WASHINGTON D.C.
In one of the more candid conversations at the SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026, Chris Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, acknowledged that immigration processes and workforce mobility remain important considerations for Indian companies expanding into the United States.
Speaking to BW Businessworld during the summit, Chung said companies across sectors such as manufacturing, technology and advanced industrial operations continue to closely evaluate talent availability and mobility while making global investment decisions.
“I fully respect that each administration will have their immigration policy,” Chung said. “But there are ways to do it without compromising the flow of business investment capital into the U.S.”
The remarks come at a time when Indian multinationals — particularly in IT services, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and engineering — are carefully reassessing global expansion strategies amid evolving visa frameworks and broader geopolitical shifts.
Why North Carolina?
While the broader SelectUSA summit focused on America’s attractiveness as an investment destination, Chung said his role was to explain why companies should specifically choose North Carolina.
According to him, the state has emerged as one of America’s strongest business ecosystems, driven by population growth, workforce expansion, industrial diversity and a growing talent base.
“We’ve been ranked the number one state for business three of the last four years by CNBC,” Chung said, referring to rankings based on workforce, GDP growth, economic diversity, education and industrial output.
Unlike states dependent on a single dominant sector, Chung argued that North Carolina’s strength lies in the breadth of its economy.
He highlighted sectors including:
Aerospace
Automotive
Pharmaceuticals and life sciences
Financial services
Technology
Food processing
Advanced manufacturing
Textiles and furniture manufacturing
The state already hosts major Indian-origin companies including Infosys, HCL Technologies, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals and Bharat Forge.
Chung noted that Infosys established a major technology hub in Raleigh nearly a decade ago, while Bharat Forge — part of the Kalyani Group — became one of North Carolina’s earlier Indian manufacturing success stories.
Visa Processing and Business Expansion
A recurring theme during the conversation was the importance of timely visa processing for companies setting up or expanding operations in the United States.
Indian companies operating in the U.S. have, in recent years, pointed to delays involving H-1B, L-1 and other specialized technical visas that are often required to support new operations and production facilities.
Chung acknowledged that delays in bringing specialized personnel into the U.S. can affect execution timelines for investments.
“If companies cannot get key personnel into the U.S. to help ramp up production facilities, it slows their timetable,” he said.
He also revealed that he raised the issue during a roundtable interaction with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, highlighting how smoother processing mechanisms could support business investment flows into the United States.
According to Chung, state-level agencies often coordinate with congressional representatives to help companies navigate procedural bottlenecks related to strategic investments.
“We call our congressional representatives and say — we’re running into this issue, can you help accelerate the process for this company?” he said.
At the same time, he emphasized that immigration policy ultimately remains a federal matter.
Building a Welcoming Business Environment
The conversation also touched on the broader perception of the United States among international talent pools, including professionals from India.
Chung said North Carolina’s demographic and economic evolution has naturally made the state more globally connected and diverse.
“More than 50 percent of our adult population was not born in North Carolina,” he said. “So we have to embrace diversity of people, whatever national background they come from.”
He added that while states may not control national political discourse, they can focus on creating welcoming business ecosystems and strong local communities for global investors and workers.
“We can focus on the things that we can control,” Chung said, referring to workforce development, business support systems and community integration.
A Changing Investment Conversation
The exchange reflected a broader evolution in the U.S.-India investment dialogue.
While market size, innovation and access to capital continue to make the U.S. attractive for Indian companies, businesses are also paying closer attention to operational predictability, workforce mobility and long-term talent strategies.
Chung’s comments suggested that state-level economic development agencies increasingly recognize the importance of aligning investment promotion with workforce and talent realities in an interconnected global economy.
For fast-growing states like North Carolina, attracting Indian investment may depend not only on infrastructure and incentives, but also on how effectively they can support globally mobile businesses and talent. |
