Two Indian-origin executives take helm at major US firms amid H-1B crackdown

In the wake of increasingly strict H-1B visa rules under the Trump administration, two major U.S. companies have announced appointments of Indian-origin leaders to their top roles.

The moves come as foreign-born professionals face rising political scrutiny under MAGA hardliner rhetoric.

Srinivas “Srini” Gopalan, currently Chief Operating Officer at T-Mobile, will become its CEO starting Nov 1. Gopalan, 55, is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and has held senior leadership positions in companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Capital One, and Deutsche Telekom.

Meanwhile, Rahul Goyal, 49, has been appointed President and CEO of Molson Coors, effective Oct 1. Goyal has served in leadership roles across the US, UK, and India during his 24 years at the firm.

He succeeds Gavin Hattersley, who will continue in an advisory capacity through the end of the year.

Both companies praised their new CEOs’ vision and experience. T-Mobile praised Gopalan as “highly skilled, passionate, and incredibly knowledgeable,” expressing confidence in his ability to lead customer experience and innovation.

Molson Coors’ board cited Goyal’s track record and leadership qualities in selecting him for the top role.

These leadership changes occur against the backdrop of tightening H-1B visa norms, a policy shift that has raised concerns for many foreign-born professionals and companies that rely on global talent.

While critics of MAGA policies have argued that foreign professionals are unfairly targeted, these appointments are seen as noteworthy examples of continued diversity in US corporate leadership.

Gopalan and Goyal join a number of Indian-origin executives leading major US firms, following names like Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sundar Pichai of Google.