In a major win for Indian IT major TCS, a California jury unanimously sided with it, saying the Indian company did not discriminate against non-south Asian workers in the US as alleged in a lawsuit. 

The country’s largest software firm said that its employee hiring and retention practices are based purely on capabilities, "irrespective" of background or national origin, as the US jury ruled in favour of it. 

A company spokesperson stated, “We have always maintained, the claims made in this case were baseless and we are gratified that the jury agreed. So the decisions we make about the hiring and retention of employees are based purely on their capabilities and fit in serving our customers' business needs.” 

The success of TCS rests on the talents, expertise and deep industry knowledge of its employees, who help customers in growth and transformation journeys, the spokesperson added. 

According to a report in legal news portal law360.com, the unanimous nine-member jury found in an Oakland, California court that TCS did not have a "pattern or practice" of intentionally discriminating against non-South Asian workers due to their race or national origin. 

The verdict came after one day of deliberations, ending a trial that began on November 5 over a class action lawsuit brought by three former TCS employees, Christopher Slaight, Seyed Amir Masoudi and Nobel Mandili. The employees claimed in the suit that they received fewer work opportunities and were eventually fired because of their races and national origins. 

Meanwhile, the company asserted it will continue to invest in its people, impart digital training and empower them to succeed at TCS and enable customers' success, "irrespective of their background or national origin". 

The IT major asserted that United States - where it has been operating for over 40 years - is the world's business and technology leader and very important to the company. 

"Skilled American workers are critical to the success of the US business and to the nation's economic success, and we will continue to invest heavily in the country's workforce, academic alliances and our extensive youth STEM education initiatives," the TCS spokesperson said. 

The win is a major vindication for the Indian IT lobby especially in times where President Trump and his administration has been trumpeting the mantra of American jobs for Americans first, even though there is a significant shortage of STEM talent in the country. To fight off this stigma, TCS, Infosys, and other IT majors have been significantly ramping up investments in STEM initiatives in the US.