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- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 27 May 2025 09:27 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Indian-origin tech leader Suresh Kumar, the Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Walmart, has been at the eye of a social media storm following the retail giant's reduction of almost 1,500 corporate positions across several departments in the United States. The mass layoffs, which are part of Walmart's bigger push to simplify operations, have fueled high-level speculation across social media sites, with some speculating the job cuts are linked to the company's utilisation of H-1B visa workers, even though there is no official confirmation of the assertions.
As per reports cited by India Today, the layoffs are across multiple fields, including Walmart's US e-commerce business unit, Walmart Connect (advertising unit), and certain portions of its Global Tech workforce. Unlike speculation on the internet, the layoffs are not specifically technology positions nor directly related to H-1B hiring practices. A memorandum sent by Walmart US CEO John Furner and Suresh Kumar stressed that the move was taken to "streamline operations and improve efficiency" as the business walks through increased operational expenses and market uncertainty.
The move has evoked anger among several "America First" and MAGA-following social media personalities, who accused the big box retailer of firing American workers and replacing them with foreign H-1B workers. Even some critics shared a photo of Kumar, speculating if it was a coincidence that Walmart's technology team has a large percentage of Indian professionals.
H-1B Visa Facts: Indian Tech Workers Continue To Dominate
US government statistics reveal that Indians received 72.3 per cent of the 386,000 H-1B visas granted in FY 2023, but it is unknown how many of these workers are employed by Walmart. Over 3,800 H-1B approvals have been granted to Walmart, but no direct connection has been established between these visas and the recent layoffs. The H-1B visa program is intended to attract highly qualified technology professionals, and the median wage for Walmart's H-1B workers is said to be 139,000 USD, much more than the national average, which indicates these are not low-skilled or easily filled positions.
Who Is Suresh Kumar?
Suresh Kumar, a veteran in the technology industry with more than three decades of experience, has in the past worked in senior leadership positions at Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Suresh Kumar came on board at Walmart in 2019 as the company's EVP, Global CTO, and CDO. Kumar was brought up and born in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, and had a BTech degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Madras before studying a PhD in Control Systems at Princeton University. Today, he lives in Sunnyvale, California. In a recent LinkedIn blog post reminiscing on his IIT days, Kumar said, “Stay curious. Don’t just master your role – learn how your work connects to the bigger picture… Mentorship can come from unexpected places—look for those who challenge your thinking.”
Walmart is still the United States' largest private employer, with 1.6 million employees within the country and approximately 2.1 million total employees globally. The layoffs come on the heels of past restructuring activities, such as the shutdown of Walmart's North Carolina headquarters in February and the merging of jobs among its hubs in California and Arkansas. As the retail giant fights economic headwinds of tariff-driven price increases and shifting consumer trends, executives maintain that the restructuring is critical to ensure long-term viability.
