US faces shortage of IT skills, Nasscom

As Barack Obama was re-elected US President, India's IT industry bodyNasscom said opposition to outsourcing in the US is actually targetted at the manufacturing sector and not IT services. 

"Every time there is anti-outsourcing topic, we always take it as it's for our industry (Indian IT services industry)", Nasscom President Som Mittal told reporters. 
Actually, it's targetted at manufacturing sector, he added. "Many of the jobs (in the manufacturing sector in the US) have moved (to China)", he said, adding, the election dynamics (anti-outsourcing rhetoric) is different from ground reality (in the US). 

Mittal said the US continues to face shortage of IT skills, and expressed hope that there would be comprehensive changes in immigration policy. 

He said the Indian IT services industry actually works for the US economy in many ways, adding that "We are solution to many of the problems that US faces. There is a realisation (in the US) that we are part of the solution". 

Meanwhile, Nasscom said, India and the US need to partner together to foster economic growth, develop an educated and skilled workforce and create jobs in order to find solutions to balance the current global situation. 

"Rapid recovery in the US will benefit the entire global economy and consequently, our (Indian IT services) sector," the industry boday said in a release. 

"Nasscom shares many of the same economic and diplomatic goals outlined by President Obama and specifically, we agree on the shortage of STEM professionals in the US and support expanding the visa program so that highly skilled workers can help companies lead the way on innovation and contribute additional jobs and economic growth in the United States," it added.