Author: News Desk

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday informed Kerala’s Special Representative in Delhi, Prof K V Thomas, that the delay in releasing funds to the state for national highway land acquisition was because similar payments were being processed for other states as well. Prof Thomas met Sitharaman at Kartavya Bhavan in New Delhi ahead of the Union Budget. During the meeting, he raised concerns earlier highlighted by Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal at the pre Budget consultation held this month. One of the main demands discussed was the reimbursement of nearly Rs 10,000 crore spent by Kerala on acquiring…

India’s highways sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade, with road spending surpassing ₹2.8 lakh crore in FY25 and expected to remain high in FY26. With the scale largely achieved, the focus in the upcoming budget is anticipated to shift from expansion to efficiency, quality, asset longevity, faster project execution, industry health, and diversified financing. Quality and Skill DevelopmentEnsuring high-quality construction requires more than technical standards and contractual penalties. The real challenge lies in skilled manpower, talent development, and mechanisation. The budget is expected to support industry-wide capability building through training programs, fiscal incentives for modern equipment, and structured…

The latest development from Man of Steel is the fourth generation cremation machine called Chitagni which the team has been refining for over seven years. Since its release about a month and a half ago this machine has shown remarkable improvements in efficiency compared with earlier versions. While the first generation machine took around two and a half hours to complete a cremation subsequent models reduced the time progressively. The second generation completed it in ninety minutes the third in forty five minutes and now the fourth generation completes the process in just thirty five minutes. Chitagni is built entirely…

Delhi is set to welcome a new river cruise service on the Yamuna River, expected to launch in February 2026. The cruise, part of the Delhi government’s riverfront tourism and recreation initiative, will operate along a 6–7 km stretch between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, upstream of the Wazirabad Barrage. Developed at an estimated cost of ₹20 crore, the project aims to offer a sustainable and eco-friendly tourism experience while enhancing connectivity along the river. Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra told ANI that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will inaugurate the service. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the…

Israel has officially launched its national AI supercomputer, providing hi-tech companies and academic researchers with access to advanced computing power using discounted Nvidia B200 accelerators. Announced by the Israel Innovation Authority, the initiative aims to bolster the country’s competitiveness in the global AI race. The supercomputer is part of Israel’s National Program for AI R&D Infrastructure, also known as the Telem Program. AI cloud provider Nebius has been selected to build and operate the system, which is already live. The next phase of allocating access to the computing resources is now underway. Over the coming years, the program will distribute…

The Indian Navy’s Weapons and Electrical Engineering Systems Establishment, in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), has developed a homegrown software system enabling the autonomous operation of unmanned surface vessels (USVs). Named Advanced Autonomous Navigation & Control Software (A2NCS), it equips the Navy to conduct fully autonomous missions at sea. According to BEL’s official X account, the software has been successfully integrated into a Fast Interceptor Boat, which has already been deployed for mine countermeasure operations and combat exercises. A2NCS supports three operational modes: The system leverages a network of sensors including radar, AIS, EO/IR, INS, GPS, and electronic navigation…

The first phase of Tata Consultancy Services’ (TCS) Digital Hub, one of India’s largest technology facilities focusing on next-generation fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace, and advanced research, is set to be inaugurated next month at Technopark Phase IV. The exact date will be confirmed soon by the state government, officials said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to preside over the inauguration, which will bring together industry leaders and policymakers. Spanning around 94 acres within the 389-acre Phase IV campus, the hub is nearing completion under the construction leadership of Tata Projects Ltd. The first phase alone will cover…

Sarla Aviation has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a new manufacturing facility in Anantapur district to produce eVTOLs, or electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The Bengaluru-based startup recently tested a flying prototype successfully, moving closer to making India’s first flying taxis a reality. The new plant will span 500 acres with an investment of ₹1,300 crore and is expected to have the capacity to produce 1,000 electric air taxis annually. Once operational, it will be the world’s largest eVTOL manufacturing facility. Andhra Pradesh will become the first state in India to manufacture indigenous electric…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a two-hour meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New Delhi, underscoring the growing strategic weight of India–UAE ties despite the short duration of the visit. The talks took place against the backdrop of rising instability in the Middle East and focused on trade, energy security, defence cooperation and regional developments. A major outcome of the meeting was the signing of a $3 billion long-term liquefied natural gas agreement, under which ADNOC Gas will supply 0.5 million metric tonnes of LNG annually to India for ten years. With this…

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is set to seek the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approval for the construction of six new submarines under India’s Project 75, according to senior defence officials. This move aims to boost the Indian Navy’s underwater combat strength amid evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. Project 75 is part of India’s broader strategy to modernise its submarine fleet with advanced conventional submarines built with enhanced stealth, sensors and weapon systems. The new vessels are expected to feature air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, helping them remain submerged for longer durations without surfacing, vastly improving their tactical effectiveness. The additional submarines would be in addition to the existing P75…