Author: News Desk

Former Indian Army chief General Ved Prakash Malik has raised national security concerns over India’s potential dependence on foreign-owned telecommunications systems, as Elon Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink seeks to begin commercial operations in the country. In a post on X on October 11, Malik referred to US sanctions imposed during the Kargil War and recent American trade restrictions to explain his concerns about relying on foreign-controlled communications infrastructure. “With concern for national security, and my experience of defence sanctions imposed by USA during the Kargil war period and tariff and other restrictions imposed by US recently, I would not…

Elon Musk has intensified his public dispute with Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani over Starlink’s proposed entry into India. Musk accused Ambani’s online supporters of making contradictory arguments about Starlink’s ability to compete with Reliance Jio, calling their claims “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole.” Musk argued that Starlink’s entry would expand consumer choice, even if it reduced Reliance’s profits. He also said SpaceX would need to keep Starlink’s pricing affordable, as customers would not subscribe if the service were too expensive. However, he has not announced specific prices for India. The dispute comes as Starlink continues to await the remaining approvals…

Indian Railways operates Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains to serve passengers with different travel needs and budgets. While Vande Bharat focuses on modern, air-conditioned travel, Amrit Bharat provides a more affordable option for long-distance journeys with General and Sleeper Class accommodation. Coaches and Accommodation Vande Bharat Chair Car trains offer air-conditioned Chair Car and Executive Chair Car seating. The Vande Bharat Sleeper variant provides fully air-conditioned sleeper accommodation for long-distance travel. Amrit Bharat is a fully non-AC train. Its standard configuration includes 11 General Class coaches, eight Sleeper Class coaches, one Pantry Car and two luggage-cum-divyangjan coaches. Speed and…

India’s crude oil imports from Venezuela are expected to reach their highest level in nearly seven years in October, driven largely by increased purchases by Reliance Industries. According to estimates from energy intelligence firm Kpler, Venezuelan crude deliveries to India could rise to around 465,000 barrels per day (bpd), up from approximately 196,000 bpd in September. If all scheduled shipments arrive on time, this would be the highest monthly volume since December 2019. Reliance Industries, which operates the world’s largest refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat, is leading the increase. The company accounted for around 76% of India’s Venezuelan crude…

Shubham Goyal, an IIM Ahmedabad gold medallist, is now a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft in Calgary, Canada, where he leads a 13-member team focused on the enterprise deployment of Microsoft Security solutions. His career has taken him from computer engineering at Delhi Technological University to management consulting and technology leadership. Goyal graduated from DTU with a B.Tech in Computer Engineering and a GPA of 9.564 out of 10. He later joined IIM Ahmedabad’s MBA programme in 2017. At IIM Ahmedabad, he secured Institute Rank 1 in both years and finished with Overall Institute Rank 1 among 393 students. He…

India should aim to field an operational hypersonic cruise missile by 2035, according to former DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy. His call comes after a series of advances in India’s indigenous scramjet technology. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has made significant progress with its actively cooled full-scale scramjet combustor. In May 2026, the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) achieved a runtime of more than 1,200 seconds at its Scramjet Connect Pipe Test facility in Hyderabad. The test followed an earlier run of more than 700 seconds in January. A scramjet is an air-breathing propulsion system designed to…

Atlas Atomics, a nuclear energy startup co-founded and backed by Vivek Ramaswamy, has reportedly raised around $400 million in a Series A funding round at a valuation of approximately $1.9 billion. The development was reported by Bloomberg on October 8, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. General Catalyst is leading the funding round, while Andreessen Horowitz is also participating. Atlas Atomics, General Catalyst and Andreessen Horowitz declined to comment on the reported deal. The startup remains in stealth mode and is led by co-founder Kevin Gan, who has more than 15 years of experience investing in energy companies. Balendra…

Industrialists Yohan and Michelle Poonawalla have invested an undisclosed amount in Optimized Solutions Ltd, marking their entry into India’s defence and security technology ecosystem. The company operates across defence, aerospace, space and critical technologies, including nuclear power. Optimized Solutions develops strategic electronics and deep-tech solutions for strategic and commercial organisations. The company has worked closely with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and contributed to major programmes including Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan by supplying critical electronics and technology. It has also worked on projects involving multiple Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories and contributed to the indigenisation of critical subsystems…

Gautam Adani-led Adani Group has built an infrastructure acquisition strategy around stressed and brownfield assets, with more than 20 deals valued at around ₹1.03 lakh crore, according to an Economic Times analysis. The acquisitions span power, ports, airports, transmission, renewables and other infrastructure businesses. The strategy initially focused on distressed power assets. Adani Power acquired several stressed plants and used its fuel sourcing, power sales and operating capabilities to improve their performance. Raipur’s EBITDA, for instance, rose from ₹210 crore in FY20 to ₹2,350 crore in FY26, while Raigarh moved from negative ₹100 crore to ₹1,110 crore during the same…

Apple Pay has entered India with a card-focused rollout, giving iPhone and Apple Watch users a new way to make contactless payments. At launch, the service supports eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards, while UPI and RuPay are not supported. The key difference is how the two systems work. Apple Pay turns an existing bank card into a secure digital payment credential on the iPhone or Apple Watch. Users can authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode and tap the device at a compatible contactless card terminal. UPI, meanwhile, allows payments directly from bank accounts through…