MUMBAI: Marking a long-awaited milestone for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) formally entered India’s commercial aviation map on Thursday with the arrival and departure of its first scheduled passenger flights.The inaugural arrival was IndiGo flight 6E460 from Bengaluru, which touched down at 8am and was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute. Over half an hour later, NMIA saw its first departure – an IndiGo flight to Hyderabad – taking off at 8.40 am. Day 1 saw 48 flights connecting nine domestic destinations and serving over 4,000 passengers, with peak traffic between 5 pm and 7 pm.NMIA’s take-off marks a major expansion of air connectivity for Mumbai region, constrained for decades by existing airport operating out of a single runway and handling 950 flights every 24 hours.The ‘Navi’ or ‘newness’ factor was underscored even by aviation professionals. “For us, the new airport is called Navi,” said an airline pilot. It is the official call sign to be used by pilots and air traffic controllers in radio communication. “When the first flight was handed over to the Navi Mumbai tower, we radioed to the pilots, ‘Welcome to Navi’,” an aviation official said.There were teething troubles for flyers. Several passengers said road signages were unclear or missing at junctions, causing motorists to reach the cargo terminal before finding the passenger terminal. Approach roads were also under repair, with JCBs deployed for road-widening work.Despite Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport launching bus services on five routes, most flyers opted for app cabs as auto and taxi stands were not fully operational. Passengers travelling from areas such as Matunga and Dadar noted the distance to the new airport-around 35 km. “Signages are not clearly visible on Atal Setu when you enter Navi Mumbai,” said Matunga resident Dinesh Gandhi.Curious visitors also turned up to see the airport, but private security restricted entry to ticketed passengers.Day 1 operations began with four carriers: IndiGo, Akasa Air, Air India Express and Star Air. Developed and operated by Adani Airports Holdings Limited, NMIA is among India’s largest greenfield airport projects. Chairman Gautam Adani welcomed passengers from the inaugural flight and interacted with staff and frontline workers. “It’s a proud day for Mumbai and for India,” he said.Cultural performances featuring Maharashtrian lezim, dhol and tutari added local flavour. India Post released a commemorative First Flight Carried Special Cover flown on an IndiGo service to Goa.Demand to name the airport after D B Patil resurfaced, with former MP Sanjeev Naik saying it reflected the sentiment of Navi Mumbaikars.

Thousands of Indian truck drivers in California have launched a legal challenge against the state after being told their commercial driving licences will be cancelled. Drivers say the move threatens their livelihoods and has left their families in limbo. The lawsuit follows decisions by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to revoke licences issued to immigrant drivers after a federal audit flagged problems with expiry dates. Many of the affected drivers are Punjabi Sikhs, according to advocacy groups, who say the crackdown has led to increased profiling of drivers in the industry.The dispute centres on around 20,000 commercial driver’s licences (CDLs) that the DMV says were issued with expiration dates extending beyond the period drivers were authorised to stay and work in the United States. On 6 November, the agency sent 60-day cancellation notices to roughly 17,000 drivers, a figure that has since risen as more cases were reviewed.

Truck drivers say they are being punished for state errors

Civil rights groups argue the problem stems from clerical mistakes made by the DMV itself, not wrongdoing by drivers. Under California law, they say, the agency is required either to correct such errors or allow licence holders to reapply for amended documents. Instead, the DMV halted the issuing, renewal and correction of non-resident CDLs, leaving drivers with no clear way to fix the issue.“The state of California must help these drivers because the clerical errors threatening their livelihoods are of the state’s own making,” said Munmeeth Kaur, legal director of the Sikh Coalition, which filed the class-action lawsuit alongside the Asian Law Caucus.

Federal pressure and political fallout

Advocacy groups say the crackdown followed increased scrutiny from the Trump administration after a fatal truck crash in Florida earlier this year became a national political issue. Federal officials accused several states, including California, of lax licensing standards and pushed tougher enforcement of immigration and English-language proficiency rules for commercial drivers.The Sikh Coalition says the response has had wider consequences, including racial profiling of Sikh truckers, many of whom wear turbans and beards as part of their faith. Industry figures warn that stricter federal policies could remove hundreds of thousands of drivers from the workforce nationwide over the coming years.

Livelihoods and supply chains at risk

For drivers, the immediate impact is stark. Losing a CDL means losing the legal right to work, while the threatened cancellation of regular driving licences would prevent them from driving at all. Many affected drivers are the sole earners for their families and have invested heavily in trucks, homes and small transport businesses.“If the court does not step in, we will see a devastating wave of unemployment that harms families and destabilises supply chains,” Kaur said.The DMV has declined to comment on the lawsuit but has previously said it is prepared to reissue licences if federal objections are lifted. The plaintiffs argue the agency already has the authority under state law to correct or reinstate the licences without waiting for Washington.

Victor Wembanyama is playing with limited minutes (Image via NBA)

Victor Wembanyama will play for the San Antonio Spurs on Christmas Day against the Oklahoma City Thunder. San Antonio’s injury report is clean for its main rotation, clearing the way for the team to field its strongest lineup in one of the league’s marquee holiday games.The matchup comes after a stretch of careful handling for Wembanyama, who dealt with a calf issue earlier in the season. The Spurs eased him back with managed minutes and brief bench roles, but that phase is now over. He enters this game fully available, giving San Antonio stability on both ends of the floor.

Victor Wembanyama’s Injury Report vs the Oklahoma City Thunder (December 25, 2025)

Victor Wembanyama does not carry any injury designation. He previously missed close to a month with a left calf strain, but has looked steady since returning. Head coach Mitch Johnson has stressed long-term caution, yet Wembanyama is expected to play meaningful minutes when the game is on the line.Since rejoining the lineup, he has averaged around 23 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks per game. His presence has reshaped San Antonio’s defense and restored a reliable scoring option near the rim.

San Antonio Spurs Injury Report vs the Oklahoma City Thunder (December 25, 2025)

San Antonio Spurs list no core players as unavailable. Only two-way G League players Harrison Ingram, David Jones Garcia, and Stanley Umude are out. With Wembanyama cleared, the Spurs will also have De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson available as they look to continue a strong run against Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Injury Report vs the San Antonio Spurs (December 25, 2025)

Oklahoma City Thunder enter the game with several absences. Ajay Mitchell remains in concussion protocol, Jaylin Williams is sidelined with heel bursitis, and Ousmane Dieng is out with a calf injury. Nikola Topic is also unavailable as he continues his recovery from surgery.The Thunder will still rely heavily on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, all of whom are cleared to play. Their availability keeps Oklahoma City competitive despite the thinner bench.Earlier this month, Victor Wembanyama scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in just 20 minutes against the Thunder, helping the Spurs secure a win. San Antonio has beaten Oklahoma City twice in recent matchups, benefiting from improved health and tighter defensive play.The focal point again will be Victor Wembanyama against Holmgren. With San Antonio close to full strength and Oklahoma City missing rotation pieces, this Christmas Day game at Paycom Center carries real weight for both teams.

Navi Mumbai International Airport (PTI)

NEW DELHI: The greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) became operational on Thursday, nearly three decades after it was conceived to ease congestion at Mumbai’s primary airport.An IndiGo Airbus A320 from Bengaluru made a landing at 8 am and was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute, marking the start of commercial flight operations. The first arrival, IndiGo flight 6E 460, was followed by the airport’s first departure, IndiGo flight 6E 882 to Hyderabad at 8.40 am, completing NMIA’s inaugural arrival and departure cycle.

The launch marks a major expansion of Mumbai’s aviation capacity and a significant milestone in India’s infrastructure journey. With NMIA now operational, Mumbai joins global aviation hubs such as London, New York, Moscow, Tokyo and Shanghai, each supported by multiple airports to meet rising demand, NMIA said.On the first day of operations, IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and regional carrier Star Air operated 48 flights connecting nine domestic destinations and serving over 4,000 passengers. Peak traffic was recorded between 5 am and 7 am, reflecting strong early demand and operational readiness, NMIA said.During the initial phase, the airport will operate for 12 hours between 8 am and 8 pm, with up to 24 scheduled daily departures to 13 destinations and the ability to manage up to 10 aircraft movements per hour. From February next year, operations are planned to progressively scale up to round-the-clock services.IndiGo said it will initially connect NMIA with 13 domestic destinations between December 25 and December 30, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, Goa (Mopa) and Cochin.Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani welcomed passengers from the maiden flight and interacted with airport staff, frontline workers and first-time flyers. He said welcoming NMIA’s first passengers alongside Param Vir Chakra awardees offered a glimpse of India now taking shape.Calling it “a proud day for Mumbai and for India”, Adani said, “NMIA stands as a promise of what the country can achieve when ambition is guided by purpose and delivered with speed and execution”.As part of the inauguration, farmers, underprivileged families and colleagues with disabilities experienced their first-ever flight through a special chartered aerial tour of Mumbai. India Post also released a commemorative First Flight Carried Special Cover featuring the NMIA terminal, flown on an IndiGo service to Goa.The airport is being developed in multiple phases under Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd, a special purpose vehicle in which the Adani Group holds a 74 per cent stake and CIDCO owns the remaining 26 per cent.

H-1B visas have long been the sought after route to the US for Indians. (AI image)

New H-1B visa rules decoded: US President Donald Trump believes that America doesn’t have enough talented people – yet he is cracking down on immigration and introducing stricter controls on the people who can study and work in the world’s largest economy. The Trump administration has put a spanner in the wheel to the American dream of several Indians. Two back-to-back moves on H-1B visas have raised questions on policy uncertainty and employment opportunities in the US. In September this year, Trump announced a massive hike in H-1B visa application fee and now the lottery-based system for visa selection has been scrapped this week. The $100,000 fee was challenged legally by the US Chamber of Commerce, but this week a US court has rejected the plea.

H-1B visas have long been the sought after route to the US for Indians – a fact which is brought to light by the fact that they comprise the biggest group of H-1B visa-holders! They also lead on the advanced degrees front among the immigrant groups and are incidentally, the median income of Indians is also the highest among immigrants – $1,45,000!

Indians take biggest chunk of H-1B

US Citizenship & Immigration Services data shows that eight American firms rank in the list of top 10 sponsors of H-1B visas in 2025. There are just two Indian IT companies that feature in the list – TCS and Cognizant. Of the H-1B visas issued in FY24, Indian nationals made up over 70%, and China ranked second at 10%.

New H-1B Visa Rules Explained

There are two changes to the US H-1B visa programme that mark a significant shift in how skilled foreign talent will be selected. These are:

To put it simply: earlier each applicant had an equal chance based on the random lottery selection. Now, applicants with higher salaries and better skill sets will get higher weightage in the selection process – hence increasing their chance of being selected for an H-1B visa.

H-1B Visa: Old vs New regime

The new weighted system of selection is effective February 27, 2026 for the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration season. The annual H-1B quota is unchanged at 85,000 visas (65,000 under the regular cap and 20,000 for applicants with US advanced degrees). Moving away from a purely random lottery system, the new framework prioritises wage levels and specialised skills. Given that Indians form the largest share of the H-1B applicant pool, these new rules may have a disproportionately higher impact on Indian professionals.

How Do New H-1B Rules Impact Indians? The Bad News, And The Silver Lining

The hit is two-fold: The H-1B visa fee has skyrocketed – it’s become 20 times what it was earlier – from an average of $5,000 to a whopping $100,000! Secondly, with the lottery-based selection system being replaced with a wage-weighted process, several aspirants will automatically face rejection.Kuldip Kumar, Partner at Mainstay Tax Advisors notes that the H-1B aspirants that are likely to be most impacted are students, recent graduates, and even new hires with degree-based qualifications who do not work for multinational companies.This group typically includes:

These applicants are more dependent on the H-1B lottery system and have fewer alternative employment-based visa options, Kuldip Kumar tells TOI.

Whom does H-1B visa help?

Kuldip adds that historically, the number of registrations has been two to three times higher than the available quota. “One needs to see whether this one-time $100,000 H-1B fee will reduce the number of applicants for H-1B visa going forward due to cost considerations. If so, the doing away with the lottery system will have limited impact though it does complement the overall new US immigration policy framework,” he said.Sukanya Raman, Immigration Lawyer, Country Head at Davies & Associates, LLC believes that the fee hike will lead to fewer applications. “The chance of only higher paid employees getting selected will prevail. I don’t know how many companies will be willing to give a fee of $100,000 which is close to Rs 90 lakh. So, the new system automatically filters – with only the creamy layer remaining – those who are extremely talented, and the company sees benefit in retaining that talent,” she tells TOI.According to Sukanya Raman, the total fee to get an employee to the US will now range between $110,000 to $120,000. “On top of that the employee will have to be paid a higher wage to qualify under the new system. Earlier the fee for H-1B visa was zero to apply for the lottery. Then a nominal fee was added. If the petition is picked up, there are government fees. Everything put together, it would cost between $10,000-$15,000 which would include government fees, attorney fees etc,” she explains.Anand Dhelia, Partner, Vialto Partners says that Indian professionals, who dominate H-1B filings, particularly in the IT and consulting sectors, are likely to feel the strongest impact.

Indians lead on advanced degrees among immigrant groups

He also notes that the revised system increases the cost and compliance burden on employers, leading many companies to be more selective about whom they sponsor. “The increased cost is a strong deterrent to hiring of foreign workers, especially bulk hiring. Smaller firms that hire many early-career foreign workers or pay lower starting salaries may struggle to compete – both under the new weighted system and due to the high application fee,” Dhelia tells TOI.The silver lining?Sukanya Raman points out: “Companies looking to retain talent whose H-1B visas expire normally send them outside the US to their foreign entity. They work in that foreign entity across the globe outside of the US. And then they are sent in and given a senior position – through that, they come to the US on an L visa. So now, people who will benefit will be senior level employees who qualify for an L visa.”Anand Dhelia too believes that senior professionals with niche expertise and higher salary offers may see improved chances under the new framework and vice-versa.

Indians earn the most

Alternatives to H-1B Visas

As the H-1B route becomes more restrictive, employers and professionals are increasingly exploring alternatives. But, the fundamental thing to understand is that there is no direct substitute to the H-1B visa. Every other route is a workaround and is entirely dependent on the category of applicant it is best suited for.So, the alternative to the H-1B route under the new system may not necessarily be a single replacement – it could be a suite of options that individuals can explore, depending on their qualifications, employer, nationality, or career goals. Kuldip Kumar notes that one limited alternative is the L-1/L-1B visa, which allows multinational companies to transfer their existing employees to the US.

Some alternatives to H-1B visas

“The L-1 visa has no degree requirement and no annual quota, but it is restricted to employees who have worked outside the US for the same employer for at least one continuous year. As a result, it cannot be used for fresh graduates or new hires,” Kuldip Kumar explains.Sukanya Raman points to two options: “For people who are already in the US, we are seeing a lot of demand for the EB-5 visa which is an investor visa program that allows you to get a green card by investing $800,000 and which also allows the applicant to get an employment authorization document and an advance parole,” she says.“Other than that there are options like the L-visa, which is intra company transfer of manager or supervisory level employee, which can be transitioned into a green card. Then there is the O visa, which is for extraordinary ability professionals, and then there is EB-1 and EB-2 category,” she adds.Talking about the EB-5 route, Piyush Gupta, Vice President, India & Middle East, at CanAm Enterprises tells TOI that families view it as their main option to gain nationwide professional mobility, and a strong foundation for children to excel academically and in careers within America’s competitive landscape, as high-net-worth parents and mid-career tech professionals increasingly turn to it to overcome H-1B obstacles.“For most of our Indian investors, H-1B professionals and students facing decades-long green card backlogs and tightening visa policies in 2025, the EB-5 route has become a vital alternative for US stability, far beyond a mere investment, it’s a pathway to secure long-term residency, sidestepping lotteries, employer dependencies, and decades long wait,” he says.Anand Dhelia tells TOI that while most impacted organisations are adopting the ‘wait-and-watch’ approach, some impacted organisations are thinking of shifting operations and talent to non-US locations or nearshoring. “Employers may rethink hiring strategies, sponsor fewer foreign workers and consider hiring local talent, or prioritize senior (higher paid) roles for foreign nationals over mass hiring,” he says.

What USCIS has said

Road Ahead For The American Dream

What is more worrying is the unpredictability of visa and immigration policies under the Trump administration. Kuldip Kumar is of the view that the recent changes indicate a broader policy direction signalling tighter scrutiny, higher compliance costs for employers, and a preference for genuinely high-skill roles.He notes that applicants are already seeing greater scrutiny through stricter interviews, enhanced compliance checks, and broader background and social-media-related reviews.“Together, these developments indicate a shift toward a more restrictive and enforcement-oriented immigration environment,” he tells TOI.Kumar cautions that given the broader US policy focus on protecting domestic employment and wages, it is possible that employment-based visa categories, including the L-1, may also face closer scrutiny in the future. “There are already proposed bills and discussions in the US Congress aimed at taxing or limiting outsourcing, although none of these measures have become law so far,” he says.

Hardik Pandya with girlfriend Mahieka Sharma (Screengrabs)

NEW DELHI: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya recently found himself in an awkward situation during a Christmas dinner outing, but he handled it with calm and maturity. The incident happened when Pandya was leaving a restaurant after celebrating Christmas with his girlfriend, Maheika Sharma. In the hope of seeing their favourite cricketer live, fans were waiting outside and gathered around him as he walked towards his car.

Initially, Hardik agreed to take selfies with a few fans. At this moment, due to the crowd and security around him, one fan could not get close enough for a picture. And Hardik chose to leave without giving away any more selfies.Feeling frustrated, the fan shouted an abusive remark at the cricketer. “Bhaad mein jao (go to hell),” he said. Despite this, Hardik chose not to react.It is unclear whether Hardik heard the comment or simply ignored it on purpose. Either way, he stayed composed and continued walking without responding or creating any scene. Watch:His calm behaviour impressed many people online after the video of the incident went viral. On social media, fans heaped praise on him for showing restraint. However, it is important to note that TimesofIndia.com has not confirmed the authenticity of the clip.Hardik Pandya has been in fine form as well with his all-around abilities on the cricket field. Having played a key role in India’s recent T20I series win against South Africa, he came up with a crucial knock of 59 not out from just 28 balls in the opening match of the series. His innings helped India recover from a tough position and post a competitive total.Hardik saved his best performance for the fifth and final T20I in Ahmedabad. He smashed a brilliant 63 runs from only 25 balls and reached his half-century in just 16 deliveries. This became the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian, behind only Yuvraj Singh’s famous effort in 2007. His explosive batting helped India score 231 for 5 and seal a convincing 3-1 series victory.