Google is accelerating its expansion in India as part of a broader strategic response to tightened U.S. immigration policies under the Trump administration, including a newly introduced $100,000 fee per H-1B visa petition. Faced with rising costs, processing delays, and legal uncertainty in the U.S., Alphabet is reshaping its global workforce strategy by making India a central hub for innovation, engineering, and AI development.
Massive Infrastructure and Hiring Expansion
At the heart of Google’s “India plan” is a major infrastructure investment in Bengaluru. Alphabet has reportedly leased a large office tower and secured options on two additional buildings at Alembic City in Whitefield one of India’s fastest-growing technology corridors. The total footprint spans approximately 2.4 million square feet, making it one of Google’s largest office expansions outside the United States.
This campus is designed to support up to 20,000 additional employees. If fully occupied, Google’s India workforce would more than double from around 14,000 today to nearly 34,000, cementing the country as one of its most important global engineering centers.
Shift Toward High-End Engineering and AI Roles
Unlike earlier phases of outsourcing, Google’s India hiring is no longer limited to support or back-office operations. The company is actively recruiting top-tier engineers in generative AI, cloud computing, chip design, machine learning, and core infrastructure development. This shift allows Google to access the same elite talent pool traditionally drawn to Silicon Valley but without the financial and regulatory burden of U.S. visa sponsorships.
By hiring directly in India, Alphabet avoids the $100,000 H-1B fee per worker while reducing the risk of employees being stranded overseas due to visa delays or enhanced vetting requirements.
A Broader Industry Trend
Google is not alone in this move. The combined India workforce of major U.S. tech companies including Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google grew by approximately 16% over the past year. AI leaders such as OpenAI and Anthropic have also established Indian operations, recognizing the country’s deep talent pool and cost-efficient innovation ecosystem.
This trend signals a structural shift in how global tech companies build engineering teams, with India emerging as a core innovation hub rather than just an offshore delivery center.
Sundar Pichai’s Position
Despite the expansion, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has continued to publicly defend the H-1B visa program, calling immigrants’ contributions to U.S. technology “nothing but phenomenal.” However, he has also acknowledged that companies must adapt to the regulatory frameworks they are given.
With its aggressive India expansion, Google is doing exactly that future-proofing its talent pipeline while positioning India at the center of its AI-driven growth strategy.
