Washington, August 17: India may drag US to the World Trade Organisation for its new “protectionist” move in hiking professional visa fees, a step that will make Indian IT companies less competitive in the American market.
The fee hike is expected to cost Indian companies, mainly IT outsourcing firms, about USD 200 million annually.
India “cannot keep quite” on an issue that hurts its commercial interests, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said today, making it clear that moving the WTO on the matter is being considered seriously.
“Yes this (visa fee hike) is WTO incompatible… I will take up the matter under advisement,” Khullar told reporters when asked if India was considering to drag the US to WTO on the issue.
—Agencies