The Trump administration’s latest salvo against immigration, a $100,000 fee for every H-1b visa granted, would sharply raise costs for American companies, especially for government projects that require on-site workers.
India-Saudi Arabia share a history of deep economic, cultural and strategic ties. In recent decades, these have been strengthened by high-level exchanges and bilateral agreements. Both countries are committed to a relationship that leverages their respective strengths. The Delhi Declaration in 2006 and the Riyadh Declaration in 2010 were two initiatives that built a foundation for cooperation, especially in energy. Since then, the relationship expanded significantly through visits by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, which eventually led to the formation of the Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) in 2019.
The contrast is stark in the way US is negotiating with China and India. For India, a penal duty of 25% has kicked in for trade with Russia. This will be on top of the higher than expected tariff of 25%.
From Trump’s MAGA to Kathmandu’s GenZ, emotive mobilisation around single issues/leaders is outweighing considered citizenly engagement. It’s regime change minus constructive agenda
India has overtaken China as the largest buyer of Russian oil. This is not because the Chinese are running scared of American wrath over their Russian commerce. China is increasingly moving to electricity for transport, with more than half of all new car sales being of electric vehicles and high-speed trains that run on electricity offering viable alternatives to air travel on quite a few routes, and will increasingly buy smaller quantities of oil. China has stepped up its purchases of piped natural gas from Russia.
Semiconductors, often used as integrated circuits, transistors, diodes, and microchips, are essential building blocks for the tech sector. Preferably made with silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide, these chips are also used by doping, i.e., modulating the electrical and structural properties for smartphones, radios, TVs, computers, video games, advanced medical equipment, optical sensors, light emitters including solid-state lasers, AI, quantum computing and other technologies integral to the modern human world.
India's drive for self-reliance in defence production has been a paramount national agenda, closely interlinked with strategic autonomy and economic development. Defence Production Policy of 2011 focused on eliminating foreign dependence on suppliers and encouraging indigenous capability in defence technology.