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US lawmakers unite to defend bilateral ties with India through letters and resolutions

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Washington, Oct 28: Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have joined hands to support the India-US relationship, months after the Trump administration announced a series of policies targeting Indian interests.

At least six bipartisan letters and resolutions have been drafted over the past 10 days defending the interests of the Indian American community, reaffirming support for the India–US partnership, and pressing the administration for accountability over its recent actions targeting New Delhi.

Last week, a group of House members expressed concern that an event at Rutgers University on Monday could “fuel further prejudice” against Hindus at a time when Hindu temples have been targets of violence.

The co-signers of the letter were Democrats Sanford Bishop from Georgia, Shri Thanedar from Illinois, and Suhas Subramanyam from Virginia, and Republican Rich McCormick, also from Georgia.

Two days earlier, another bipartisan group of six House Representatives wrote to US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concerns over the H-1B proclamation.

“We are concerned that the recent proclamation related to H-1B visa petitions will create significant challenges for US employers and overall weaken our competitiveness,” the letter stated.

The group again included Democrat Suhas Subramanyam along with Republican Congressmen Jay Obernolte and Don Bacon, among others.

On October 17, four US lawmakers wrote to President Donald Trump, urging him to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit in India and other meetings in Asia.

The same day, a bipartisan resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives to recognise the “contributions made to the United States by the Indian American diaspora” and condemn recent acts of racism against Indian Americans.

The resolution also termed the India-US relationship as “one of the most important democratic partnerships in the world”.

It was a sharp departure from just days earlier, when 19 House members, all Democrats with no Republican support, wrote to President Donald Trump on October 8, urging him to “reset and repair” the India-US “critical partnership”.

Leaders from both Democratic and Republican parties have faced criticism for mostly remaining silent as senior officials of the Trump administration, like Trade Advisor Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, repeatedly targeted India over its purchase of Russian oil and trade imbalance.

In August, the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi, which included a 25 per cent levy for importing Russian oil.

Then, in September, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on H-1B visas, imposing a $100,000 application fee to restrict the programme. Over 70 per cent of the approved H-1B applications in 2024 went to Indian nationals.

While a handful of Democrats opposed the administration’s stance publicly, Republican lawmakers, until recently, decided to keep quiet.

In early October, Democratic Representative Ami Bera, a leading advocate of the US-India relationship, told Media that some Republican lawmakers have remained silent out of fear of the president.

“I think they’re certainly afraid to take on President Trump directly,” he said.

In recent weeks, ties have stabilised, and negotiators have resumed talks to finalise the first phase of a trade agreement.

Last week, President Donald Trump held a special Diwali event at the White House where he termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a great person” and said he loves “the people of India.”

Bera added that more members should come out to support the relationship.

“Instead of making this about President Trump, let’s make it about the US-India relationship. Let’s make it about what we think as members of Congress – Democrats and Republicans. I don’t want the India-US relationship to be a Democratic thing or a Republican thing. It should be an American thing,” he told Media.

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Kutch Copper Ltd’s ‘Adani Copper’ becomes London Metal Exchange-registered brand

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Ahmedabad, July 7: Kutch Copper Limited (KCL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, has earned London Metal Exchange (LME) certification for ‘Adani Copper,’ according to a statement issued by the company on Tuesday.

“Approval by the world centre for the trading of industrial metals validates KCL’s manufacturing excellence and responsible sourcing practices against strict global benchmarks, enabling Adani Copper cathodes to be delivered with warrants eligible for issuance against LME Copper futures contracts from July 10, 2026,” the statement said.

For the Adani Group, LME’s listing of Adani Copper as a Good Delivery brand for ‘Copper Grade A’ contracts places the brand alongside the world’s leading copper brands, conferring international recognition and market credibility on the Group’s entry into the metals sector and its emergence as a globally competitive producer of refined copper.

“Copper is the backbone of the global energy transition. Achieving LME brand status places Adani among the world’s leading copper producers and strengthens India’s role in building a resilient, responsible supply chain for this vital metal. Kutch Copper’s world-class infrastructure and ESG standards make this recognition both timely and well-deserved. It will enhance the global acceptance of Adani Copper. Apart from reinforcing India’s growing stature in the international metals industry, the registration is a landmark step towards self-reliance in refined copper,” Adani Enterprises’ CEO, Natural Resources, and Kutch Copper Ltd Managing Director Dr Vinay Prakash said.

An LME-brand certification is a rigorous process involving superior quality assurances — covering chemical composition, shape and weight — alongside strict responsible sourcing protocols. The LME listing enables Adani Copper cathodes to be placed on warrant in LME-approved warehouses, strengthening financing flexibility as LME-listed metal is recognised as a highly liquid asset that can be used as collateral. For the LME, the addition of Adani Copper broadens the exchange’s deliverable base with high-quality cathode from a major new production hub, deepening the liquidity and geographic diversity of the global copper market.

The $1.2 billion Kutch Copper facility with production capacity of 0.5 million tonnes — one of the world’s largest single-location custom copper smelting complexes, designed with state-of-the-art technology, advanced process automation, and sustainability-led design principles embedded across operations — strengthens domestic supply, reduces the nation’s dependence on imported copper, and advances India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ ambitions in a metal central to electrification, renewable energy and the energy transition, the Adani Group statement added.

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Sensex, Nifty trade higher in early deals amid positive global cues

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Mumbai, July 7: Indian equity benchmark indices traded higher on Tuesday amid positive global cues and crude oil prices hovering around the $70-a-barrel mark.

Sensex jumped as much as 0.27 per cent or over 200 points to hit an intraday high of 78,504 in early trade, while Nifty was trading around 60 points or 0.23 per cent higher at 24,488.

Sectorally, IT, banking and financial stocks led the gains. Nifty IT rose 1.28 per cent, followed by Nifty PSU Bank which gained 0.45 per cent.

In contrast, Nifty Metal was the worst performer, falling 0.86 per cent, followed by Nifty Media, which declined 0.38 per cent. Nifty Chemicals and Nifty FMCG slipped up to 0.30 per cent.

Among the Nifty stocks, Trent was the biggest loser, plunging 8.81 per cent, followed by Bharat Electronics (BEL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which declined about 1 per cent each. Meanwhile, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) fell 0.88 per cent, while Coal India slipped 0.84 per cent.

According to market experts, there are distinct signs of an uptrend in the market.

They noted that two factors weighing on Indian markets — the crude price hike and sustained FPI selling — are now behind us and have reversed. Crude prices are back to their pre-war levels, while FPIs have turned buyers. Although FPI buying is not yet a strong trend, the fact that foreign investors have stopped selling and turned buyers marks a significant shift that is likely to be sustained, supported by strong fundamentals.

Technically, the Nifty’s breakout above its 200-day exponential moving average (EMA) for the first time since February has strengthened the market’s bullish structure, according to analysts.

They expect the 24,600 level to act as the immediate resistance, with a sustained move above it potentially paving the way towards 24,800, while the 24,400-24,300 zone is likely to provide near-term support.

International benchmark Brent crude rose about 1 per cent to $72.77 a barrel. Similarly, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained 1.12 per cent to $69.32 a barrel.

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WhatsApp keeps ‘username feature’ launch on hold; wins more time to respond to govt notice

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Meta-backed messaging platform WhatsApp has assured the Indian government it will not roll out its proposed username feature in the country until ongoing consultations with authorities are completed, sources familiar with the matter said.

The Meta‑owned messaging platform has also been granted an additional three days to respond to the government notice seeking clarification on the feature. The original deadline for WhatsApp’s reply had lapsed on Friday.

WhatsApp had proposed a username option which would allow users to communicate on WhatsApp without sharing their phone numbers.

The Central government issued a formal notice last week expressing concerns that such a move could heighten risks of online fraud, phishing and impersonation. The government asked WhatsApp to keep the feature on hold until discussions address its security and consumer‑protection concerns, and a Meta delegation met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Friday to discuss the matter.

Earlier this week, WhatsApp reiterated that several safeguards have been built into the username feature to prevent impersonation, scams and unwanted contact as it prepares for a wider rollout later this year.

The messaging platform addressed a series of frequently asked questions on microblogging platform X after concerns were raised over the feature, including by the government, which has asked the company to defer its rollout in the country pending consultations.

The company said users will not be required to create a username and that existing Instagram and Facebook usernames, along with those of public figures, celebrities, government entities and Meta Verified accounts, have been reserved so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners.

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