New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India delivered an impressive performance at the Taipei Capital Cup 2026, with Team India securing two Silver Medals and three Merit Awards at the prestigious international skilling competition held in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 26 to 28, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said on Friday.

Competing against participants from 15 countries across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, the Indian contingent showcased strong technical expertise across multiple emerging skill categories.

The achievement has further strengthened India’s position as a growing global skills powerhouse and highlighted the country’s focus on developing industry-ready talent through its expanding skilling ecosystem, the ministry stated.

Representing India in five highly competitive categories, the participants demonstrated excellence in domains ranging from mobile application development and software applications to digital construction and automobile technology.

Muskan won a Silver Medal in Painting and Decorating, while Arjun Sumathi Vijayabashkar secured a Silver Medal in Mobile Applications Development.

India also earned three Merit Awards, with Mohamed Mafaz Poonaikannan Rabi Ahamed being recognised in Software Applications Development, Suresh Kumar Ganesan Meena in Digital Construction, and Md Seraj in Automobile Technology.

The Silver Medal winners received cash prizes of 8,000 Taiwan Dollars each, while the Merit Award recipients were awarded 5,000 Taiwan Dollars each.

Congratulating the winners, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, said Team India’s performance reflected the confidence, determination and capability of India’s youth.

He said the competition provided valuable exposure to international standards and would help prepare the competitors for larger global events, including WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.

“Every such achievement strengthens our resolve to build a globally competitive, future-ready workforce and advances our vision of Viksit Bharat powered by skilled and empowered youth,” he said.

Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Debashree Mukherjee, also congratulated the competitors, experts and mentors, saying the success reflected the growing strength of India’s skilling ecosystem and the world-class potential of Indian youth.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India and Vietnam have taken a major step towards strengthening cooperation in digital payments and financial innovation, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Ministry of Finance said on Friday.

The agreement, signed with the approval of the Union Cabinet, aims to deepen collaboration in areas such as financial innovation, regulatory coordination, information sharing, and digital payment systems.

A key focus of the MoU is the development of payment system connectivity to enable cross-border QR code-based merchant payments between the two countries.

The MoU is being seen as a forward-looking initiative that could enhance bilateral financial ties while positioning India as a major fintech hub in the region.

It is expected to improve the efficiency of cross-border transactions by making payments more transparent, real-time, convenient, and cost-effective for users and businesses in both countries.

According to the details of the agreement, the RBI and the SBV will cooperate on sharing information related to emerging market trends, innovative technologies, standards and best practices in digital payments, and regulatory frameworks governing financial innovation.

The arrangement will also support the development and oversight of digital payment systems in financial services.

The agreement provides a broad framework for collaboration and implementation support, in line with the laws and regulations applicable in both countries.

It also opens the door for potential joint innovation programmes and projects in the future.

Officials said the payment connectivity initiative is expected to facilitate trade and tourism between India and Vietnam, while creating greater export opportunities for Indian businesses.

The framework will also help maintain smooth cross-border financial activities through cooperation in fast payment systems, messaging systems, and card switches.

The MoU was signed by the Deputy Governors of the RBI and the SBV.

Source: IANS

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Jaipur, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) In view of the rising cases of "digital arrest" scams and fake notices issued in the name of courts and investigative agencies, the Rajasthan Police Cyber Crime Branch has issued a special public advisory urging citizens to remain alert and verify suspicious notices through the newly launched AI chatbot "Abhay", police officials said on Friday.

Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime), V.K. Singh, said the chatbot has been developed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to help citizens identify fake legal notices and avoid falling victim to cyber fraudsters posing as police, CBI, or court officials.

The AI-based chatbot, named ABHAY (Artificial Intelligence Based Helpful Assistant for You), functions as a 24×7 digital support system capable of instantly verifying the authenticity of suspicious notices received through mobile phones, emails, or social media platforms.

According to the Cyber Crime Branch, the chatbot has been specially designed to provide immediate assistance in simple language to villagers, women, elderly citizens, and people with limited technical knowledge.

It can communicate in Hindi, English, and several regional languages.

Officials said the chatbot offers real-time updates on emerging cyber fraud techniques, provides calm and step-by-step guidance to victims, and automatically redirects critical cases to the official Union government's cyber complaint portal.

Singh said that the objective of the initiative is to prevent citizens from panicking or transferring money after receiving threatening calls or fake "digital arrest" notices from fraudsters.

The Rajasthan Police has appealed to the public not to panic upon receiving suspicious legal notices or calls from unknown numbers.

Citizens have been advised to verify such communications through the chatbot and immediately report cyber fraud incidents to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cyber helpline number '1930', or the nearest cyber police station.

The police also reiterated that no legitimate law enforcement agency conducts arrests or investigations through video calls or demands money transfers to avoid legal action.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The United States imports nearly 40 per cent of its generic medicines from India because of the trust it has in the country’s pharmaceutical capabilities, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Friday.

Speaking at the Advancing Partnership in Research and Innovation event at Indian Institute of Technology here, Gor said India-US ties have expanded significantly across sectors including trade, defence, technology, health and space cooperation.

“On pharmaceuticals, we import close to 40 per cent of our generics from India. There is a reason the United States does that: it is because we trust India. These are critical life-saving ingredients that are needed in the United States,” Gor said.

The US Ambassador described the India-US relationship as one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century and said bilateral trade between the two countries has increased sharply over the past two decades.

“In just over two decades, bilateral trade has grown from 20 billion dollars to over 220 billion dollars in goods and services. That’s not just volume; it reflects deeper, broader engagement and stronger economic integration,” he said.

Gor also expressed optimism about the proposed interim trade agreement between India and the United States, saying negotiations were in their final stages.

“Our current interim trade agreement is on the table for us to finalise that will unlock prosperity for both of our countries. We fully expect that the trade deal will be signed over the next few weeks and months,” he said.

Highlighting growing American investments in India, Gor said major US technology companies are significantly expanding their presence in the country.

According to him, Amazon plans to invest 35 billion dollars in India by 2030 to support AI-driven digitisation, exports and job creation.

He added that Microsoft has announced an investment of 17.5 billion dollars in India, including the expansion of hyperscale cloud infrastructure, while Google recently began work on a subsea cable landing terminal project valued at around 15 billion dollars.

“These are incredible things that we have seen just from a handful of companies,” Gor said, adding that many investors visiting the US Embassy regularly ask whether India is a safe destination for investment and partnership. “Our answer to them is yes,” he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh on Friday inaugurated India’s first "SkyCast System" at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, to improve aviation weather monitoring and reduce fog‑related disruptions.

Only 18 such advanced systems have been deployed worldwide so far and India became home to the 19th one, Jitendra Singh said.

A second such facility will be deployed at Jewar Airport, followed by further rollouts at other airports, the statement from the Ministry of Earth Sciences said.

Dr. Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision behind "Mission Mausam" for making such futuristic weather infrastructure possible.

He said SkyCast will bring a major transformation in aviation safety by providing real-time information to pilots and aviation operators during critical weather situations.

Flight disruptions caused by fog and turbulence drop significantly and the system will provide advance alerts to aircrew and pilots even within short time windows of around three hours.

Hence, they can decide the safest time for landing and avoiding unnecessary diversions, cancellations and delays.

SkyCast combines multiple atmospheric observation technologies for fog monitoring, turbulence detection and high-impact weather forecasting. The system integrates state-of-the-art atmospheric remote sensing technologies, including Radar Wind Profiler, SODAR, Microwave Radiometer, Ground-based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS) and CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer.

He said the facility will strengthen monitoring and warning capabilities across runways, making take-offs and landings safer.

The system combines Radar Wind Profiler, SODAR, Microwave Radiometer, Ground‑based Fog Aerosol Spectrometer (GFAS) and a CL61 Lidar‑based Ceilometer to deliver real‑time measurements of fog, aerosols, turbulence, moisture and visibility for pilots, airlines and air traffic managers.

At the centre of the system is an advanced boundary layer Radar Wind Profiler, which continuously measures wind speed, wind direction, turbulence, vertical velocity and boundary-layer dynamics up to nearly 3 kilometres above the airport.

These parameters are crucial during aircraft descent and landing operations, where precise atmospheric information helps improve safety.

The system also integrates the CL61 Lidar-based Ceilometer, which continuously monitors the vertical structure of fog, enabling better understanding of fog formation, visibility reduction and atmospheric conditions affecting aviation operations.

Beyond aviation, SkyCast observations will support advanced forecasting models, artificial intelligence-enabled decision support systems, urban weather forecasting, pollution management, transport advisories and disaster preparedness initiatives.

—IANS

aar/pk

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that Maharashtra, which is strongly positioned to lead the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, will spearhead development in this sector not only in India but globally in the near future.

This is due to Mumbai’s financial prowess, technological expertise, robust start-up ecosystem, and readiness to adopt emerging technologies.

The Chief Minister made these remarks during an interview at the inauguration of ‘Mumbai Tech Week 2026’.

Highlighting the state government's ambitious targets, CM Fadnavis revealed that Maharashtra has set a goal to secure Rs 10,000 crore in AI investments, generate 1.5 lakh jobs, establish six ‘Centres of Excellence’, and set up dedicated ‘AI Innovation Zones’.

To accelerate research and innovation in the AI sector, the state government is building a ‘Compute-as-a-Service’ infrastructure facility. Under this initiative, 2,000 GPUs will be made available to start-ups and researchers.

“Innovation stalls when high-capacity computing infrastructure is unaffordable. Therefore, the Government of Maharashtra is directly providing the necessary infrastructure,” the Chief Minister explained.

He further emphasised that while governments can only formulate policy frameworks, the real start-up ecosystem is forged by founders and entrepreneurs.

Recalling that the concept of an association of tech entrepreneurs was first proposed in December 2022, he noted that the energy and vision of its members at the time gave him full confidence that the initiative would grow into something monumental.

“Today, an increasing number of founders, investors, and global corporations are aligning with Maharashtra each year. Consequently, Maharashtra has consistently ranked as the leading state in the country for investments and start-up volume for three consecutive years,” he said.

Extending an open invitation to start-ups and tech companies from across India and abroad participating in Mumbai Tech Week, the Chief Minister urged them to invest in the state.

He remarked that this is the best era for those working in technology and AI, and Maharashtra is the ideal battleground. A highly capable ecosystem is already in place here. He urged innovators to work for Maharashtra, work for India, and innovate for the entire world.

Assuring full institutional support, CM Fadnavis stated that the state government’s role is not confined to incubation and acceleration alone.

Through its ‘Fund of Funds’, the government is actively providing investment assistance. The administration stands ready to support entrepreneurs as a committed partner.

Detailing the increasing integration of AI across various state government departments, the Chief Minister highlighted the ‘Maha-Vistar’ farmers' app.

Describing it as a ‘one-stop solution’ for farmers, he noted that the Central Government recognised it as the country’s best agricultural technology solution at the India AI Summit.

Following its success, an ‘India-Vistar’ framework is now being developed at the national level.

Furthermore, the implementation of AI-based systems in building permission clearance processes will enhance transparency and efficiency.

Referring to the ‘Crime OS’ platform developed for criminal investigation and judicial processes, Chief Minister Fadnavis noted that this system will drastically expedite investigations, charge-sheet filings, and court proceedings.

“Compiling a 15,000-page charge-sheet previously took three to four months; with AI, it can now be completed in 10 to 12 days,” he said.

AI is also being effectively utilised in detecting fraud in medical insurance schemes, improving human resource management within the government via the HR Stack, managing traffic control, handling disaster response, and strengthening surveillance networks.

The state government has set a target to develop 50 specialised AI engines for various departments, he stated.

Addressing concerns surrounding data security, trust, and the rapid rise of deepfakes, CM Fadnavis asserted that “Ethical AI” remains the core philosophy of the state's policy.

He emphasised that AI must be democratised and accessible to all rather than remaining a privilege of large corporations.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) must also benefit from it, ensuring that human intervention and core human values remain central to AI development.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday urged states to remove unnecessary procedural complexities and focus on farmer‑centric governance as he highlighted record food‑grain production.

As per advance estimates, India’s total food grain production has reached approximately 376.563 million tonnes, the highest ever, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, according to the statement from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.

He urged states to share suggestions openly and reiterated that the impact of governance should be visible "not merely in files, but in people’s lives."

The minister spoke on the second day of the National Agriculture Conference — Kharif Campaign 2026 here.

He further noted that India has emerged as the world leader in rice production, while substantial progress has also been achieved in wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds production.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that rules and procedures exist for the convenience of farmers, farmers do not exist for rules.

The minister held comprehensive discussions with state agriculture ministers, senior officials, scientists and progressive farmers on the holistic development of Indian agriculture.

He urged time-bound, result-orientated and farmer-centric action driven by policy, innovation as well as commitment and asked ministers to personally lead initiatives for faster, tangible results.

The strong participation of state agriculture ministers transformed the conference into a powerful 'Team India' platform for agricultural advancement.

India must further strengthen food security, increase farmers’ income, make agriculture more profitable and accord equal importance to nutritional security, the minister noted.

The minister urged states to personally review the implementation of the Pulses Mission, Oilseeds Mission, Cotton Mission and other major agricultural campaigns.

In addition, he called upon scientists to undertake faster, practical and demand-driven research aligned with farmers’ needs.

Special emphasis was laid on developing short-duration and more suitable crop varieties, particularly for tur, soybean and oilseed crops.

Chouhan said Soil Health Cards should not remain mere documents but must be actively utilised at the field level to help farmers understand nutrient deficiencies and appropriate fertiliser application.

—IANS

aar/ag

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, on Friday reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 2,537 crore for the March quarter (Q4) of FY26, compared with a net profit of Rs 3,067.5 crore in the corresponding period last financial year.

The airline’s revenue from operations, however, rose marginally by 1 per cent year-on-year to Rs 22,438 crore during the quarter, up from Rs 22,152 crore in the same period a year ago (Q4 FY25), according to its stock exchange filing.

IndiGo said its profitability during the quarter was also impacted by a one-time charge of Rs 250 crore.

The airline’s EBITDA stood at Rs 6,396 crore during the quarter, compared with Rs 5,953 crore in the year-ago period.

EBITDA margin, however, declined sharply to 3.6 per cent from 27.5 per cent a year earlier, as per its filing.

Meanwhile, EBITDAR margin improved to 28.5 per cent from 26.9 per cent in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year.

Operationally, the airline reported a 3.4 per cent increase in capacity to 43.6 billion available seat kilometres (ASKs) despite disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Passenger traffic, however, slipped 1.1 per cent year-on-year to 31.6 million during the quarter.

The company attributed the weak performance to an exceptionally challenging operating environment during FY26.

Commenting on the results, Rahul Bhatia said the year was marked by severe operational challenges that materially impacted profitability, although the airline’s core business performance remained resilient.

“FY26 was marked by an exceptionally challenging operating environment, which materially impacted our profitability,” Bhatia said.

“Despite these conditions, the underlying performance of the business remained resilient. During the year, our capacity grew by 9.5 per cent and total income increased by over 6 per cent,” he added.

Shares of InterGlobe Aviation ended 3.27 per cent lower at Rs 4,418.40 on the BSE on Friday.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Among a slew of measures to improve energy security in the country and decarbonise the road and highways sector, India is likely to bring a mandate on blending isobutanol with diesel as early as this year, Roads Transport and Highways Secretary V. Umashankar said on Friday.

In his remarks at the CII Multimodal Transportation and Logistics Summit here, Umashankar said: "Blending of diesel has been looked into with great seriousness. Bharat Petroleum is already undertaking strategic research for iso-butanol blending with diesel. And the results are very encouraging. It is quite likely that the blending mandate will start coming in somewhere later this year. And diesel consumption is almost two times that of petrol consumption. So, the impact on blending in terms of diesel is concerned will have a far greater impact on our energy security than even petrol blending."

He also said that the Ministry is looking at bringing a draft notification on truck-trailer soon, for building an ecosystem that needs battery swapping and battery charging for electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

He pointed out that for battery swapping, several points with this kind of infrastructure will have to be provided.

"If you look at battery charging, then it is going to take a good amount of time for the charging to happen. So, does the truck lie idle at that point in time? So, what we are looking at is what we call a tractor-trailer interchangeability. Where you don't need to swap the battery, you swap the entire front part of the truck. So, we have detachable containers, so the trailer is detachable," he said.

On the government’s experiments with hydrogen logistics, the Secretary said: "The results are very good. The key cost is comparable with respect to other forms of logistics travel. It's not high. The only high-cost element is the hydrogen refuelling stations. And presently in the pilot projects, government support is being provided."

He added that recently, in Delhi, hydrogen buses at the public transport level have also been introduced between Delhi and Faridabad and Delhi and Noida. "Because the hydrogen refuelling station has already been supported and set up under this scheme. On fuelling, it travels 450 km before it needs a refuel. So if you take Delhi-Mumbai as a corridor, then maybe three refuelling stations along the highway at the new expressway," Umashankar said.

Additionally, he also revealed that Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF), the barrier-less tolling system that eliminates the need for vehicles to stop or slow down at toll plazas, is likely to be introduced in the "forthcoming year".

"This (MLFF) has already been introduced in two toll plazas, and it's working very successfully. And the third one is likely to go live in the next 8-10 days. We plan to expand this to all the toll plazas, four-lane plus toll plazas across the country within the forthcoming year. Along with that is an advanced traffic management system that we are going to put in place. We have got the first proposal for the Delhi NCR approved. And the issuance of the bids and the implementation of the project will start very shortly," he added.

To increase the average speed of vehicles that move on the roads and highways, the Ministry plans to focus on expressways and access-controlled highways so that slow-moving and fast-moving traffic can be segregated, he added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India has climbed to fifth place in global digital economy rankings and ranked fourth on the CHIPS‑AI index, marking accelerating digital momentum in an increasingly competitive environment, a report said on Friday.

The report from the ICRIER‑Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy (IPCIDE) said that the study among 71 countries, covering 96 per cent of global GDP, revealed that "India outpaced major developed economies, including Germany, France, Japan and Canada, in digital performance."

India generated $328 billion in digitally delivered trade AND hosts the world’s second‑largest AI talent pool, it said.

In addition, the country represents roughly 50 per cent of BRICS digitally delivered services. The country ranked behind only the United States, China and Singapore in AI performance.

Among the world's top five digital economies, three -- China, Singapore and India -- are now from the Indo-Pacific region, signalling the emergence of a tripolar digital order alongside the traditional North Atlantic pole.

The report documented a fundamental shift in the global digital landscape, with 72 per cent of AI users now in developing countries. India and China together accounted for nearly two-fifths of worldwide AI adoption.

“India has built strong foundations through connectivity, entrepreneurship and digital public infrastructure. The next phase of growth depends on how effectively we leverage AI, deepen innovation capabilities and strengthen digital trust,” said Pramod Bhasin, Chairperson, ICRIER.

India commands 26 per cent of global AI users but just 1 per cent of global private AI investment, reflecting a crucial gap.

Moreover, the nation ranks second globally in AI talent after the United States but lacks comparable levels of long-term venture capital and computing infrastructure, reflecting both challenge and opportunity.

India's long-term competitiveness depends on mobilising risk capital, expanding compute access, strengthening university-startup linkages and building AI commercialisation pathways, the report noted.

While AI adoption spreads rapidly, advanced chips, compute infrastructure and large language models remain concentrated among a small group of countries and firms.

—IANS

aar/ag

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India has made faster-than-expected progress in building its semiconductor ecosystem but technological sovereignty will be crucial for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri said on Friday.

On India’s semiconductor roadmap, Lahiri said one of the biggest strategic risks facing the country is its growing dependence on imported black-box technologies.

“India has already covered important ground. The India Semiconductor Mission, early investments in design, manufacturing and packaging and deepening partnerships with the US, Japan and Europe have created strong momentum,” he said.

“The progress has been faster than many expected. The next decade will be critical in converting this momentum into a durable national capability,” he added.

He stressed that India’s technological sovereignty must begin at the infrastructure layer, with semiconductors forming the backbone of critical sectors such as artificial intelligence, defence, manufacturing, mobility, energy systems, communications and citizen services.

He highlighted that the NITI Frontier Tech Hub roadmap lays out a clear and practical vision for India’s semiconductor future.

According to him, the roadmap recognises that India cannot simultaneously compete across every segment of the semiconductor value chain and therefore must focus deeply on selected strategic areas.

"It recognises that India cannot do everything at once and therefore must choose a few strategic priorities and go deep -- whether in design, advanced packaging, compound semiconductors or other emerging opportunities where India can leapfrog parts of the global value chain," he stated.

Lahiri said the focus at NITI Aayog is to translate strategy into action. He noted that the roadmap has been designed with a strong implementation-oriented approach and identifies key priorities for the next ten years, the enabling conditions needed to support growth and the sectors where India can emerge as a global leader rather than remain a downstream participant.

“India has the conviction, capability and urgency to make this happen,” he mentioned.

Source: IANS

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Bhuj, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a bid to transform 11 industrial training institutes (ITIs) across Kutch through industry-linked skilling and employment-focused training, Adani Skills & Education (ASE) on Friday formalised two MoUs with the Gujarat government.

ASE, the Adani Group’s capability-building platform which is focused on creating scalable talent ecosystems aligned to industry and enterprise demand, said the initiative aims to create local employment opportunities, reduce talent migration and build industry-ready talent pipelines for renewable energy, logistics and infrastructure sectors.

Cabinet Minister of Labour, Skill Development and Employment and Rural Development, Kunvarjibhai Bavaliya; Minister of State for Labour, Skill Development & Employment Kantilal Amrutiya, senior leaders and officials attended the event, along with senior leadership from the Adani Group, faculty members and students from all 11 government ITIs of Kutch, according to a statement.

Bavaliya emphasised the importance of industry-aligned skilling in building a self-reliant workforce. “Our key objective is to provide global-level technical training to the youth and ensure every young person becomes self-reliant under the Skill India mission. Skilled youth are the foundation of a prosperous nation,” he said.

Amrutiya encouraged students to leverage technical education opportunities to build meaningful careers. “Skilled youth are the true strength of our nation and can contribute significantly to India’s economic growth, national progress and nation building,” he said.

The initiative aims to reduce talent migration and strengthen the region’s skilled workforce, ensuring that Kutch’s growth is increasingly powered by local talent.

The 10-point agenda envisioned by ASE for transforming ITIs is now being referred to as a “Gujarat Model” in other states across the country.

Robin Bhowmik, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ASE, said Kutch remains central to ASE’s long-term skilling vision.

“Kutch is our karma bhoomi and we remain deeply invested in its future. Through our partnership with the Government of Gujarat and ITIs across the region, we aim to build a continuously skilled, industry-ready workforce capable of contributing across sectors and supporting long-term regional transformation,” he said.

Through its ‘Skill2Employ’ approach, ASE combines classroom learning with real-world operating exposure. Leveraging simulations, Centres of Excellence (CoEs), TTT programmes and globally benchmarked curricula, it aims to create a first-day, first-hour productive workforce.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Shares of gaming companies came under heavy selling pressure on Friday after the Supreme Court upheld the government's retrospective imposition of 28 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on online gaming platforms.

Delta Corp -- that operates licensed casinos and luxury hotels -- shares declined as much as 17.76 per cent to hit an intraday low of Rs 66.60 on the BSE from the previous close.

Meanwhile, Nazara Technologies -- a diversified gaming and sports media platform -- shares traded 5.07 per cent lower at Rs 274.80, hitting an intraday low on the exchange.

The verdict is expected to have significant financial implications for online gaming companies, which have been engaged in a prolonged legal battle over the tax treatment of online gaming activities.

The Supreme Court ruled that online gaming platforms cannot be treated merely as intermediaries and held that such activities create actionable claims under GST law. The apex court further observed that legislative amendments validating the tax levy were clarificatory in nature and therefore applicable retrospectively.

Following the ruling, shares of gaming-related companies witnessed sharp declines as investors assessed the potential impact of higher tax liabilities and regulatory uncertainty on the sector.

The dispute dates back to September 2023, when the Supreme Court stayed a Karnataka High Court order that had quashed a Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) notice seeking nearly Rs 21,000 crore in GST from Gameskraft.

The tax notice alleged that the company promoted online betting activities through platforms including Rummy Culture, Gamezy and Rummy Time.

Gaming companies had argued that online gaming operators merely function as intermediaries facilitating contests and do not supply actionable claims to players, making retrospective GST demands unsustainable.

However, tax authorities maintained that online gaming platforms effectively operate within betting and gambling frameworks, making player stakes taxable under the highest GST slab.

According to court submissions, cumulative tax demands raised through show-cause notices against online gaming companies amount to nearly Rs 91,684.81 crore. Including casinos, the total tax demand rises to around Rs 1.08 lakh crore.

The government had amended GST laws in August 2023 and made it mandatory for overseas online gaming companies to register in India from October 1, 2023.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s growing civilian nuclear energy programme offers an opportunity for establishing a strategic link between India and Central Asia for long-term cooperation in the supply of uranium, strengthening energy security, economic ties and geopolitical diversification, according to an article in Geopolitical Monitor.

The 2026 contract, signed between Kazatomprom and India’s Department of Atomic Energy for the supply of uranium valued at over $4 billion, shows that the India-Central Asia cooperation in this domain is shifting from commodity trade toward a strategic axis.

The article highlights that as India seeks to scale up civilian nuclear energy generation and diversify fuel supplies, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are becoming important partners within a broader Eurasian resource architecture. For Astana and Tashkent, India represents not a transactional buyer, but a long-term partnership anchored in multi-year contracts and shared interest in continental connectivity.

India has set a target of 100 GW of civilian nuclear capacity by 2047, with an interim goal of 22,480 MW by 2031-32. Small modular reactors are receiving separate attention. The 2025/26 budget has reserved more than $2 billion for this direction, and a Rs 200 billion Nuclear Energy Mission targets at least five indigenously designed small modular reactors by 2033.

Against this backdrop, Kazakhstan looks like a near-ideal partner for India. The republic holds approximately 14 per cent of global uranium reserves and remains the world’s largest uranium producer. In 2025, Kazakhstan’s total uranium production reached 25,800 tonnes, including 13,500 tonnes attributable to Kazatomprom, supplying approximately 20 per cent of global primary uranium output.

For India, which plans to scale up civilian nuclear energy generation rapidly, such a partner carries strategic significance, said the report.

The Kazakh-Indian uranium partnership already has considerable institutional depth. Kazakhstan had previously been one of India’s important uranium suppliers alongside Canada. The 2026 agreement moves this relationship from a category of regular commodity cooperation into a longer-term strategic connection.

For New Delhi, Kazakhstani uranium strengthens the fuel base and reduces dependence on a single supplier at a moment when the country plans to scale up civilian nuclear energy generation rapidly. For Astana, the Indian market expands room for maneuver against the backdrop of a strong Chinese presence in Central Asian extraction, logistics, and raw material processing.

Chinese companies are already strengthening their positions in large Kazakhstani uranium projects, acquiring assets from Russia’s Rosatom. In this situation, India becomes another stable partner in the uranium market. For Kazakhstan, this format is particularly valuable. It allows the substance of multi-vector policy to be filled with concrete long-term contracts. In this sense, the uranium deal with India fits within Astana’s foreign policy doctrine of combining the protection of national interests with openness toward different centers of power, said the report.

However, the main constraint remains geography. Without reliable routes through the Caspian, Iran, or Afghanistan, uranium diplomacy will face the same connectivity problems that have limited India’s presence in the region for decades. The core question is whether nuclear fuel can become the domain, through which India establishes a durable foothold in Central Asia, the article observes.

Transport risks do not cancel the prospect of India-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan cooperation. They make it more political. The issue extends beyond the sale of raw materials into the creation of reliable routes, supply insurance, and long-term arrangements. These constraints align the foreign policy interests of the parties. New Delhi needs reliable access to resources and continental corridors, while Central Asian states need additional outlets to southern markets and ocean ports, the article states.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India has crossed a historic milestone by connecting 40 lakh homes to rooftop solar under the ‘PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana’, Union Petroleum and Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday.

Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this initiative is not only freeing the country's common citizens from electricity bills and making them ‘Atmanirbhar’ but also saving the environment. Puri posted on X.

“India becomes superpower of solar power -- A major achievement in the direction of clean energy,” said the minister.

Echoing similar sentiments, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that your own roof is becoming a home of energy,

“Family is becoming empowered and life is becoming self-reliant. Under the PM Surya Ghar scheme, more than 40 lakh families have already connected with solar energy,” Goyal posted on X.

Under the leadership of PM Modi, “this new India is not only saving electricity, but also scripting a new revolution of change in the energy sector,” he noted.

Under the scheme, funds amounting to Rs 14,585.29 crore have been utilised in FY26 (till March 5), against Rs 7,822.92 crore in FY25.

Launched in 2024, the PM Muft Bijli Yojana is a demand-driven scheme wherein all residential consumers in the country having grid connected electricity connection of the local discom can avail the benefits of the scheme, for the installation of Rooftop Solar systems, by applying on the National Portal of the scheme.

The government estimates that installations of rooftop solar systems in one crore households could produce renewable electricity of 1,000 billion units, potentially reducing emissions by 720 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent over the 25‑year lifetime of the systems.

The top five states in implementation as of 2025-end include Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Rajasthan.

The government is also implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), with an objective to make India a global hub of production, usage and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives, the minister added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Domestic air passenger traffic in India fell 2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in April 2026 to 140.8 lakh passengers, amid geopolitical disruptions, a report said on Friday.

The domestic air traffic stood at 143.1 lakh passengers in the same month last year, according to ICRA’s latest monthly report on the aviation sector.

On a sequential basis, traffic was also lower by 2 per cent from 143.7 lakh passengers recorded in March 2026, the report said.

The report noted that airlines’ capacity deployment in April 2026 was 0.6 per cent lower than the year-ago period and 1.4 per cent lower compared to March 2026.

For the full financial year 2025-26, domestic air passenger traffic stood at 1,677.4 lakh passengers, registering a modest year-on-year growth of 1.4 per cent, in line with ICRA’s estimate of 0-3 per cent growth.

International air passenger traffic for Indian carriers grew 3.9 per cent to 350 lakh passengers during FY2026, lower than the agency’s earlier estimate of 7-9 per cent growth.

ICRA said it had revised its outlook on the Indian aviation industry to “Negative” from “Stable” in March 2026 due to the expected weakening in profitability caused by higher aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar and disruption in international airspace availability following the escalation of geopolitical conflict in West Asia.

The agency warned that flight cancellations, airspace closures and rising airfares due to fuel surcharges are likely to weigh on passenger traffic growth in the coming months.

It also noted that although the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has removed airfare caps introduced in December 2025, demand could soften if ticket prices rise sharply.

According to the report, some airlines have already announced curtailment of international flights because of demand disruptions and escalating costs linked to the West Asian conflict.

ICRA said this could reverse the increase in international seat capacity share witnessed during FY2026.

Source: IANS

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Moscow, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Friday visited Russia's National Space Centre in Moscow along with the country's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. At the space centre named after the world's first female cosmonaut, Vera Tereshkova, NSA Doval also spoke live with the Russian crew on the International Space Station (ISS).

According to the Russian state space cooperation Roscosmos, NSA Doval and Manturov toured the space technology exhibit, including models of the world's most powerful four-chamber liquid rocket engine and the base module of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS).

"Representatives from the two countries then visited the Roscosmos Joint Industry Information Center (JIIC). It was created to monitor and analyze large volumes of data related to the rocket and space industry and will also house the management of the future ROS," Roscosmos stated.

NSA Doval and Manturov then spoke live with the Russian ISS crew — Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Andrey Fedyaev, and Sergey Mikayev. The cosmonauts spoke about their spacewalk on May 27.

Videos of NSA Doval having a close look at the official car of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into space in 1961, also went viral on social media.

NSA Doval and Manturov also held a meeting on India-Russia space cooperation during their visit to the space centre.

The National Security Advisor is visiting Moscow to attend the two-day first International Security Forum and the 14th Meeting of High Representatives for Security Matters hosted by Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu.

On Thursday, while addressing the gathering of NSAs and security chiefs of several countries, NSA Doval stated that there cannot be any double standards in the fight against terrorism and responsible nations have to evaluate their choices in deciding whether they support sponsors of terrorism or counter them with decisive action.

He also called for special attention to the situation in West Asia, asserting that it is essential to ensure the safe and uninterrupted movement of trade through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

"During the deliberations, the NSA stated that there cannot be double standards in the fight against terrorism. Responsible nations have to evaluate their choices and decide whether they support sponsors of terrorism or counter them with decisive action," the Indian Embassy in Russia posted on X while highlighting NSA Doval's comments at the forum.

NSA Doval also met Shoigu on the sidelines of the forum on Thursday.

"They reviewed ongoing cooperation in defence, security, energy and economic ties. The two sides also exchanged views on the upcoming BRICS NSA meeting in New Delhi," the Indian Embassy stated.

NSA Doval will also have more bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Forum, later on Friday.

–IANS

/as

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) US-based artificial intelligence firm OpenAI on Friday said adoption of its AI coding and productivity tool Codex is accelerating rapidly in India, with weekly active users growing 27-fold since the beginning of 2026 so far as developers, founders and professionals increasingly adopt AI tools to build and execute tasks faster.

Sharing new data on the sidelines of Mumbai Tech Week, the company said India continues to remain among the top five countries globally for Codex adoption and among the top 10 markets worldwide for engagement on the platform.

According to the AI giant, daily interactions with Codex in India had increased by more than 20 times by late April compared to levels seen at the start of the year.

In addition, usage patterns indicate that Codex is increasingly being used beyond traditional software development workflows, with more than one-fourth of requests now related to non-coding activities.

Users are increasingly utilising the platform to synthesise information, draft documents, automate research-related tasks and organise workflows and communications.

The latest data builds on earlier findings shared by OpenAI, which had indicated that coding-related usage of Codex in India was around three times higher than the global average, while coding-related questions from Indian users were nearly three times the global median.

"What’s exciting about India is that adoption is not just happening among software engineers. We are seeing founders, operators, researchers, students and business teams increasingly use Codex to turn ideas into working outcomes faster," said Thomas Jeng, Head of Startups - APAC, OpenAI.

He added that while Codex initially emerged as a coding-focused product, people are increasingly using it to move from intent to execution across multiple aspects of work.

The company noted that growing adoption is being supported by India’s expanding builder ecosystem and rising enterprise demand.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) There is a need for a multi-pronged approach to bridge the technology divide through greater digital inclusion, stronger innovation capabilities, and improved technology readiness of MSMEs to support their integration into regional and global value chains, an official statement said on Friday.

This was conveyed at the second ‘SME Working Group Meeting’ by the Ministry of MSME under the ‘BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR)' here.

The meeting saw active participation from BRICS Member Countries and provided a platform for sharing experiences and best practices, while underscoring the role of MSMEs in economic growth, employment generation, innovation, and inclusive development.

“Discussions highlighted the need for a multi-pronged approach to bridge the technology divide through greater digital inclusion, stronger innovation capabilities, and improved technology readiness of MSMEs to support their integration into regional and global value chains,” according to the statement.

The meet also reiterated the importance of deeper collaboration among BRICS economies in technology access, innovation ecosystems, and skills development for MSMEs.

The deliberations enabled valuable policy exchange among countries facing similar developmental challenges and reinforced the shared commitment to building resilient, inclusive, and globally competitive MSME sectors across BRICS economies, according to the ministry.

The SME Working Group under the BRICS PartNIR is being led by the Ministry of MSME.

Under India’s BRICS Chairship 2026, the Ministry will convene three SME Working Group Meetings and the inaugural BRICS MSME Forum, focusing on three priority areas -- access to finance, technology access, and sustainability-oriented growth for MSMEs.

The meet was highly successful and productive, facilitating meaningful exchanges, strengthening cooperation among BRICS Member Countries, and generating valuable insights to advance technology access and capacity-building for MSMEs across BRICS economies.

The discussions among BRICS Member Countries focused on the theme titled “Harnessing Innovations and Technology Commercialization for MSMEs”.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tesla on Friday announced the launch of the Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive in India, expanding its electric vehicle portfolio in the country with a new premium variant of the segment.

The new model has a starting price of Rs 50.89 lakh, and deliveries will commence in India from July 2026, according to the company.

The newly launched variant introduces a range of hardware and design upgrades aimed at improving performance, comfort and interior experience.

It boasts an all-black interior, a larger 16-inch first-row touchscreen with improved responsiveness and an optional Zen Grey interior theme.

The model offers up to 2,138 litres of storage capacity and can accommodate up to five passengers with power-folding seats for additional cargo space, said Tesla.

The vehicle can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 5.9 seconds and offers a driving range of up to 500 km under WLTP standards.

Both the newly launched Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive and the recently introduced six-seater Model Y L have received top safety ratings from multiple global safety organisations, including NHTSA, IIHS, Euro NCAP, ANCAP and C-IASI.

Last month, Tesla launched the six-seater Model Y L in India with prices starting at Rs 61.99 lakh.

“Tesla’s mission is to build a world of amazing abundance. Tesla enables the use of electric vehicles by increasing accessibility to Tesla technology and providing charging solutions around people’s lifestyles,” said Isabel Fan, Senior Director, Tesla.

In addition, the company has introduced financing options for the new variant, with monthly EMIs starting at Rs 39,990 and a down payment of Rs 6 lakh.

Earlier in May, Elon Musk-backed company opened its first experience centre in Bengaluru’s Whitefield area, a major step in the electric vehicle maker’s expansion plans in India.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Global air passenger demand fell 3.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in April 2026 -- marking a sharp slowdown primarily driven by the impact of the ongoing war in the Middle East, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Friday.

Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), declined 3.4 per cent compared to April 2025, while total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), dropped 2.9 per cent.

Global load factor stood at 83.1 per cent, down 0.4 percentage points from the year-ago period.

IATA said the downturn was largely caused by a steep collapse in travel demand for Middle Eastern carriers.

Excluding the Middle East region, global passenger demand would have recorded a 1.2 per cent increase during the month.

“Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), was down 3.4 per cent compared to April 2025,” IATA said.

“Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometers (ASK), decreased 2.9 per cent year-on-year. The load factor was 83.1 per cent (-0.4 ppt compared to April 2025),” it added.

International passenger traffic fell 5.3 per cent year-on-year in April, with capacity declining 5.1 per cent.

However, excluding Middle Eastern airlines, international demand grew 1.9 per cent.

“The 46.6 per cent fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down 3.4 per cent. The situation for air transport remains highly volatile. The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Walsh added that forward schedule data indicates airlines are reducing planned services in the coming months as they respond to weaker demand and rising fuel costs.

Middle Eastern airlines recorded the steepest decline among all regions, with passenger demand plunging 48.1 per cent year-on-year in April.

Capacity fell 38.4 per cent, while load factor dropped sharply to 70.1 per cent, down 13.1 percentage points from a year earlier.

IATA said traffic in the region continued to be affected by the Iran war, although the pace of decline moderated slightly after an uneasy ceasefire came into effect.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Stressing the strategic importance of semiconductor manufacturing and related technologies, Padma Shri awardee Prof. Juzer Vasi said on Friday that semiconductors play a critical role not only in chip production but also across consumer electronics, defence systems, space technology and several other sectors vital to India’s growth and self-reliance.

Speaking to IANS after being honoured with the Padma Shri in the field of Science and Engineering, Prof. Vasi said he was deeply honoured and surprised to receive the award.

He noted that his work over the years has largely focused on semiconductors and solar energy, both of which he described as essential for India’s long-term development.

“Semiconductors drive a wide range of activities, not only in the core area of chips but also in broader consumer electronics and other electronic sectors,” he said.

"So, the production of semiconductor chips and related technologies is very important," he added.

Highlighting the strategic significance of semiconductors, Prof. Vasi said defence electronics and space applications heavily depend on specialised semiconductor devices, many of which are not readily available in the open market.

Recalling his early years of research, he said his team had worked on radiation effects on semiconductor devices for space applications, underlining the need for indigenous research and development capabilities.

“Those chips were not available in the open market, so it was necessary for India to pursue its own research,” he said.

Prof. Vasi further emphasised that semiconductor production is vital even in wartime situations because critical defence electronics rely on such technologies. He said India must continue investing in research, innovation and manufacturing capabilities in the semiconductor sector to strengthen technological independence and support future economic growth.

"So, semiconductors are important, of course, even in wartime situations, in the sense that almost all defence electronics require semiconductors. Some of these components are not easily available in the open market. I will mention one example: in my early research years, we worked on radiation effects on semiconductor devices, which is very important for space applications. Again, those chips were not available in the open market, so it was necessary for India to pursue its own research. This is true in many aspects of semiconductors," he told IANS.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s securitisation market remained resilient in FY26 despite a modest slowdown in retail transactions, a report said on Friday, pointing to strong credit performance and regulatory tailwinds.

The report from CareEdge Ratings said retail securitisation volumes moderated by approximately 6 per cent in FY26 to Rs 2.53 lakh crore, but maintained a constructive outlook on the sector as the underlying macroeconomic environment remains supportive.

The report noted key structural drivers as ongoing regulatory support through Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines, improved scalability for originators, the ability to selectively securitise high-quality assets, and the historically resilient performance of securitised pools.

The Residential Mortgage-Backed Security (RMBS) segment, in particular, continues to present significant untapped potential.

The broader market grew 1 per cent when wholesale loan pass‑through certificates (PTCs) were included.

It noted that the market continues to be dominated by Timely Interest and Ultimate Principal (TIUP) structures, accounting for nearly 82 per cent of total volumes. Vehicle loan pools retained their leadership in Pass-Through Certificate (PTC) issuances, whereas mortgage-backed pools led direct assignment activity.

Further, PTC volumes backed by MFI loans witnessed an increase, reflecting evolving investor preferences amid sectoral uncertainties.

“The performance of retail PTCs has remained broadly stable over the long term, with low levels of credit loss observed since 2010," said Mehul Pandya, MD and Group CEO, CareEdge.

Meanwhile, the broader market witnessed downgrades, largely concentrated in microfinance and unsecured business loan pools, Pandya noted.

While near-term headwinds remain, the sector is expected to evolve positively, supported by structural strengths and scope for broader market participation, the ratings agency said.

The report added that the growth of the overall market will depend on deeper participation from large originators, stronger institutional investor engagement, and the development of a more active secondary market.

Declining PSL premiums, stress in unsecured lending, and broader external uncertainties have moderated appetite in some segments, but improved disclosure, standardised reporting, and wider market participation could support the next phase of expansion.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian economy is expected to remain resilient in 2026-27, despite the challenging external environment characterised by elevated energy and commodity prices, rising logistics costs, volatility in global financial markets and uncertainties surrounding global trade policies, according to the RBI annual report released on Friday.

Growth prospects are supported by India’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals, including robust domestic demand, relatively lower dependence on exports as a growth driver, and a stable policy environment, according to the report.

The healthy balance sheets of the corporate and banking sectors, along with the government’s continued thrust on capital expenditure, bode well for India’s strong growth trajectory.

Moreover, the implementation of various trade agreements with the key trading partners would provide further momentum to India’s growth. However, a prolonged West Asia conflict may pose a downside risk, it said.

It further stated that the outlook for the agriculture sector in 2026-27 remains contingent upon the progress and distribution of the south-west monsoon. The likelihood of El Niño conditions poses downside risks to agricultural output.

However, the rain-inducing positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are likely to emerge towards the latter part of the monsoon season, which may partly offset adverse impacts.

While the monsoon remains critical for Indian agriculture, the sensitivity of agricultural production to rainfall variability has moderated over time with rising irrigation intensity, improved crop management practices, and technological advancements.

The government’s continued efforts in ensuring adequate availability of fertiliser and other key inputs through diversified sources and buffer management are expected to mitigate these potential concerns.

Initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2026-27, focusing on diversification, targeted promotion of high-value crop cultivation across regions, and enhancing commercial viability of fisheries and aquaculture, would support strong and sustainable growth in the agriculture and allied sectors, the report said.

The report has highlighted that to reinforce India’s manufacturing ambitions, the Union Budget 2026-27 has earmarked seven strategic and frontier sectors -- electronics, semiconductors, biopharma, rare earths, chemicals, textiles, and capital goods -- for a focused policy push.

Complementing this, measures such as PLI and PM E-DRIVE to strengthen energy security are expected to catalyse green tech manufacturing and reduce critical import dependence, while investments in freight corridors, waterways, coastal shipping and last-mile connectivity would deepen regional integration and support industrial expansion.

Labour market conditions are expected to improve further, supported by the full-scale implementation of the four labour codes, strengthening domestic demand and productivity.

Considering these factors, and assuming that the adverse impact of the West Asia conflict remains contained in the near term, real GDP growth for 2026-27 is projected at 6.9 per cent, with risks tilted to the downside, the report stated.

On the receipts side, direct taxes are budgeted at 6.9 per cent of GDP in 2026-27, the highest in more than a decade.

GFD is projected at 4.3 per cent of GDP in 2026-27, reflecting the Centre’s continued fiscal consolidation efforts in recent years.

The government has set up an Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) to provide fiscal space against global headwinds.

Fiscal outlook for states remains positive for 2026-27, with their consolidated GFD budgeted at 3.0 per cent of gross state domestic product (GSDP).

In terms of inflation, 2026-27 is likely to remain aligned with the target on the back of adequate foodgrain stocks, sufficient reservoir levels and stable agricultural prospects despite possible El Niño conditions and above-normal summer temperature.

However, the evolving upside risks to inflation may emanate from multiple other factors, such as a spike in global fuel and commodity prices amid geopolitical tensions, potential spillovers to input and wage costs, and volatility in the exchange rates.

Considering all these factors, CPI inflation for 2026-27 is projected at 4.6 per cent with risks tilted to the upside, the report stated.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Odisha government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Intel and 3D Glass Solutions (3DGS) to bring substrate manufacturing technology to India, according to Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday.

Vaishnaw congratulated the state government, Intel and 3DGS on signing the pact aimed at introducing substrate manufacturing capabilities in India through a post on social media platform X.

"Congratulations to the Govt. of Odisha, Intel and 3DGS on signing an MoU to bring substrate manufacturing technology to India. This will further advance semiconductor ecosystem in India," the minister said in a post.

The latest development builds on Odisha’s broader semiconductor push announced earlier this year.

In April, the foundation stone was laid for the country’s first advanced 3D chip packaging unit at Info Valley in Bhubaneswar under the Heterogeneous Integration Packaging Solutions project promoted by 3D Glass Solutions (3DGS).

The project -- involving an investment of nearly Rs 2,000 crore -- is expected to manufacture around 70,000 glass panels annually, along with 50 million assembled units and nearly 13,000 advanced 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) modules, according to the government.

At the time, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India’s semiconductor sector is witnessing rapid growth, with Odisha emerging as an important contributor to the country’s semiconductor ambitions.

In addition, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had said the state emerged as the only state in the country where both India’s first compound semiconductor fabrication unit and first 3D glass substrate packaging facility were being established.

The development comes as the Centre continues to strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem through policy support and incentives under the Semicon India Programme.

Earlier this week, the government said that 12 fab or packaging projects and 24 semiconductor design projects have already been approved under the programme.

Moreover, the government has launched an online Investor Support portal aimed at boosting investor confidence and addressing industry concerns.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's data centre (DC) stock is expected to cross 3 gigawatts (GW) by the end of calendar year 2028, driven by a robust demand from hyperscalers, accelerating artificial intelligence workloads, and the country's structural advantage as Asia Pacific's most DC development-friendly market, a report said on Friday.

The report from CBRE said the total DC capacity in the country reached roughly 1,700 MW at the end of 2025 and that a supply addition of roughly 500 MW is expected in 2026.

DC stock measures the total computing power infrastructure available across a country's all data centres.

The report placed India among APAC’s leading markets, a significant elevation from its tag of high growth, due to expanding live capacity, deep investment pipeline, and an improving infrastructure ecosystem.

India now stands alongside Japan, Australia, South Korea, Mainland China, and Malaysia in the top-tier category, it said.

"The combination of a low-bottleneck development environment, a rapidly expanding digital economy, and aggressive hyperscaler commitments positions India as one of the most compelling DC markets globally," said Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO – India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE.

As AI workloads multiply and the demand base broadens beyond cloud to Neocloud, GCCs and enterprise users, the country's capacity trajectory is likely to remain steep well beyond 2028, he added.

The report said that developmental road blocks such as power constraints, construction costs, shortage of skilled labour, and community & environmental risks are ‘low’ in India, making it the only major APAC market to achieve such a distinction.

“This structural advantage is translating into tangible results on the ground. Mumbai continues to anchor national capacity at 800+ MW, with a further 750 MW under construction or committed,” the report noted.

Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi NCR are emerging as the next wave of hyperscale destinations, while Bangalore remains the hub for enterprise colocation demand.

—IANS

aar/ag

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) In India’s rapidly evolving smartphone market, consumers are no longer impressed by a wide array of specs. What truly matters today is meaningful performance, particularly battery life which has become one of the most decisive factors for young, online-first users.

From gaming and streaming to work and content creation, smartphones are expected to last effortlessly throughout the day. Endurance has become directly linked to convenience, reliability and overall smartphone satisfaction.

Yet for years, consumers in the mid-range smartphone segment were forced to compromise and choose between performance, design or endurance.

The realme P series was built to eliminate that compromise. From its inception, the P series was designed to bring together performance, style and the best battery life within this segment in a way that it had not consistently witnessed before.

Building on realme’s legacy, the P series marked a more focused evolution not just to compete but to reset expectations in the online smartphone segment.

With each generation, the P Series steadily evolved into one of realme’s strongest online-focused lineups.

The realme P1 Series established the foundation by combining stylish design with dependable everyday performance, proving that users did not need to compromise on experience within the segment.

The realme P2 Series further refined the formula through improvements in display quality, usability and overall balance, while the realme P3 Series strengthened the lineup’s identity among young consumers by delivering a more mature and polished smartphone experience.

With every generation, the series consistently adapted to changing consumer expectations while remaining focused on practical innovation rather than short-term trends. This steady evolution helped the P Series bolster its position among users seeking premium experiences and stronger battery performance within the mid-range category.

As smartphone dependency increased, battery anxiety gradually emerged as one of the most common concerns among users. Consumers increasingly found themselves planning routines around charging points, carrying power banks during travel, or constantly monitoring battery percentages throughout the day.

realme recognised that modern users were no longer looking only for faster processors or bigger displays. They also wanted smartphones that could quietly keep up with demanding lifestyles without requiring constant attention to charging. This growing understanding pushed battery endurance to become one of the defining strengths of the P Series.

The shift became especially visible with the introduction of the realme P4 Power, which brought India’s first 10,001mAh battery smartphone to the market. More than just being the biggest battery smartphone, the device represented a broader rethinking of endurance within the segment.

At a time when users increasingly depend on smartphones for extended gaming, entertainment, travel, work, and communication, the P4 Power addressed one of the industry’s biggest everyday pain points while further strengthening realme’s battery leadership in the mid-range segment.

With the realme P4 Power, realme offered the best battery performance and is set to continue the legacy.

The upcoming realme P4R will launch with the best battery within this segment and will further strengthen the P Series’ focus on dependable endurance alongside smooth, everyday performance.

Earlier generations established the foundation of balanced performance and the P4 Power expanded expectations around battery innovation through India’s first 10,001mAh battery smartphone.

The realme P4R smartphone will be positioned to build on that momentum for users who expect their phones to do more, last longer and offer the best performance when it comes to battery.

As expectations continue to evolve, the realme P series is no longer just responding to user needs, it is actively shaping them.

What started out as an effort to avoid compromise has evolved into a clear leadership position in battery performance, setting new benchmarks for what users should expect from this mid-range smartphone segment.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi/New York, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) After a successful Canada visit to bolster trade ties, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met top business and industry leaders in the US, discussing avenues for deeper collaboration to further boost the investment landscape in India.

The minister met Miebach Michael, CEO of Mastercard, and discussed deepening collaboration in digital commerce, digital security, and next-generation payment solutions.

"Conversations centred around India’s growing digital economy, robust digital public infrastructure, and its emergence as a trusted global hub for fintech innovation,” said Goyal in a post on X.

He also met Chintu Patel, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, and exchanged views on investment opportunities in India’s pharmaceutical sector and avenues for deeper collaboration to further the innovation landscape in India.

In his meeting with Chip Kaye, Chairman of Warburg Pincus, Goyal exchanged views on the evolving global investment landscape and India's emergence as a key driver of growth and innovation.

“Highlighted that with scale, talent, rising domestic demand, and a steady policy push, India continues to create new opportunities across sectors for global investors,” he noted.

Goyal also met Ted Pick, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley, and the discussions focused on strengthening long-term investments and institutional partnerships in India, while exploring how Morgan Stanley can leverage the immense opportunities emerging across sectors in the country.

The minister engaged with over 50 global business and industry leaders at a roundtable held in New York. The meeting was hosted by the Consulate General of India in New York in collaboration with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

He highlighted India’s strong growth story, reform-driven business environment and expanding opportunities for global investors under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said discussions focused on further deepening India-US trade, investment, innovation, and supply chain partnerships for shared prosperity.

The engagement comes amid India’s broader efforts to intensify economic diplomacy with major partner countries, following a series of recent high-level international interactions aimed at boosting trade and investment ties.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The US-based artificial intelligence giant Anthropic has raised $65 billion in its Series H funding round, pushing its post-money valuation to $965 billion and surpassing rival OpenAI in valuation.

The funding round was led by Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, Greenoaks and Sequoia Capital. While Capital Group, Coatue, D1 Capital Partners, GIC, ICONIQ and XN also co-led the investment, according to the company.

Adoption of its AI assistant Claude has accelerated significantly across enterprises globally, with its annualised revenue run rate crossing $47 billion earlier this month, it said in an official announcement.

The company further stated that the latest capital infusion will support safety and interpretability research, expansion of computing capacity, and scaling of products and partnerships amid rising demand for AI services.

“Claude is increasingly indispensable to our growing global community of customers, and we work tirelessly to make tools like Claude Code and Cowork more helpful, more powerful and more adaptable to their needs,” said Krishna Rao, Chief Financial Officer at Anthropic.

He added that the funding would help the company address growing demand, remain at the research frontier and expand Claude’s availability across workplaces globally.

Anthropic said enterprises across sectors are increasingly deploying Claude in core business operations, with startups and large corporations using the platform for complex workflows and everyday productivity tasks.

The funding round also includes $15 billion in previously committed investments from hyperscalers, including $5 billion from Amazon.

The company has further strengthened strategic partnerships with infrastructure players, including Micron, Samsung and SK hynix, to support growing demand for memory, storage and computing capabilities.

The US-headquartered company said it has expanded compute capacity in recent weeks through agreements with Amazon for up to five gigawatts of additional capacity, while also signing deals with Google and Broadcom for next-generation TPU capacity.

In addition, the company has secured access to GPU infrastructure through SpaceX’s Colossus 1 and Colossus 2 platforms.

Source: IANS

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Seoul, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Samsung Electronics said on Friday it has begun shipping samples of its latest high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip, the 12-layer HBM4E, marking the world's first shipment of the next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) memory product.

The move comes just three months after Samsung became the first company to begin mass production and shipments of sixth-generation HBM4 chips in February, underscoring its efforts to strengthen its leadership in the rapidly growing AI memory market.

According to the company, the HBM4E delivers industry-leading performance through optimised chip design and manufacturing processes, reports Yonhap news agency.

The chip supports data transfer speeds of up to 16 gigabits per second per pin, more than 20 percent faster than the previous HBM4 lineup.

The chip also offers bandwidth of up to 3.6 terabytes per second per stack, enabling faster processing speeds for large language models and next-generation AI systems.

"Following the successful mass production of HBM4, Samsung has completed the shipment of next-generation HBM4E samples without disruption, further solidifying its technological leadership in the market," Hwang Sang-joon, head of memory development at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

The tech giant said it plans to begin mass production of the HBM4E in line with customer schedules following the sample shipments.

Samsung's customers include major AI companies, such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Nvidia and Google.

Meanwhile, South Korean stocks traded higher on Friday as investors were buoyed by reports that the United States and Iran had reached an agreement to extend their ceasefire.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) had gained 190.76 points, or 2.33 percent, to 8,376.05 as of 11:20 am (local time).

Overnight reports said Washington and Tehran agreed to a 60-day extension of the ceasefire and further talks on Iran's nuclear programmes.

Wall Street was boosted by the reports, with all three major stock indexes posting record closing highs.

In Seoul, market bellwether Samsung Electronics jumped 4.34 percent and its chipmaking rival SK hynix added 1.4 percent.

—IANS

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Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India and Canada have reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties, to deliver tangible outcomes that support economic growth and increased commercial opportunities for businesses in both countries, an official statement said on Friday.

Building on the momentum generated through recent ministerial engagement, Canadian Minister Maninder Sidhu welcomed Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and the largest Indian delegation ever sent anywhere in the world, and underscored opportunities to deepen cooperation across complementary sectors such as clean energy, critical minerals, agri‑food, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and skills development.

Minister Sidhu confirmed that Canada will lead a ‘Team Canada Trade Mission’ to India later this year, reflecting the strong interest of Canadian businesses in expanding their presence in the Indian market and the shared ambition to deepen commercial partnerships.

“Both Ministers reiterated their commitment to advancing an ambitious and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and affirmed their shared objective of concluding negotiations by the end of this year. They underscored CEPA’s importance in expanding market access, supporting resilient supply chains, and enabling two‑way economic growth,” according to a Commerce Ministry statement.

They launched the Canada-India Trade and Investment Forum as a key platform that brings together Canadian and Indian business leaders and fosters new commercial partnerships and increased business engagement.

According to the government, they also emphasised the importance of enhancing connectivity between India and Canada — including people‑to‑people ties, business mobility, and direct commercial linkages — as essential enablers of expanded trade and investment.

Canada and India agreed to continue encouraging long‑term, high‑quality investment in priority sectors and to support deeper collaboration between businesses, innovators, and institutional partners in both countries.

The ministers committed to maintaining regular dialogue and advancing concrete outcomes in the months ahead, said the statement.

—IANS

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Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Meta is preparing a major shift in the way people use its social media platforms by rolling out new paid subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp with exclusive premium features for users across global markets, including India.

The company has introduced “Plus” versions of its apps, offering paying subscribers access to advanced tools, customisation options and enhanced visibility features that will not be available to regular users.

The move marks Meta’s growing focus on diversifying revenue streams beyond advertising by encouraging users to pay monthly for premium social media experiences.

Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus have been priced at $3.99 per month, roughly Rs 387, while WhatsApp Plus will cost $2.99 per month, or around Rs 290. However, the company has not yet announced official pricing for India.

According to a report by TechCrunch, Instagram Plus subscribers will gain access to several exclusive features, including the ability to see how many people rewatched their Stories and create unlimited Story audience lists beyond the existing Close Friends option.

The premium plan will also allow users to secretly preview Stories without appearing in the viewer list, extend Stories beyond the standard 24-hour limit and spotlight one Story every week for additional visibility.

Subscribers will also be able to search through Story viewer lists and post directly to profiles and highlights without showing those posts in followers’ feeds.

Meta is also introducing cosmetic upgrades for premium users. Instagram Plus subscribers will receive animated “Super Heart” reactions, special fonts for bios, custom app icons and additional profile pinning options.

While Facebook Plus is expected to offer similar premium tools, WhatsApp Plus is focused more on messaging personalisation.

Subscribers on the messaging platform will gain access to custom chat themes, exclusive ringtones, premium stickers, additional pinned chats and advanced list customisation features.

In an announcement shared on Instagram, Naomi Gleit, Meta’s head of product, hinted that the company plans to introduce “more fun features” for subscribers in the future.

Meta clarified that these subscriptions are separate from Meta Verified, the company’s existing paid verification service that offers identity verification, impersonation protection and customer support.

The company is simultaneously expanding its paid offerings into artificial intelligence services through a new “Meta One” subscription ecosystem that combines AI, creator and business-focused tools.

Source: IANS

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Mumbai, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited on Thursday reported a 50 per cent decline in fourth-quarter earnings (Q4 FY26) as higher maintenance and efficiency enhancement costs related to its ammonia plant weighed on margins.

The company posted a 50 per cent year-on-year fall in consolidated net profit at Rs 139.4 crore for the quarter ended March 2026, compared with Rs 277 crore reported in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year (Q4 FY25), according to its stock exchange filing.

Revenue from operations rose 12.9 per cent to Rs 3,011.4 crore during the quarter, supported by robust volume growth in the Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) and Crop Nutrition Business (CNB) segments.

At the operating level, EBITDA declined 26.3 per cent year-on-year to Rs 354 crore in Q4 FY26, as per its filing.

EBITDA margin contracted sharply to 12 per cent from 18 per cent recorded in the same quarter last financial year.

The company said quarterly profitability was impacted due to planned ammonia plant turnaround maintenance and efficiency enhancement costs amounting to nearly Rs 95 crore.

Adjusted for this one-time impact, the EBITDA decline stood at around 10 per cent year-on-year, while improving 22 per cent sequentially.

For the full financial year FY26, Deepak Fertilisers reported an 18 per cent decline in profit after tax to Rs 439 crore after adjusting for a one-time tax credit of around Rs 40 crore recorded in FY25.

The company said lower finance costs partially helped offset pressure on margins during the year.

The company also highlighted continued improvement in its product mix towards higher-value offerings.

Speciality products contributed 33 per cent of Crop Nutrition Business revenue during FY26, while the B2C segment contribution in the mining chemicals business increased to 16 per cent, supporting better earnings quality.

The Board of Directors recommended a dividend of Rs 10 per equity share for FY26. The company said the register of members will remain closed from August 26 to September 1 for the purpose of dividend payment and the annual general meeting, while the record date has been fixed as August 25.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Centre is moving ahead with plans to set up four critical mineral processing plants in Odisha, Gujarat, Telangana, and Maharashtra as part of the country’s strategy to enhance domestic capabilities in producing these key materials required for making semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar panels, hi-tech electronic goods and defence equipment.

Speaking on the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy noted that the Centre has prepared separate mining blocks for critical minerals and undertaken large-scale auctions for the first time since independence.

The minister said a significant number of critical mineral blocks have already been auctioned, marking a major step in building India's domestic supply chain.

He indicated that the projects are expected to accelerate India's processing and refining capabilities in critical minerals, an area where the country has historically remained heavily dependent on imports from China.

Reddy said the government has also signed multiple memoranda of understanding with various countries to strengthen international cooperation and secure supply chains for critical minerals.

As part of the next phase of the mission, the Centre has already initiated the process to establish four processing plants across Odisha, Gujarat, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The respective state governments have already allotted land for the proposed facilities, while state administrations are also preparing dedicated action plans to support the initiative.

He added that the government expects visible progress and positive outcomes in the critical minerals sector within the next year as auctions, processing infrastructure, and international partnerships begin translating into operational capacity.

India, which holds the world’s fifth-largest rare earth reserves and the required technology to produce these minerals, can play a crucial role in breaking China’s near-monopoly on these critical minerals.

The global race for rare earth elements (REEs) has shifted from the margins of industrial policy to the centre of geopolitics. China currently accounts for roughly 90 per cent of rare earth separation and processing, and 93 per cent of magnet manufacturing. This near monopoly has enabled China to use rare earth exports as a strategic leverage.

India also remains heavily dependent on China for 80-90 per cent of its magnets and related materials. This vulnerability became clear when China tightened exports during a trade dispute, resuming supply only after India provided end-user guarantees that the materials would not be re-exported to the United States.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, May 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Central government is collaborating with industry to comprehensively overhaul the AI curriculum including in B.Tech Computer Science and allied curricula in Indian educational institutions, an official statement said on Thursday.

The overhaul aims to boost practical exposure, faculty readiness and create a flexible pathway for students, the statement from the Ministry of Electronics & IT said.

Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, held a high-level meeting with the AI Curriculum Taskforce, here in this regard.

The Taskforce conducted a baseline study of the existing Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) Computer Science, in partnership with industry experts and the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).

The study acknowledged that AI coverage in the Indian curriculum has expanded but identified significant gaps in pedagogy, infrastructure, and practical exposure in fields such as Generative AI, Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) and foundational model development.

The exercise recommended shifting from lecture-based teaching to a learning anchored in real industry use cases from the first semester. It suggested embedding AI courses within the formal academic credit system with a structured semester-wise rollout and increasing practical exposure to between 40 per cent and 75 per cent depending on degree and specialisation.

"Responsible AI and AI Governance integrated across all semesters instead of standalone modules and a flexible pathway to students providing a Certificate after Year 1, a Diploma after Year 2, and an Advanced Diploma after Year 3" were among other recommendations.

Faculty development was identified as a central focus, with proposals for structured train‑the‑trainer programmes, curated course content, standardised assessments, modernised labs and engagement of seasoned industry professionals as adjunct faculty.

The participants further proposed the creation of a national-level shared AI infrastructure. The triple helix model would be jointly supported by industry, the Government and academic institutions.

This would ensure equitable access to Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) compute, edge devices, software stacks and subscription-based platforms across colleges and universities, the statement noted.

—IANS

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Source: IANS

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