Friday, August 21
The H-1B visa programme in the United States saw major changes in 2025 that reshaped how foreign professionals are selected, how much employers pay, and how closely applications are reviewed. The reforms increased costs, tightened scrutiny, and moved the system away from chance-based selection. The changes affected employers across sectors and thousands of foreign workers, including a large number from India.Also Read| The US-born employment and population boom that wasn’t In 2025, the US administration introduced policy and procedural updates aimed at making the H-1B system more selective. The focus shifted towards higher wages, stronger employer accountability, and fewer low-value applications. Most changes apply to new petitions and future filing cycles, while existing visa holders re
A few pincodes are leading India’s export story. From Jamnagar to Kanchipuram, a small set of districts continue at the forefront of outbound trade. Among states, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh accounted for nearly half of India’s merchandise exports in the first seven months of FY26, with shipments of about $124 billion, official data showed. Goods worth $254 billion were exported during April-October.Jamnagar in Gujarat, where Reliance Industries operates the world’s largest single-location oil refining complex, topped districts, with exports of $17.47 billion, driven mainly by petroleum products. Kanchipuram followed with $10.36 billion of shipments, reflecting the steady rise of electronics manufacturing and automobile production in Tamil Nadu.Pune,
