Infosys: $1.04 Billion Exposure
Infosys faces the steepest burden, with over 93% of its new H-1B hires from May 2020 to May 2024—upwards of 10,400 workers—processed at US consulates.
At $100,000 per worker, this equates to more than $1.04 billion in fees if replicated in 2026.
The scale underscores why staffing middlemen like Infosys bear disproportionate impact from the policy.
TCS: $650 Million Calculation
Tata Consultancy Services would have paid for 6,500 consular-processed H-1B workers over the same four-year period, or 82% of its new approvals.
Multiplying by the $100,000 fee yields exactly $650 million in potential 2026 costs under steady hiring volumes.
This represents a direct hit to TCS’s US staffing model reliant on offshore talent.
Cognizant: $560 Million+ Tally
Cognizant confronts fees for more than 5,600 new H-1B employees—89% of its hires—approved via consulates from 2020-2024.
The baseline calculation at $100,000 each surpasses $560 million, with the true figure likely higher given the “more than” qualifier.
Aggregated across the trio, the total exceeds $2.25 billion, reshaping IT outsourcing economics.
Offshoring Surge Looms as $2.25 Billion Tally Takes Shape
The $2.25 billion figure breaks down precisely: Infosys at $1.04 billion (10,400+ workers × $100,000), TCS at $650 million (6,500 × $100,000), and Cognizant at minimum $560 million (5,600+ × $100,000). This conservative sum—drawn from Bloomberg’s four-year consular hire analysis—highlights the policy’s targeted punch at high-volume IT staffing firms. Legal challenges may delay implementation, but experts predict 30-50% lottery drop-offs and accelerated offshoring to India regardless.
Conclusion: Model Shift Accelerates
Indian IT leaders will likely pivot to offshore-heavy delivery, reserving H-1Bs for premium, high-wage roles that justify the surcharge. US clients face higher onsite costs or more India-based execution, while global talent pools reshape around this fiscal barrier. The era of low-friction H-1B scaling ends, forcing innovation in hybrid work models.
