New Delhi/IBNS, Oct. 9 -- India has criticised US Vice-President JD Vance for describing foreign workers as "indentured servants" amid a crackdown on employment-based immigration, calling the remark "unwarranted" and offensive.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said such descriptions ignored the contributions of Indian professionals to the US economy and innovation ecosystem.

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has suspended several major technology companies, including Microsoft, Infosys and Tata, from participating in the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) programme, citing concerns that foreign hiring practices could adversely affect American workers.

US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced that the department...