Kamal Ghorui
The appointment of Indian-origin Balaji Krishnamoorthy as the CFO of Uber came at a time when the hatred against Indians is at its peak on social media. H-1B visa program that allows US companies to hire skilled employees from outside the country, is under scrutiny on allegations of misuse and abuse. Two states, Florida and Texas, announced a freeze on hiring H-1Bs in state agencies and universities as the State Department also made it difficult for H-1B visa program. The Trump administration announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B hiring to ensure that companies use the visa program only when it is absolutely necessary and not as a route for cheap labor — and so that qualified Americans can get jobs. Several Republican leaders have called for a complete suspension of the H-1B visa program and thousands of H-1B visa holders are now stuck in India as they do not get stamping dates in the local consular offices to re-enter the US.
Amid this friction, the Indian-American community reminded that 41-year-old Balaji Krishnamoorthy was a former H-1B as he came to the US only in 2011 as the vice president of Goldman Sachs. Before that, Krishnamoorthy worked in India. Krishnamoorthy will be replacing outgoing CGO Prashant Mahendra-Rajah. Krishnamoorthy has been with Uber for six years and is serving as the vice president of strategic finance and investor relations. Uber, in a regulatory filing, stated, “Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah, Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role on February 16, 2026. Balaji Krishnamurthy, currently Vice President, Strategic Finance, will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer on that date.” Krishnamurthy will receive an annual base salary of $600,000 and will also be eligible to participate in the company’s executive bonus programme, according to the filing and media reports.Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called Krishnamurthy a “brilliant and decisive strategist”. “For those who don’t know Balaji, he is trusted by investors, knows Uber’s business inside and out, and is a brilliant, decisive strategist. He has worked closely with me and our management team for years, and I am thrilled for him to step up as CFO as we kick off another big year for Uber.”Indian-American Advocacy Council’s co-founder Sidharth’s social media message on Krishnamoorthy’s new post in Uber drew the usual hate. “You can’t be Indian and American. For example, an American wouldn’t undercut American wages in exchange for an H1B, but an Indian would,” one wrote. “My entire family just stopped using Uber,” another wrote. “There are no Americans named Balaji Krishnamurthy,” a third user wrote.
