India says illegal immigration, not H1B visa, an issue for US

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, during his visit to the US last week, said that H1B visas should be considered a trade and services issue and not purely an immigration issue.

Indo Asian News Service|Mar 10, 2017, 09:37:01 IST

New Delhi: India on Thursday said the contribution of the Indian technical professionals helps the US economy become competitive, and added that currently, illegal immigration is the priority of the US administration and not the H1B visa.[caption id="attachment_3097010" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. CNN News 18[/caption]"It is widely agreed that the presence of Indian technical professionals makes the United States more competitive and helps its economy. You would have seen that senior US officials have stated that illegal immigration and not H1B is their priority," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a briefing.Speaking on the discussions held between Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar with his interlocutors in the US last week, Baglay said: "There was a wide-ranging and strong recognition as well as respect for Indian skills and contribution of the Indian technological manpower to the US economy."Giving Indian perspective on the Indian professionals working in the US, the spokesperson said they were positive for the US economy.Calling the H1B a trade and business issue, he said: "Our views have been clearly conveyed to the concerned US interlocutors. We believe that the plans of the US administration for the US economy present an opportunity for the two countries to further consolidate their strong economic partnership."Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, during his visit to the US last week, said that H1B visas should be considered a trade and services issue and not purely an immigration issue.Jaishankar acknowledged that Trump's administration had a new perspective on the world and that India had to "adapt to it and look at new possibilities".

Brent crude flirts with $100, reigniting inflation and forex concerns for India

Experts say a prolonged rally above $100 per barrel is unlikely, but sustained high oil prices could push up inflation, widen the current account deficit and pressure the rupee.

2 min read

Can a record May offset a shrunk international schedule and help IndiGo turn a profit?

Record domestic market share boosts operating performance, but forex losses, rising oil prices and geopolitical disruptions could weigh on IndiGo's bottom line.

3 min read

China has dominated Myanmar’s rare earth mines — now India eyes deal to harness country’s critical minerals

India is deepening rare earth cooperation with Myanmar as New Delhi seeks alternative sources of critical minerals dominated by China, including dysprosium and terbium used in EVs, defence systems and clean energy technologies

6 min read

JPMorgan to hire 1,000 technology professionals for India GCCs amid AI-led transformation

Wall Street banking giant to expand hiring across cloud, cybersecurity and AI data pipeline roles as it strengthens its India Global Capability Centres despite AI-driven workforce optimisation.

1 min read

BOJ seen raising interest rates by December as weak yen fuels inflation risks

Majority of economists expect Japan's central bank to deliver a 25-basis-point rate hike by year-end, with further policy tightening likely through 2027.