Walmart’s Indian-origin Global Chief Technology Officer, Suresh Kumar, has drawn significant public scrutiny after the company laid off 1,500 employees from its technology division in the United States. The job cuts, announced in May 2025, were part of a larger organisational restructuring aimed at cost-cutting and adapting to evolving digital priorities. However, the decision has fuelled a wider debate over H-1B visa hiring practices, especially in connection with the company’s leadership, said a TOI report.
Kumar, a former executive at Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, has led Walmart’s global technology operations since 2019. An IIT Madras alumnus, he oversees critical infrastructure including cloud systems, cybersecurity, and AI-integrated retail solutions. Following the layoffs, a viral social media post accused Kumar of overseeing a department where more than 40 per cent of employees reportedly work on H-1B visas, predominantly from India. The post implied that American workers had been displaced to retain cheaper foreign talent, intensifying criticism.
Walmart, however, rejected the claims of bias. In a company memo reviewed by Bloomberg, both CTO Kumar and Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner clarified that the job cuts were designed to “accelerate decision-making and simplify the organisational structure.” They insisted the restructuring was not connected to H-1B visa hiring, but part of a strategic response to economic uncertainty and the need for tech-led agility.
The episode has renewed scrutiny of the H-1B visa programme, which permits U.S. employers to hire skilled foreign workers. Critics argue the system undercuts domestic employment, while defenders claim it fills urgent skill shortages in areas like artificial intelligence and data security.
While Walmart maintains the layoffs are driven by strategic needs, the backlash has placed Suresh Kumar’s leadership under the microscope, especially as discussions around foreign hiring and corporate responsibility gain fresh momentum in the United States.