Just days after FedEx found itself at the centre of H-1B visa controversy, its CEO Raj Subramaniam has spoken at length about immigration, work, and opportunity in an interview with The New York Times.
Last month, FedEx faced backlash over claims that it was hiring foreign workers while cutting American jobs. The company denied wrongdoing, saying its hiring decisions are based on skills and business needs.
FedEx CEO on immigration and visa limits
Subramaniam was born in Trivandrum, in southern India, and grew up in a middle-class family. His father was a police officer and his mother a doctor. “Education was the ticket,” he told the NYT.
He came to the US in the late 1980s for a master’s degree after studying at the Indian Institute of Technology. “I still have the $2 bill that I came here with,” he said. Asked about immigration debates and visa limits, Subramaniam chose to be careful with his tone. “I’m just grateful for the opportunities given to me,” he said. It’s very much an American story because I think it’s going to be rare for these kinds of stories to happen in other countries. That’s one of the true, great strengths of America.”
Subramaniam added, “I’m very much a believer in legal immigration, that’s important.” From FedEx’s point of view, he said, the company is a meritocracy. “We provide opportunities for everybody. I’m one of those examples, but I’m not the only one,” he said.
Those comments come as FedEx faces criticism over its hiring patterns. According to a report published by The Dallas Express last month, the official data shows FedEx increased the number of workers hired under the H-1B visa programme while American job numbers fell in some regions.
FedEx ‘H-1B hiring’ row
The report claimed that after FedEx secured a major $2.24 billion contract from the US Transportation Command in December 2022, H-1B approvals linked to the company rose from around 20 in 2022 to about 500 over the next three years. FedEx, however, said the numbers do not tell the full story and stressed that not all visa applications lead to actual hires. A company spokesperson told The Dallas Express: “Across our business, we employ a wide range of roles, requiring a variety of skillsets and are committed to complying with all applicable federal immigration laws.”
Despite the clarification, criticism has continued online, with Subramaniam facing personal attacks on social media. According to a recent FT report, Several major US companies are facing growing anti-Indian anger.
Experts quoted in the report say the hostility picked up pace after US President Donald Trump announced changes to the H-1B visa programme in September. The numbers show how serious the situation has become. According to data from Stop AAPI Hate and counterterrorism firm Moonshot, threats of violence against South Asian people, particularly Indians, rose by 12% in the year leading up to November. During the same period, the use of online slurs increased by 69%, the report said.
FedEx hit by tariffs showdown
The interview was conducted at FedEx’s sorting hub at Memphis International Airport, a facility so large it functions like a small city. More than 5,000 workers move close to 500,000 packages through the hub during the day. Overnight, while most of Memphis sleeps, another million packages pass through the same system.
Moving packages has always been complex. But that job became harder last year as US President Donald Trump’s shifting tariff policies disrupted global trade. FedEx has said it expects to take a $1 billion hit due to tariff-related costs. Despite that, the company recently told shareholders it expects higher revenue. Delivering those results now falls on Subramaniam, who became FedEx’s CEO in 2022.
Subramaniam told NYT that the global trade patterns have changed dramatically over the past year. “I don’t think it’s settled yet,” he said, adding that he now calls the trend “re-globalisation.” FedEx has responded by opening new facilities in cities including Istanbul, Bangalore and Dublin, while also expanding operations across Asia and launching a new platform in Osaka.