Author: News Desk

‘Bharat-VISTAAR’ was launched in Jaipur as a new AI-powered platform designed to give farmers comprehensive support in one place. The system provides information on weather, market prices, pests and diseases, soil health, crop guidance, and government schemes via phone calls, chatbots, and, in the future, a dedicated mobile app. In its first phase, Bharat-VISTAAR will operate in Hindi and English, reaching lakhs of farmers across states including Maharashtra, Bihar, and Gujarat. Built as a voice-first AI, it allows even farmers using basic feature phones to access services simply by calling the helpline at 155261. The platform also includes voice input-output,…

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is aiming to roll out the first Vande Bharat Sleeper prototype by June 2026. RVNL Chairman and Managing Director Saleem Ahmad said during the Q3FY26 earnings call that the project is progressing smoothly and as planned. The RVNL-led joint venture plans to manufacture 120 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets, each consisting of 16 coaches, bringing the total coach production to 1,920 units. “Vande Bharat is a prestigious project for both us and Indian Railways. Our immediate milestone is to deliver the prototype to the railways, and we are confident of achieving this by June 2026,” Ahmad…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, marking a key moment in the French President’s three-day official visit to India. The meeting focused on strengthening India–France strategic ties, with discussions expected to cover technology, artificial intelligence, defence cooperation and global partnerships. President Macron arrived in Mumbai on Monday night, accompanied by First Lady Brigitte Macron. He landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where he was received by Devendra Fadnavis and Acharya Devvrat. The visit highlights the deepening relationship between India and France, two major democratic nations that have steadily expanded…

India’s maritime sector has a new entrant in ship ownership. Ashapura Shipping Group has acquired a 14-year-old handysize bulk carrier, marking its transition from chartering operations to owning vessels outright. The ship, previously known as Arawana, has been renamed Imperial Varalaxmi. While the financial details of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition represents a strategic milestone for the Kandla-based logistics and cargo handling company. Founded in the early 1990s, Ashapura Shipping Group has built its presence in bulk and breakbulk cargo handling, stevedoring, port operations, and project logistics, primarily along India’s western coastline. The company has traditionally relied on chartered vessels to move cargo.…

FMCG giant Dabur India Ltd has launched the ground-breaking ceremony for its first manufacturing facility in South India, a Rs 400-crore plant in Tindivanam, Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. The new factory will produce Dabur’s range of toothpastes including ‘Dabur Red’ and ‘Meswak,’ as well as personal care products like Dabur Gulabari, Vatika Hair Oil, and Anmol Hair Oil. The facility is expected to generate over 250 direct jobs and create thousands of indirect employment opportunities. The ceremony on February 12 was attended virtually by Chief Minister M K Stalin, along with Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and Arun Roy, Principal Secretary…

Adani Group has announced a landmark USD 100 billion direct investment to develop renewable-energy-powered, hyperscale AI-ready data centres by 2035, positioning India at the forefront of the global Intelligence Revolution. The initiative is being described as one of the world’s largest integrated energy-compute commitments at national scale. The investment is expected to catalyse an additional USD 150 billion across server manufacturing, advanced electrical infrastructure, sovereign cloud platforms and supporting industries over the next decade. Together, the initiative could create a USD 250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem in India. Group Chairman Gautam Adani said nations that master the balance between energy…

Ajith P. Suresh, the winner of the India AI Logo Design Contest, is the creative mind behind the official logo of the ongoing AI Impact Summit India 2026. Earlier, he received the award and a ₹25,000 prize from Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Delhi. The nationwide contest, hosted on the MyGov platform from May 28 to June 12, 2025, drew around 600 entries, with Ajith’s design selected for its creativity, symbolism, and relevance. In an interview with channeliam, Ajith introduced himself as an employee of Digital India Bhashini, noting that working with Indian language AI models had given him familiarity…

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has shortlisted three contenders for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project: Tata Advanced Systems Ltd as a standalone bidder, a consortium of Larsen & Toubro and Bharat Electronics Ltd, and a consortium of Bharat Forge, BEML Ltd, and Data Patterns. These firms have been chosen to design and develop prototype models of India’s proposed fifth-generation stealth fighter. The AMCA is envisioned as a single-seat, twin-engine jet featuring advanced stealth coatings and internal weapons bays. The programme aims to produce more than 125 aircraft, potentially ready for induction into the Indian Air Force…

The ongoing AI Impact Summit in New Delhi is driving a sharp rise in hotel room rates, affecting not just the capital but also nearby cities such as Gurugram, Noida, and Faridabad. With the summit scheduled from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam, luxury and mid-scale hotels across the NCR region are reporting rates significantly higher than those in early March. In Gurugram, the spike is most pronounced at high-end properties. At The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences, a Panoramic Suite for February 18 check-in is priced at Rs 6.15 lakh, more than three times the Rs 1.9…

Kerala saw a record surge in tourist arrivals in 2025, welcoming 25,880,365 visitors, marking the highest-ever footfall in the state’s tourism history, Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas said on Friday. This figure exceeds the 2024 total of 22,985,363, reflecting an increase of nearly 2.9 million visitors in a single year. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the minister said Kerala has entered a phase of consistently setting new tourism records. Domestic tourism accounted for the bulk of growth, with 25,058,366 domestic visitors in 2025 compared to 22,246,989 in 2024—a 12.46 percent rise and 36.3 percent higher than pre-COVID levels.…