India-Canada row: Nasscom says will engage with stakeholders to track any impact

Nasscom said that it will engage with stakeholders to track the impact, if any, and support the IT and tech companies if needed, as New Delhi suspended visa services for Canadian citizens "till further notice".

New Delhi: Indian IT industry’s apex body Nasscom on Thursday commented on the ongoing India-Canada diplomatic row which may slow down business between the two countries, saying they are in close touch with its members in Canada.

Nasscom said that it will engage with stakeholders to track the impact, if any, and support the IT and tech companies if needed, as New Delhi suspended visa services for Canadian citizens “till further notice”.

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“We are in close touch with our members in Canada and as per their feedback there are no immediate areas of concern,” Nasscom said in a statement. Since this is an evolving situation, “we will continue to engage with stakeholders to track any potential areas of impact that may need support”

In light of the recent tensions, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday clarified the government’s stance on visa services.

Regarding the travel advisory issued by Canada for travelling to India, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the issue is not about travel to India.

“Those who have valid visas, OCIs are free to travel to India. The issue is the incitement of violence, inaction by Canadian authorities, and the creation of an environment that disrupts the functioning of our consulates which is what is making us temporarily stop the issuance of visa services. We will review this situation on a regular basis,” he said.