The US Department of Labor suspended eight major IT companies, including Indian majors TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCLTech, from the Permanent Labour Certification (PERM) program, signaling a growing protectionist stance that threatens the green card pipeline for Indian tech professionals. In response, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that tighter H-1B and green card access could actually benefit the Indian economy by accelerating the growth of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune, creating high-value domestic jobs at lower operating costs. On European trade corridors, German machinery exports to India surged 11% in H1 2026 to €2.2 billion as European engineering firms actively diversify supply chains away from China. Addressing trade diplomacy, Minister Goyal affirmed that India-US trade discussions remain on a steady keel despite complex legal adjustments following US judicial rulings on emergency tariff powers. Finally, during the 15th AITIGA Joint Committee meeting in Jakarta, India and ASEAN agreed to fast-track the review of their Goods Agreement, setting time-bound goals across eight sub-committees ahead of the next joint meeting in India in January 2027 to boost overall trade competitiveness.