Marc Benioff has been vocal about the backlash he’s faced over Salesforce's recent layoffs, calling the criticism a “dumpster fire.” However, this article fails to fully address why those layoffs deserve such scrutiny. Benioff should be required to explain Salesforce's significant investments in India while laying off thousands of American workers, especially when his own SEC filings emphasize the need for “skilled workers” and visa sponsorships in the U.S.
Salesforce’s actions seem contradictory. On one hand, they are scaling back in the U.S., where two-thirds of their revenue is generated, and on the other, expanding rapidly in India. The company has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with India's government to train and educate India's youth, currently offering 65,000 internship opportunities in India with plans to scale that number to 200,000. Salesforce appears to be building India’s workforce while downsizing its American workforce, raising questions about its priorities and fairness to U.S. workers.
The comments from Salesforce India’s CEO also merit closer examination. Her statements highlight preferences for management and a "younger" workforce demographic in India, which raises concerns about potential age, nationality, and citizenship discrimination. Those laid off in the U.S. should consider reviewing the demographics of those affected, as these comments suggest troubling patterns that deserve attention.
Screenshots and links below provide important context, let the dates and figures speak for themselves. It’s time to remind Benioff that while he shifts Salesforce into an “India era,” the U.S. is moving into an “America First” era. Let’s ensure these practices and discrepancies are brought to light. Keep these receipts handy because a picture truly is worth a thousand words.
"Speaking to Indian media, Bhattacharya said, “We have an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with AICTE for providing 200,000 internships, of which we have already done 65,000. So these internships are for three months - one and a half months virtual, one and a half months on the ground, in location.”"
google.com/amp/s/m.econom…
"Speaking about leadership and talents in India, she added “Now, we hire a lot of senior leaders out of India as well. So, they sit out of India and manage teams (globally) also. So, more than 2x growth in the last two years in the overall staffing …… at this point of time, we're about 13,000 plus."
"The world is moving into the Indian era and the country presents exciting opportunities, Marc Benioff, chief executive of cloud-based software company Salesforce has said a day earlier."
google.com/amp/s/m.econom…
Read the fine print in this one.
"A. Program Vision
With more than 500,000 direct jobs and 700,000 indirect jobs
being created in India by the Salesforce economy by the year
2026"
"The Ministry of Education, Govt. Of India (MoE) partnered with an aim to design and develop programs which
shall impact 1,00,000 students in the next three years and through these programs, together we seek to create new talent in the Salesforce ecosystem by enabling students on Salesforce skills to meet this opportunity."
Yep no collusion to see here folks..
aicte-india.org/sites/default/…
"Provide educator, faculty and student community as a networking and learning platform."
"Conduct events jointly with the MoE's to bring Salesforce partners for the trained students as part of networking opportunities."
"Offer Salesforce Supported virtual internships year on year subject to program availability."
"Integration and making Trailhead platform available for the MoE's schemes and projects. Trailhead is Salesforce's free online learning platform that empowers anyone to skill up for the future. With Trailhead, anyone can learn in-demand skills, earn resume-worthy credentials, and connect to career opportunities."
"Obligations of Collaborator:
During the Collaboration Period, Collaborator will be responsible for the following:"
"The MoE shall participate in the joint press release of
announcing the collaboration between Salesforce and the MoE
for skilling / Up-skilling the students of India"
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Salesforce and the Indian government provides a clear indication of how U.S.-based jobs could be replaced through a combination of offshoring and exploitation of immigration programs. Here’s how the provisions outlined in the MOU signal potential threats to American workers:
1. Workforce Development Focused on India:
Salesforce's commitment to providing resources like Trailhead for educators, faculty, and students in India demonstrates a clear intention to build a pipeline of skilled workers in that region. By integrating their learning platform into Indian government programs, Salesforce is creating a highly skilled, local talent pool that can compete with, or outright replace, American workers—either directly via offshore operations or indirectly through U.S. immigration programs like H-1B.
2. Partnerships to Place Indian Workers in Jobs:
The MOU emphasizes joint events with India’s Ministry of Education (MoE) and Salesforce’s partners to connect trained students to job opportunities. This networking directly links the Indian-trained workforce to Salesforce’s global ecosystem, including roles that might traditionally be filled by U.S. workers. It’s a clear signal that these efforts are aimed at creating a robust workforce in India at the potential expense of opportunities for U.S. citizens.
3. Virtual Internships and Scaling:
Salesforce’s plan to offer virtual internships “year on year” suggests a strategy to provide real-world experience to Indian students. These internships are likely to create a pipeline of pre-trained, cost-effective employees who can take on Salesforce roles globally. With these internships taking place remotely, it also shows how the company might expand its reliance on offshore labor without needing to physically relocate employees.
4. Cost and Visa Implications:
By heavily investing in training and skilling workers in India, Salesforce reduces the need to hire skilled U.S. workers, who are often paid significantly higher wages. Furthermore, skilled Indian workers trained under these programs can be brought to the U.S. under H-1B and other visa programs, displacing domestic workers. The MOU directly supports the preparation of candidates for these pathways by ensuring they have Salesforce-relevant skills.
5. Trailhead as a Strategic Tool:
While Salesforce markets Trailhead as an inclusive platform that allows anyone to learn and skill up, its integration into Indian education schemes ensures that a large-scale, workforce-ready population is being developed in India. This could systematically disadvantage U.S. workers, who lack the same level of institutionalized support, as Salesforce does not appear to be making comparable investments in American education systems or workforce development programs.
A Broader Pattern of Displacement
This MOU exemplifies a broader trend where American corporations invest heavily in developing workforces abroad while downsizing or limiting opportunities for U.S. workers. It highlights a deliberate strategy to leverage cost advantages, flexible immigration programs, and a vast offshore talent pool to reduce labor costs at the expense of domestic employees.
If left unchecked, this kind of corporate behavior will only accelerate the erosion of American jobs in the tech sector, undermining the principles of fair labor practices and national workforce priorities.
Source Link: aicte-india.org/sites/default/…
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