Author: News Desk

Parveen Hafeez, Managing Director of Sunrise Hospitals, shared her journey and insights on balancing personal life, professional growth, and social responsibility. She emphasized that men and women have distinct but equally valuable roles and urged the younger generation to be confident, intelligent, and proud of themselves. Growing up in a progressive Malabari Muslim family in Kerala with five brothers, she was encouraged to pursue her ambitions without restrictions. Hafeez described her strong affinity for people, particularly women and children, and how she finds purpose in making others happy. She reflected on her education, sports, and early exposure to responsibility, highlighting the…

Shijo K Thomas, CEO of Oxygen The Digital Expert, reflected on his 25-year journey in the digital industry, sharing insights on entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and opportunities for startups in Kerala. He described starting his business accidentally, with no prior experience or family background in business, using his father’s pension to set up operations in a 100 sq. ft. space. Over the years, he witnessed the evolution of technology from personal computers to smartphones, laptops, and now innovations in AI and cybersecurity. Highlighting Kerala’s strong digital literacy, Shijo emphasized that full digital adoption could propel the state to the next level.…

Chennai-based Sweet Karam Coffee was founded by a team of cousins — Nalini Parthiban, her husband Anand Bharadwaj, Srivatsan Sundararaman and Veera Raghavan, who wanted to bring their grandmother Janaki Paati’s authentic South Indian snacks to a larger audience. The journey started in 2015 from their home kitchen with just ₹2,000. Inspired by Sunday evenings and Diwali celebrations where Paati would make traditional murukku, jaangris and mysurpa, the founders began making snacks the way they remembered, without preservatives, palm oil or artificial ingredients. Initially, production was manual and small-scale, with the founders packing snacks themselves and delivering orders by bike. Their early focus was simple: stay authentic, maintain high…

Bharat Taxi is gearing up to launch nationwide on January 1, 2026 as a cooperative ride-hailing platform designed to rival established players like Uber, Ola and Rapido. Unlike traditional cab apps owned by profit-seeking corporations, Bharat Taxi operates on a model where drivers are members and co-owners, similar to how Amul’s dairy cooperative works in India. The service is being run under Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, backed by the Ministry of Cooperation and integrated with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD). Amul’s Managing Director, Jayen Mehta, serves as the chairman, reinforcing the cooperative ethos. In this model, drivers can become members of the cooperative and retain most of their earnings (reports suggest around 80–100 % of fares) since there’s no…

Android users across India now have access to Google’s Emergency Location Service (ELS), a feature designed to significantly reduce emergency response times. ELS enables local emergency responders to pinpoint a caller’s exact location, even in areas where traditional GPS may be less effective. How ELS Works During Emergencies When a user dials an emergency number, such as 112, ELS automatically activates and sends the device’s precise location directly to responders. The service leverages a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and on-device sensors to work effectively indoors and in densely populated urban areas. Unlike standard location-sharing tools, ELS is built…

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the Bluebird Block-2 spacecraft of US-based AST SpaceMobile using its heavy-lift LVM3-M6 rocket, also called the ‘Baahubali’ rocket. The launch, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 8:55 am Wednesday, marks a major milestone for ISRO’s commercial space ambitions. Record-Breaking Payload Weighing 6,100 kg, Bluebird Block-2 is the heaviest payload ISRO has ever placed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using the LVM3. The previous record was held by the LVM3-M5 Communication Satellite-03, which weighed around 4,400 kg and was launched in November 2022. The satellite was successfully inserted into its designated…

The winners of the NASA Space Apps Challenge were honored at the IEDC Summit 2025, organized by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and jointly hosted by L.B.S. College of Engineering, Kasaragod, and the Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod. Kerala Teams Shine on the Global Stage Two Kerala-based teams emerged as global finalists in this year’s challenge. Meteor Rizzlers, consisting of Riyan Raz, Zakiel Chungath, Sanjay Varghese, Shwethin Nikesh Kumar, and Roshith Robert, and Celesta, made up of Janeetta Cardoz, Athira S, Aparna Antony, Melvin George Mathew, Abisha Mariam Biju, and M Sumith Muralidharan, competed among 16,860 teams worldwide to reach the…

As quick commerce continues to expand in India, Swiggy Instamart, the 10-minute grocery delivery platform, is exploring offline retail. The Bengaluru-based company has opened its first experiential store in Gurugram, offering consumers a new way to engage with products they normally order online. A Mini Experiential Format Unlike traditional stores, the new Instamart outlet is designed as a compact experiential space rather than a full-scale shop. Covering around 400 sq ft—roughly one-tenth the size of a typical Instamart dark store—the store features a curated selection of 100-200 SKUs. In comparison, Instamart’s dark stores carry 15,000-20,000 SKUs, emphasizing variety over scale.…

Global silver prices continued their upward climb, with futures rising above $71 per ounce. This year, silver has surged nearly 150%, making it the world’s third most valuable asset, overtaking Apple Inc., CNBC reported. Gold and Nvidia now occupy the top two spots among the most valuable assets globally. Market Value Tops Apple Silver’s market capitalization has reached approximately $4.04 trillion, slightly exceeding Apple’s $4.02 trillion at Tuesday’s Wall Street close. This milestone highlights silver’s rapid ascent as a major asset class in global markets. Investor Optimism Fueled by Fed Speculation Traders are optimistic that the US Federal Reserve may…

After decades of planning, Navi Mumbai International Airport is ready to start commercial operations from Thursday. The new airport is expected to cut travel times, attract investments, and give a boost to tourism in the region. Smooth Takeoff for the First Day The City and Industrial Development Corporation, CIDCO, the agency behind the project, announced that the airport will handle 30 air traffic movements on its opening day, including arrivals and departures. Reducing Pressure on Mumbai Airport The launch is set to ease congestion at Mumbai’s existing airport while creating a stronger multi-airport system for the region, improving overall efficiency…