Author: News Desk

Regional airline FLY91 began operations on the Kochi–Agatti sector on Monday, establishing a daily air link between Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. The airline’s ATR 72-600 aircraft received a water cannon salute at Cochin International Airport to mark the inaugural flight. Early Demand and Community Response Online bookings for the new route opened last month, and the airline reported strong early demand. Residents of Lakshadweep welcomed the service, which aims to improve connectivity to the islands through a major southern gateway. Expansion of Existing Services FLY91 has been operating daily flights to Goa for the past two years. The new…

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia has inaugurated its new research and development (R&D) facility for fixed networks in Siruseri, Chennai. The facility, the largest of its kind globally, reflects Nokia’s deepening presence in Tamil Nadu and its commitment to advancing broadband and optical network technologies. Expansion Following Government MoU The expansion follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nokia and the Tamil Nadu government during Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s visit to the United States in August 2024. Tamil Nadu Industries Minister T.R.B. Rajaa shared details of the project on social media, highlighting the creation of over 200 high-end jobs…

Tesla Vice President Raj Jegannathan, who spent 13 years with the company, announced on Monday that he is leaving. In a brief LinkedIn post, he described his time at the electric carmaker as “a journey of continuous evolution.” Before his departure, Jegannathan was responsible for information technology, AI infrastructure, business applications, and information security. Last year, he also took on oversight of Tesla’s sales operations after the former head of North America sales, Troy Jones, was removed. Jegannathan joined Tesla in 2012 as a technical expert in cloud security and IT. Over time, he advanced to Vice President of IT,…

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday inaugurated the first phase of the Aero Park at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), marking a step towards expanding the airport into a full-fledged aviation industry hub. Spread across 36 acres, the Aero Park has been designed as an integrated aviation ecosystem, bringing together aircraft hangars, parking bays, training centres, technical service units, and business infrastructure within a single campus. The facility will operate with features similar to a special economic zone and will have direct access to both the airport’s operational area and the city side. The Chief Minister said the State’s objective…

At 70, Biana Watre Momin left her quiet life in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, where she cared for her grandchildren and dogs, to travel over 3,000 km south to Kerala to act in a film. Speaking no Malayalam and with no prior acting experience, she embraced a role that would only reveal its depth once filming began. Discovering Eko The film, Eko, marked a turning point in her life. Momin, a retired English literature teacher from Tura Government College, had never aspired to act. Growing up in a town without cinemas or theaters, her exposure to performing arts was minimal,…

The Centre is preparing a ₹9,280 crore scheme to partially fund the development of water metro systems across India, in partnership with state governments and private players. The initiative aims to utilise India’s rivers, canals, lakes, backwaters, estuaries, creeks, and coastal waters to ease road congestion and promote sustainable urban transport. This proposal forms part of the draft National Water Metro Policy 2026 prepared by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Connecting Cities and Islands Water metro projects will link city centres with nearby areas and islands, catering to daily passenger travel, tourism, and integration with other transport modes.…

The government’s capital expenditure for 2026–27 is set at Rs 12.2 lakh crore, with major allocations for shipbuilding, national highways, railways, and metro rail projects, Expenditure Secretary V Vualnam said. In a post-Budget interview with PTI, he noted that sectors with large ongoing and new infrastructure projects—particularly highways, railways, and urban transport including metro networks—will continue to dominate public capex spending in the next fiscal year. Overall Budget and Capital Outlay The total government expenditure for 2026–27 is pegged at over Rs 53.47 lakh crore, with Rs 12.22 lakh crore earmarked as capital expenditure aimed at creating physical infrastructure and…

The Union government has decided to move away from the routine practice of converting state highways (SHs) into national highways (NHs), adopting instead an “economy-focused” model that prioritizes industrial connectivity and freight efficiency. The policy change was highlighted during a recent high-level review of the highways sector chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. New Framework for State Highways Officials said the transport ministry has been tasked with preparing a framework by the end of July to reduce the need for reclassifying state highways as national highways. Over the last eleven years, about 55,000 km of SHs were upgraded to NHs,…

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran is taking a more hands-on role at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to guide India’s largest IT company through a critical phase, ensuring the group’s biggest cash generator remains secure as artificial intelligence threatens traditional business models, according to sources familiar with the matter. The renewed focus includes positioning TCS as the default AI partner for Tata Group companies and exploring acquisitions of AI-focused startups to accelerate its shift toward AI. “The legacy business model of TCS cannot remain as it was,” said an executive close to the matter. “Chandrasekaran has instructed his team to do…

Exporters in Tiruppur expect garment shipments to the United States to double to Rs 30,000 crore over the next three years, following the recently signed trade deal between India and the US. The textile hub, located around 450 km west of Chennai, is also likely to see a major surge in employment during this period, according to industry leaders. Major Boost for Exports Tiruppur Exporters’ Association president K M Subramanian said garment exports from Tamil Nadu currently stand at around Rs 15,000 crore. With the new agreement in place, that figure is expected to rise sharply. “The exports are projected…