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, FRI., OCT. 9, 2026No. 5 · Morning, 6:00 a.m. IST6 a.m. IST
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Immigration · TechnologyPress ✓ 5 outlets · list of firms not fully confirmed

US suspends Microsoft from the green-card filing programme; Infosys and Wipro among eight firms hit, ET reports

Vance cites "widespread abuse" of the H-1B route. Indian IT companies are bracing for a wider freeze as workers' permanent-residence plans go on hold.

US official Vance said on Thursday that Microsoft is being suspended from the programme that lets employers apply for green cards on behalf of workers on H-1B visas, Reuters and AP reported. Vance cited widespread abuse of the system. Mint calls it a suspension of the work-visa route for Indian IT firms as well, and the Economic Times reports that Infosys and Wipro are among eight companies hit. The step concerns PERM, the labour-certification stage that employers must clear before they can sponsor a worker for permanent residence. Each company's exact status, and the full list of eight, were not yet confirmed by a second outlet when we closed the page.

Why Indian readers should care: Indian nationals hold most H-1B visas, and the green-card queue for them already runs for many years. A freeze at their employers can leave families waiting with no filing date to hold on to. Reuters carried an explainer on how the skilled-worker green-card route has come under attack from the Trump administration, and Mint published a primer on PERM. As background, the US Labor Department's inspector general suspended Cognizant's PERM filings in September, according to The Week and Upstox, so the latest step looks like a widening of scrutiny rather than a one-off. On the markets side, TCS began the earnings season on Thursday with a marginal beat on second-quarter revenue and a pointer to AI demand, Reuters said. Whether any Indian IT firm will formally be named on the list, and for how long the suspensions last, is the question for the days ahead. Employees on the green-card path should check with their employers before making travel or job-change plans. The timing is awkward for the sector. Indian equities had their worst day in about three months on Thursday, with the Nifty falling to an 18-month closing low, and Wall Street also ended lower as yields and oil rose. IT stocks that depend on US clients may open under pressure today if the list of firms is confirmed. Companies usually respond to such suspensions by asking employees to hold travel plans, and by seeking a review with the authorities. For readers outside the industry, the story is also a reminder that India's largest services export rests on visa rules that can change within a day. DailyDrop will update the list as soon as a second outlet confirms the names, the scope of the suspension and its duration.

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By the numbers
8companies affected, per Economic Times; Infosys and Wipro named
5.231%US 10-year yield after a 4.6 bp fall on Thursday
−1.25%Nasdaq on Thursday, to 27,193.34; S&P 500 −0.47%
Economy · TaxPress ✓ 3 outlets

GST Council clears a procedural overhaul but leaves rates largely unchanged

The GST Council met in Delhi on Thursday and, Mint reports, cleared a large procedural overhaul while keeping rates largely as they are. Mint also says it approved an optional quarterly tax-payment scheme for small businesses. The Economic Times reports that the government plans a faceless, centralised CGST system. The Hindu reported that Telangana's Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti asked for states' revenues to be protected in the reforms.

This is in line with Mint's preview, which expected no rate changes. The Hindu also reports, from a single source, that gold and silver imports by banks and nominated agencies will attract 3 per cent IGST; we have not seen that elsewhere. Full notifications are yet to come.

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Word of the day
FacelessTax

A system in which notices and assessments are handled by officers picked by a computer, with no face-to-face contact between taxpayer and tax office.

World · EnergyPress ✓ 6 outlets · Houthi claims are theirs

Houthi attack near Riyadh airport sends oil up and Indian carriers cancel Saudi flights

AP reported that the Houthi movement claimed a new attack on an airport in the Saudi capital, and Reuters saw smoke rising from an aircraft at Riyadh airport. Lufthansa and Indian airlines suspended flights to Riyadh, Reuters said. The Economic Times reports Riyadh flights were cut, and The Hindu says two Kochi-Riyadh services were cancelled. Mint reports that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh urged nationals to stay vigilant.

Crude jumped: WTI closed up 3.6 per cent at about $91.5, and Brent traded near $104. Indian airlines then raised fuel surcharges, since ATF prices have soared. Hindustan Times says IndiGo moved first, followed by Air India and Akasa. Separately, Trump said talks with Iran are "productive" and ruled out an attack before the November midterms (Mint, ET, Reuters).

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PoliticsPress ✓ 4 outlets · protest figures are organisers' or police's

Delhi braces for the 10 October CJP protest against the CEC; liquor shops shut for two days

Mint reports that Delhi liquor shops will stay closed on 9 and 10 October to maintain public order as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) plans a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Hindu says 7,000 CRPF personnel from Chhattisgarh and Bengal have been deployed in Delhi. It also reports that Mamata Banerjee is likely to join the protest.

The INDIA bloc kept up its campaign. Its leaders prayed at Rajghat for the government to "get wisdom" to remove the CEC, and met the Bihar Governor to demand his removal and fresh elections in the state, according to The Hindu. An INDIA bloc bandh in Odisha drew a mixed response.

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Technology · PoliticsPress ✓ 4 outlets · Musk's and Gandhi's remarks are theirs

Musk asks why Starlink still has no India licence; Rahul Gandhi replies on X

Elon Musk asked on X why Starlink still lacks an Indian licence, and Hindustan Times, Mint and the Economic Times reported that Rahul Gandhi replied. Mint says the exchange began with Musk's question, "Is Ambani the real boss of India?" ET quotes Gandhi's reply as "Wait till you discover…". An ET opinion piece argued that India must not hand Starlink the switch.

No licence decision has been announced. Elsewhere, Mint says the IT Ministry advised platforms to take down "manipulated" content, and Akash Ambani told ET that the Jio IPO is a "great responsibility".

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In brief
  • Life insurers' new business premium rose 21% in September to ₹48,780 crore (about $5.04 bn)The Hindu
  • Centre to cap trade margins on non-scheduled cancer drugs at 30% of MRPThe Hindu
  • Supreme Court orders fresh polls in 50 Punjab wardsEconomic Times
  • Cochin Shipyard bags orders for 40 ships from the US, Germany, Norway and others, says SonowalThe Hindu
  • FSSAI sends notices to Dr Reddy's, Nestle Health Science, Amazon and Flipkart over a protein supplement claimMint
  • Anne Carson of Canada wins the Nobel Prize in Literature; Peace Prize is announced todayReuters · AP
  • Ukrainian negotiators visit the US on Friday for talks, says ZelenskiyReuters
Seven minutes every morning, one front page — see About

Unverified — what we could not confirm

"Infosys and Wipro are banned from US green cards." ET says they are among eight firms hit by curbs; the extent and duration are not confirmed by a second outlet.
"The US will strike Iran soon." Trump said talks are productive and ruled out an attack before the November midterms (Mint, ET, Reuters). Iran rejects US threats on uranium (ET).
"GST rates have been cut." Mint says rates are largely unchanged; the decisions were procedural.
Glossary · dotted words — economics, law, security and science terms explained in the context of the story. The list grows every day.
INSIDEUS suspends Microsoft from the green-card filing programme; Infosys and Wipro among eight firms hit, ET reportsImmigration · TechnologyGST Council clears a procedural overhaul but leaves rates largely unchangedEconomy · TaxHouthi attack near Riyadh airport sends oil up and Indian carriers cancel Saudi flightsWorld · EnergyDelhi braces for the 10 October CJP protest against the CEC; liquor shops shut for two daysPoliticsMusk asks why Starlink still has no India licence; Rahul Gandhi replies on XTechnology · Politics