https://www.scmp.com/rss/522804/feed The latest news and top stories on Vivek Mishra. He is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs and Deputy Director of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For generations of Indian tech workers, the H-1B visa has been a golden ticket, turning ambitious engineers from Hyderabad and Bengaluru into Silicon Valley professionals, as it transformed Indian IT firms into global powerhouses. Now, a Trump administration proposal to sharply raise the minimum salaries required to qualify for the programme threatens to close that door to the United States, redirecting Indian talent towards Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond instead. Under the new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354237/trumps-h-1b-visa-squeeze-paves-way-indian-tech-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3354237/trumps-h-1b-visa-squeeze-paves-way-indian-tech-exodus?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A free-trade agreement signed between India and New Zealand has marked yet another regional push towards diversification and away from overdependence on major powers. The deal, which comes after 15 years of on-and-off negotiations, gained urgency in recent weeks as Indian exporters contend with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and steep American tariffs that have rattled supply chains. New Zealand, for its part, has been pursuing a strategy to reduce dependence on China, its largest trading... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:28 +0000 Joseph Sipalan,Biman Mukherji Joseph Sipalan,Biman Mukherji Malaysia’s government has been forced onto the defensive over its much-touted tariff deal with the United States, after a minister walked back an earlier claim that the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration signed the deal in October, promising US$240 billion in investments and purchases of American goods, including beef and aircraft, in exchange for continued access to the world’s largest consumer market at a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346749/confusion-over-malaysia-us-trade-deal-null-and-void-claim-retracted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:14:40 +0000 Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:50 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Oil prices surged by the most in four years on Monday as the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid a widening conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran brought tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill. Freight costs climbed sharply alongside crude, as traders swiftly priced in the war, which analysts say will have far-reaching consequences for Asia’s heavily import-dependent economies. Benchmark Brent crude jumped 13 per cent to a high... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345098/asia-faces-oil-shock-us-iran-war-chokes-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3345098/asia-faces-oil-shock-us-iran-war-chokes-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 06:03:51 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Brazil are stepping up efforts to boost trade cooperation among developing economies and regional blocs as a hedge against mounting global trade uncertainty, after signing agreements in New Delhi ranging from rare earths to digital infrastructure. The deals were sealed during Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s five-day visit to India, which ended on Sunday, in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In January, India assumed the rotating chair of the Brics... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344457/india-brazil-intensify-trade-diversification-amid-trumps-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:06:25 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A Supreme Court ruling that gutted the legal foundation for much of US President Donald Trump’s tariff regime has left Asian trading partners scratching their heads about the future of trade deals struck with Washington over the past 12 months. America’s apex court ruled on Friday that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) – which Trump had used to impose sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs since his “Liberation Day” proclamation last April – did not grant the president the power to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344300/asias-us-trade-deals-doubt-after-trumps-supreme-court-tariff-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344300/asias-us-trade-deals-doubt-after-trumps-supreme-court-tariff-defeat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 04:49:32 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When India sealed a landmark free-trade pact with the European Union last month, Brussels’ top bureaucrat saw more than an economic deal taking shape. “India has risen and Europe is truly glad about it,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared. “Because when India succeeds, the world is more stable, more prosperous and more secure.” Her words were more than just a diplomatic nicety; they reflected a growing consensus in European capitals that India has become an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342704/indias-trade-blitz-seeks-keep-sinking-global-order-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342704/indias-trade-blitz-seeks-keep-sinking-global-order-afloat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A trade deal reached between India and the United States could lead to closer geopolitical alignment between the two countries and bring New Delhi a step closer to becoming a leading manufacturing hub. But observers are sceptical that New Delhi may stop buying Russian crude oil, and whether the volume of American exports to India may surge in a short span of time. On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he would reduce the US tariff on Indian imports to 18 per cent from 25 per cent and remove... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342233/why-india-may-gravitate-back-us-bloc-after-tariff-deal-two-way-trade-set-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342233/why-india-may-gravitate-back-us-bloc-after-tariff-deal-two-way-trade-set-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:31 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s increasing engagement with Gulf nations is driven more by trade and energy security, even as it seeks to forge a defence partnership with the United Arab Emirates amid deepening rivalries in the region, according to analysts. Last week, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a brief stop in New Delhi, where both sides pledged to deepen trade ties and defence cooperation. The trip has fuelled speculation that the UAE is seeking to diversify its strategic partnerships amid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341287/why-indias-focus-middle-east-trade-despite-defence-ties-uae?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341287/why-indias-focus-middle-east-trade-despite-defence-ties-uae?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:17:51 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s threats of military action against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia are adding a new layer of uncertainty for Asian exporters shipping to the Americas, analysts have said, compounding the strain from higher import tariffs and already fragile supply chains. Trump has issued explicit warnings about possible strikes in both countries following a major US operation in Venezuela earlier this month, as part of an escalated regional strategy to counter drug trafficking... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340564/why-trumps-mexico-military-plan-blow-asian-exporters-americas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340564/why-trumps-mexico-military-plan-blow-asian-exporters-americas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s backing for a Senate bill that would allow tariffs of up to 500 per cent on goods from countries buying Russian oil has raised the prospect of a near-freeze in trade between India and its largest export market, as New Delhi continues to absorb steep US duties imposed last year. Trump last week gave the green light to the proposal, which targets any country that continues to buy Russian oil, petroleum products or uranium, a move seen as part of Washington’s effort to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339920/trumps-500-tariff-push-raises-risk-india-us-trade-freeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339920/trumps-500-tariff-push-raises-risk-india-us-trade-freeze?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 02:00:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji When India reached a free-trade agreement with New Zealand in a record time of nine months towards the end of last year, the speedy conclusion signalled New Delhi’s intention to diversify away from the United States – an approach that is only expected to gather pace. Ever since US President Donald Trump imposed import tariffs of 50 per cent on India last year, among the highest levied by Washington, the South Asian nation has maintained a resolute approach to the punitive levies, even as it has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338559/india-spreads-its-bets-beat-trumps-50-tariff-exports-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3338559/india-spreads-its-bets-beat-trumps-50-tariff-exports-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Centuries ago, Indian merchants rode monsoon winds across the seas, their cargoes stitching together a maritime world stretching from East Africa to Southeast Asia. Today, as container ships queue outside clogged ports and great powers quarrel over access and tariffs, India is trying to sail back into that history – this time as a modern shipping and shipbuilding power. Standing before global investors late last month, a day after presiding over a glittering maritime industry showcase in Mumbai,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334556/india-races-rebuild-its-lost-maritime-muscle-we-are-against-clock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334556/india-races-rebuild-its-lost-maritime-muscle-we-are-against-clock?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Washington’s approval of a US$93 million arms deal for India signals warming ties between the two sides after months of trade tensions and a potential prelude to a visit by US President Donald Trump to New Delhi next year, according to analysts. The supply of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Excalibur precision-guided artillery rounds to India comes as the two countries seek to end a dispute over US tariffs and negotiate a broad trade agreement. Analysts say the weapons purchase could help reduce... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333740/will-us-approval-arms-sales-india-pave-way-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333740/will-us-approval-arms-sales-india-pave-way-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:26:30 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A potential visit by US President Donald Trump to India could provide the impetus to conclude trade talks between New Delhi and Washington, analysts say, amid doubts about his commitment to the Indo-Pacific due to uncertainty over a proposed Quad security summit in the Indian capital. Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were “going great” and that a visit to Delhi could take place next year, though he declined to specify a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332344/are-us-india-ties-set-rebound-following-trumps-positive-assessment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332344/are-us-india-ties-set-rebound-following-trumps-positive-assessment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 09:23:52 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A remark by US Vice-President J.D. Vance expressing hope that his Hindu wife might convert to Christianity has drawn sharp criticism in India, where commentators see it as a troubling signal of his expected bid for the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nomination. Speaking at the University of Mississippi last week, Vance said his children were being raised as Christians and that his wife Usha Vance also attended church with the family most Sundays. “Do I hope eventually that she is somehow... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331468/outrage-india-over-vances-wish-his-hindu-wife-become-christian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331468/outrage-india-over-vances-wish-his-hindu-wife-become-christian?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 08:22:39 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and the United States have renewed a 10-year defence framework, reaffirming their strategic partnership despite simmering tensions over trade and Delhi’s deepening defence ties with Russia. The timing of the signing has put a spotlight on the balancing act required to maintain India–US defence ties, in which Delhi’s pursuit of American weapon systems is complicated by its deepening military dependence on Moscow, according to analysts. The agreement was signed on Friday in Kuala Lumpur by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331091/why-india-maintains-balancing-act-between-us-and-russia-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331091/why-india-maintains-balancing-act-between-us-and-russia-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:38:59 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India is expected to stop buying discounted Russian oil after the imposition of fresh US sanctions on two top producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, and instead increase its purchases of other goods from long-time ally Moscow. Many Indian refiners have paused new orders of Russian oil since Washington sanctioned the two Russian crude exporters last week, with buyers turning to the spot market for alternatives, according to a Reuters report. India, along with China, has been among the top buyers of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330878/india-pressured-stop-russian-oil-imports-after-us-sanctions-2-more-producers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3330878/india-pressured-stop-russian-oil-imports-after-us-sanctions-2-more-producers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:00:12 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A mood of uncertainty hangs over India’s pharmaceutical sector as US President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats have unsettled investors and policymakers alike. But behind closed doors, a tentative deal on digital trade and quiet backchannel negotiations are giving hope to markets and manufacturers in both of the world’s most populous democracies. “There appears to be recognition that the US needs to lower the rhetoric,” said foreign policy analyst Vivek Mishra, deputy director of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327822/trumps-100-tariff-threat-has-indias-drug-industry-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327822/trumps-100-tariff-threat-has-indias-drug-industry-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 08:00:13 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s central bank has eased rules for settling international trade in rupees, a move analysts say could bolster the currency’s global profile and reduce the country’s dependence on the US dollar as trade tensions with Washington escalate. Though New Delhi has distanced itself from global de-dollarisation drives, observer say the shift reflects a pragmatic push to insulate India from dollar volatility and future geopolitical risks. Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322408/indias-easing-rupee-trade-rules-response-us-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322408/indias-easing-rupee-trade-rules-response-us-tariff-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:26:14 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji With US tariffs threatening India’s exports, the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal has become more than a distant hope – it may be New Delhi’s best chance for some economic breathing room, analysts say. A summit in Alaska on Friday between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin failed to yield a breakthrough, but Trump later called the talks “productive” and Putin suggested hosting a follow-up meeting in Moscow. Trump is set to host another separate summit... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322231/will-russia-ukraine-peace-deal-save-india-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3322231/will-russia-ukraine-peace-deal-save-india-us-tariffs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 10:30:08 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India’s acquisition of the latest variant of US-made Apache attack helicopters is a key step towards bolstering its ability to fight on two fronts against Pakistan and China, but experts are divided on whether the ageing aircraft can remain battleworthy over the long term. On Tuesday, the Indian army took delivery of the first three AH-64E Apache helicopters, with plans to induct them into its attack aviation wing based in the state of Rajasthan. Three more units are expected to arrive by the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319329/new-apaches-india-are-us-helicopters-battle-ready-future-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319329/new-apaches-india-are-us-helicopters-battle-ready-future-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India is looking to Western European partners to co-develop next-generation fighter jet engines to reduce its reliance on Russia and the US for defence supply and potentially secure access to advanced technologies as part of its diversification strategy, according to analysts. The Indian defence ministry is leaning towards partnering with French aerospace and defence company Safran as part of a programme to develop the stealth Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) valued at 610 billion rupees... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319032/india-turns-europe-next-gen-fighter-tech-defence-ties-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319032/india-turns-europe-next-gen-fighter-tech-defence-ties-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 10:35:57 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep secondary tariffs on countries trading with Russia has raised alarm in India over the future of its discounted oil purchases from Moscow, with analysts warning the issue could complicate negotiations on a bilateral trade deal with Washington. Trump vowed on Monday to impose “very severe tariffs” if Russia did not end its war in Ukraine within 50 days. Washington would target Moscow’s remaining trade partners with measures aimed at choking off... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3318295/india-fix-over-trumps-tariff-threat-aimed-russian-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3318295/india-fix-over-trumps-tariff-threat-aimed-russian-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:00:17 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s threat to slap an additional 10 per cent tariff on Brics nations may be more of a strategic warning rather than a prelude to action – and is not expected to disrupt India’s efforts to finalise a trade pact with Washington, according to analysts. In a speech on Tuesday, Trump accused the 10-member bloc – comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, alongside newer entrants such as Iran, Egypt and Indonesia – of undermining the United States and seeking to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317907/whats-behind-trumps-brics-wrath-and-will-india-us-trade-talks-be-affected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3317907/whats-behind-trumps-brics-wrath-and-will-india-us-trade-talks-be-affected?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:30:49 +0000