Google Expands Bengaluru Office for 20,000 Employees as H-1B Visa Curbs Shift Hiring to India

Google is accelerating its India expansion with plans for a large new office campus in Bengaluru that could eventually house up to 20,000 employees, highlighting how evolving US immigration rules are influencing global hiring strategies. The move reflects a broader shift among technology companies that are increasingly building talent hubs in India rather than relocating skilled engineers to the United States through the H-1B visa programme.

The upcoming office complex is being developed in Whitefield’s Alembic City, one of Bengaluru’s busiest technology corridors. Reports indicate that Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has already secured a lease for one tower and holds options for additional buildings that together span roughly 2.4 million square feet. The first building is expected to open to employees soon, while construction on the remaining towers is scheduled to conclude next year. If fully realised, the new campus could significantly expand Google’s workforce footprint in India.

Industry observers say the expansion comes at a time when US visa regulations have become more restrictive and costly for companies hiring foreign professionals. Proposed increases in H-1B visa fees and tighter scrutiny of applications have encouraged technology firms to reconsider where they base their engineering talent. Establishing larger teams in India allows companies to bypass lengthy immigration processes while maintaining access to a highly skilled workforce.

India’s growing importance in the global technology ecosystem extends beyond cost advantages. As the race to develop artificial intelligence intensifies, companies are increasingly assigning advanced engineering and research roles to teams based in Indian cities. Bengaluru, already known as a major technology hub, is seeing rising demand for specialists in cloud computing, machine learning, chip design and AI development. Google has reportedly advertised numerous roles in these areas, signalling that India is becoming central to its long-term innovation strategy.

The expansion also reflects a wider industry trend. Several global technology companies have been strengthening their presence in India, with headcount growth rising sharply over the past year. Analysts suggest that the combination of policy changes in the US, rapid growth in AI-driven projects and the availability of skilled engineers has turned India into a strategic base for global operations.

Beyond workforce considerations, the new campus is expected to feature modern facilities designed to support collaborative work environments and research-driven teams. Such infrastructure investments underline how multinational companies are shifting from viewing India solely as a support centre to positioning it as a core hub for product development and innovation.

While Google has confirmed its strong presence across multiple Indian cities, the scale of the Whitefield expansion indicates a long-term commitment to deepening operations in the region. Experts believe that as immigration policies evolve and technology competition intensifies, India’s role in global tech ecosystems will continue to expand.

The development highlights a larger transformation in how companies structure their talent pipelines, moving from a model centred on relocating workers overseas to one focused on building high-capacity local teams. As Bengaluru prepares to host one of Google’s largest workspaces, the city’s position as a global technology powerhouse appears set to grow even stronger in the coming years.