved back to India in 2019 and settled in the Tenkasi region of Tamil Nadu, where he has worked from a rural base.
Why it matters: The remarks reflect a growing debate in India over whether stricter US rules could bring skilled professionals back home. Moving back is a big personal decision, though, and it is not yet clear how many people in the US will actually do so. TCS has said its own exposure to the programme is small, while employees at other affected firms may see longer delays.