Nasscom was third largest tech lobbyist in US in 2019

BENGALURU: IT trade physique Nasscom was the third largest spender on lobbying on immigration and advocacy within the US in 2019, as per knowledge from analysis group Opensecret.org. Microsoft topped the checklist, pouring $7.eight million on lobbying efforts, adopted by Cognizant, which spent $1.7 million.

Nasscom spent $510,000, in comparison with $700,000 within the 12 months earlier than. The highest companies lobbied by Nasscom embrace the division of commerce, training, division of homeland safety, and division of labour. Nasscom spent $270,000 with Republic Consulting, a bipartisan boutique of each Democratic and Republican Consultants. It spent $150,000 with the Lande Group. Immigration commerce, training and overseas relations had been a number of the prime points on its checklist. An electronic mail despatched to Nasscom on lobbying bills and lobbyists didn’t elicit a response until the time of going to press.

Nasscom’s lobbying spends have risen considerably since 2015. It fluctuated between $40,000 and $150,000 between 2010 and 2014. However the tightening visa surroundings within the later years of US president Barack Obama after which Donald Trump seems to have compelled India’s IT trade to strengthen lobbying.

Nasscom employed Spencer Abraham, the previous Republican senator from Michigan and US power secretary beneath former president George Bush, as lobbyist to speak to the Trump administration about how the $170-billion Indian IT trade has serviced a majority of the Fortune 500 of their transformation programmes. Till some months in the past, John Engler, the Michigan governor within the Bush regime, was one in all Nasscom’s advisers on public coverage. Nasscom had employed Engler to speak how the US would profit from a continuation of the present H-1B visa programme.


Microsoft’s $7.eight million spend this 12 months was lower than final 12 months’s $9.5 million. It roped in Cornerstone Authorities Affairs, a bipartisan consulting agency specialising in federal and state authorities relations, public affairs and strategic communications. One of many key points that has gathered steam is the Equity of Extremely-Expert Immigration Act of 2019 that goals to remove the percountry cap for employmentbased immigrants.

OpenSecrets.org’s database confirmed Cognizant’s spends went into points associated to immigration, labour, antitrust and office, training and overseas relations. It employed retired military colonel Pete Landrum of the BGR Group who specialises in Congressional procedures and course of, homeland safety coverage and overseas affairs amongst others. It additionally used the BGR Group and the Washington DC-based consulting agency Hecht, Latham, Spencer & Associates.