U.S. H-1B approvals for Indian IT firms plunge to decade-low amid tougher rules
India presses Beijing for guarantees after Arunachal-born passenger detained in Shanghai transit
DGCA threatens enforcement as IndiGo cancellations top 2,000 flights in one week
Latest News
MEA issues travel advisory urging ‘due discretion’ for Indians travelling via China
Following the Shanghai detention incident, the MEA on 8 December published an advisory telling Indian citizens to be cautious when flying to or through China, citing risk of arbitrary checks. Companies should review routing policies and insurance coverage.
Chinese Embassy to open online visa portal for Indians from 22 December
Beijing will debut an online visa application system for Indian citizens on 22 December, simplifying submissions and signalling a further thaw in bilateral mobility. Faster processing and unchanged fees will benefit Indian business travellers planning 2026 visits.
IndiGo’s massive flight cancellations trigger government fare caps and refund deadline
IndiGo cancelled another 400-plus flights on 7 December, taking week-long disruptions past 2,500 services. The government has capped fares, ordered refunds within 24 hours and the DGCA has issued a show-cause notice to airline leadership. The meltdown underscores India’s limited aviation capacity and forces corporates to build greater travel contingency into mobility plans.
US Dream Act 2025 re-introduced with protections for 100,000 ‘Documented Dreamers’ from India
The reintroduced Dream Act of 2025 would, for the first time, protect ‘Documented Dreamers’—dependent-visa children who age out at 21. Roughly 100,000 Indians fall into that category. Conditional residency followed by a green-card pathway would remove a major pain-point for Indian expatriate families and the employers that sponsor them.
Mumbai US-visa wait stretches to 11 months as India joins global backlog league
A 7 December travel-industry analysis shows US tourist-visa interview waits in Mumbai at up to 11 months, far longer than New Delhi’s 3.5 months. The backlog is disrupting Indian business travel to the United States and forcing firms to rethink meeting locations and timeline buffers.
Visa Inc.’s ILTM data: India to overtake China as fastest-growing source of affluent travelers
Visa’s 7 December presentation shows India leading global growth in affluent households and outbound card spend, signalling a surge in high-end leisure and corporate travel demand. Travel suppliers and mobility planners should recalibrate products and capacity for an Indian luxury traveller wave.