Author: News Desk

Cash payments at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)-operated toll plazas are likely to be discontinued from April 1, 2026, with electronic payment modes such as FASTag and UPI becoming the standard options for motorists. This move is expected to streamline toll collection, reduce vehicle queues and support India’s ongoing transition toward digital payments and paperless transactions. Under the new arrangement, commuters using national highways will need an active FASTag linked to a prepaid account or the capability to pay via UPI at toll plazas that support interoperable payment systems. Officials noted that the increasing adoption of FASTag, which automates toll deduction as vehicles pass through…

Kerala State Beverages Corporation Ltd (BEVCO) has inaugurated its largest premium liquor outlet at Vyttila Metro Station in Kochi, marking a significant expansion of its retail footprint in the city. The outlet, strategically positioned at one of Kochi’s busiest transit hubs, offers a broad selection of premium wines, spirits and imported alcoholic beverages under one roof. The new premium store is tailored to cater to discerning customers and frequent commuters, combining convenience with a curated range of high-end products. BEVCO officials highlighted that the spacious outlet features well-organized displays and a diversified inventory designed to appeal to evolving consumer tastes and preferences in the upscale…

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated a range of new passenger amenities at Coimbatore International Airport, aimed at improving accessibility, affordability and passenger experience. He was joined by MoS for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, MoS for Information & Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan, Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, and senior aviation officials. A key highlight was the launch of the Udan Yatri Cafe, offering budget-friendly refreshments such as tea at ₹10 and snacks at ₹20, addressing passenger concerns over high airport food prices. Under the AVSAR scheme, a new outlet managed by local women’s self-help groups was also opened, showcasing GI-tagged Kovai Kora Cotton garments and promoting regional…

Swiggy has decided to shut down its 10-minute food delivery app Snacc after nearly a year of operation, citing profit pressures, according to an internal company email reviewed by The Economic Times. The email stated, “With a focus on our business objectives to create scalable platforms that generate long-term value, we have made this decision after careful consideration.” Swiggy said that while the app showed promise in product-market fit, challenging unit economics made scaling the service difficult. “We want to concentrate all our energies on innovation that drives stronger long-term potential,” the message added. Launched in January 2025, Snacc entered…

Brazilian aerospace company Embraer and the Mahindra Group announced plans on 19 February to set up Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in India for the C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. This facility is part of the broader strategic partnership between the two firms, following the anticipated selection of the C-390 for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme. The MRO services will cover base and heavy maintenance, structural inspections, component repair and overhaul, avionics support, and training. Carlos Naufel said the collaboration aims to deepen ties with Indian aerospace companies, increase localisation of the C-390, and support ongoing…

Mukesh Ambani announced on Thursday that Reliance Industries and its digital arm Jio will invest ₹10 lakh crore over the next seven years to drive India’s artificial intelligence transformation. The investment will cover sovereign compute infrastructure, green energy, and AI applications. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Ambani said, “Jio will now connect India to the intelligence era… India cannot afford to rent intelligence. We will reduce the cost of intelligence as dramatically as we did the cost of data.” He stressed that the investment is long-term and nation-building, not speculative or aimed at valuations:…

Tata Group and OpenAI have entered a strategic partnership, marking a major step in India’s AI infrastructure ambitions. In the first phase, TCS will build AI infrastructure with a 100MW capacity, scalable up to 1GW, designed to support next-generation AI training and inference workloads while advancing India’s goal of becoming a global AI hub. As part of OpenAI’s global Stargate initiative, the partnership will develop local AI-ready data centres with a focus on data residency, security, and long-term domestic capability. “The infrastructure is purpose-built for AI compute, optimised for training and inference workloads,” said N Chandrasekaran at the India AI…

Emmanuel Macron on Thursday expressed support for the expansion of India’s Rafale fighter fleet, saying the aircraft strengthens India’s military capabilities and deepens strategic ties between France and India. Speaking on the sidelines of the AI-India Summit during the final day of his three-day visit, Macron told The Times of India, “Rafale improves the strategic relations between us, and it creates more jobs here.” Addressing criticism from some Western quarters about the jet’s performance during Operation Sindoor last year, he added, “I don’t see how people can criticise the aircraft because it makes your country stronger.” Macron described a new…

During a brief but awkward onstage moment at the India AI Impact Summit, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, CEO of rival AI company Anthropic, hesitated to link hands for a group photo. The incident, which quickly circulated online, sparked speculation about tension between the two tech leaders. Altman clarified the situation to PTI on Thursday, explaining, “I was confused and didn’t know what I was supposed to do,” downplaying any suggestion of rivalry behind the moment. The onstage moment:After the summit’s keynote session, several global tech leaders—including Sundar Pichai, Pratyush Kumar, Altman, Amodei, and Alexandr Wang—posed for a…

Jeet Adani, executive director of the Adani Group, stressed that India needs to architect its own artificial intelligence infrastructure rather than depend on imports, warning that AI will reshape national sovereignty. Three Pillars of Sovereignty: Energy, Compute, and ServicesSpeaking at the India AI Impact Summit, he outlined energy, compute and cloud, and services as the core pillars for India’s AI strategy. Energy security, he explained, underpins intelligence security, with renewable energy clusters integrated alongside AI data centres and industrial corridors to ensure resilience and competitive advantage. Compute and Cloud AutonomyAdani highlighted that cloud sovereignty is not about isolation but autonomy.…