Please see movement of techies as trade priority, not as immigration issue, Siddaramaiah tells Theresa May

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday conveyed the sentiments of the captains of the IT industry to visiting UK Prime Minister Theresa May on her country’s latest immigration policy, and urged her to see the movement of skilled tech workers from India “as a trade priority rather than an immigration issue.”

In a brief meeting with her along with Industries Minister R.V.Deshpande and IT Minister Priyank Kharge today, the Chief Minister appealed to her to review UK’s latest immigration policy, and continue with the earlier pay threshold for migrant workers.

“Under the new visa rules announced by the UK Home Office, anyone applying after November 24 under the Tier 2 intra-company transfer (ICT) category would be required to meet a higher salary threshold of 30,000 pounds from the earlier 20,800 pounds. I request you to review the new policy so that the earlier threshold is continued,” Siddaramaiah told her.

Bengaluru’s fast growing and high value tech sectors, the Chief Minister said, relied upon an effective immigration policy that would attract high-skilled workers and minimised barriers to the flow of talented people. Temporary placement of highly-skilled individuals into the UK, the CM added, provided a significant economic boost while having a negligible impact on net migration.

A number of businesses from the UK are doing well in Bengaluru because it is home to a flourishing IT industry, and the city, as a centre of innovation, understands business. He added that 15% of UK based companies in India are in Karnataka employing 23,000 people.

Several Karnataka-based companies such as Infosys, Wipro, Dynamatic Technologies, Biocon and Microlabs continued to expand their presence in the UK and creating new jobs there, he said.

“We seek investments from UK based firms in renewable energy and for creating smart cities. The strength of UK research and innovation and the implementation capabilities of Karnataka together can help forge a unique partnership in the days to come,” the CM said.