Telecom industry body COAI and the British High Commission signed an MoU to boost cooperation in AI, connectivity, and digital trust, fostering responsible tech innovation. The pact, signed at the CO.AI 2026 event, focused on AI's role in intelligent networks, security, and public services. Discussions highlighted AI's importance in combating fraud, improving network efficiency, and ensuring secure digital services. TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti and Acting British High Commissioner Ben Mellor emphasised the need for balanced governance and international collaboration to ensure secure, inclusive, and responsible digital transformation.
'...but could demotivate employees seeking US residency.'
Top defence officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye have affirmed their commitment to the Makkah Defence Alliance, a trilateral pact aimed at collective security against threats, particularly from Yemen's Houthi rebels. The alliance, formed last month, considers an attack on one as an attack on all, and its members met in Riyadh to discuss intelligence sharing, military coordination, and capability integration to defend Saudi Arabia's security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Gujarat Police, arrested Parminder alias Kaka, the main shooter in the murder of social media influencer Mad Sandhu, after tracking him via a QR code. Five other individuals, including the shooter's brother, were also apprehended. The murder, which occurred on October 3, was claimed by foreign-based gangster Goldy Dhillon.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Chennai on Saturday for the sixth edition of 'Chhatron Ki Goonj,' a youth outreach programme. He is scheduled to meet Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, marking their first interaction since the formation of the SSJV alliance and TVK joining the INDIA bloc. The visit includes an unscripted interaction with students at Island Grounds, focusing on critical issues, amidst tight security arrangements.
Cathy Li, Head of the Centre for AI Excellence at the World Economic Forum, advocates for integrating AI literacy into India's education curriculum and incentivising AI companies to prioritise child safety. She stresses the need for localised solutions that account for India's linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as varying levels of connectivity and digital literacy, to ensure AI systems are safe and beneficial for children.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the democratisation of technology to ensure no section of society is left behind, advocating for affordable and accessible digital services, especially for the Global South. He highlighted the potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and called for solutions to cyber fraud, global standards for emerging tech, and mechanisms to identify AI-generated content during his interaction with GSMA board members.
Delhi Police have apprehended four juveniles, all aged 17, for a firing and knife attack in Shahdara. The incident, which occurred on October 5, injured 21-year-old Javed and his aunt. The attack was allegedly carried out to avenge the murder of Akbar in Seemapuri last year, a friend of the juveniles' deceased mentor, Wasim.
A Delhi court has convicted former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain for abetment to rioting in a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots in the Dayalpur area. While Hussain was convicted, 12 other co-accused were acquitted of all charges. Sentencing for Hussain is scheduled for November 16.
'There is a long set of decisions that have to be made along the way for anything to actually get actuated in the real world.'
'The Rs 35,000 crore of capex every year, I don't get to sign 35 paise out of this.'
Customs officials in Palakkad seized over 51 kg of ganja, valued at Rs 25.88 lakh, from unattended backpacks at Palakkad Junction railway station. The seizure, made on September 17, followed intelligence about narcotic movement via trains. An investigation is underway to identify those responsible for abandoning the drugs.
An Indian-origin engineer couple, Anuradha and Vikas Sinha, have donated $20 million to the University of North Texas (UNT) to establish the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics. This significant gift aims to create new opportunities for students and faculty, focusing on building and deploying intelligent systems and understanding their operation within human contexts. The donation underscores the couple's belief in education and immigrant contributions to the American dream, supporting leadership, scholarships, professorships, research, and entrepreneurship.
A national study of top 75 Indian B-schools reveals a significant competency gap in AI skills among management graduates, with industry expectations far exceeding current MBA capabilities. A new framework by AIMS, EPSI, and IMC highlights the urgent need for management education to adapt to an AI-led workplace, emphasizing behavioural competencies alongside data fluency.
The NIA informed the Bombay High Court that dismissed police officer Sachin Waze planted an explosives-laden SUV near Mukesh Ambani's residence in 2021 to gain fame as a "super cop" by solving the case himself. The agency further alleged that Waze murdered his friend Mansukh Hiran, who owned the vehicle, fearing he would expose the conspiracy. The High Court extended its interim stay on Waze's bail, which was previously granted by a special court.
Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, have vowed to escalate their agitation against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, expanding protests nationwide after their release from detention. They allege an "emergency-like situation" created by the Modi government, illegal detentions, and harassment of protesters, drawing parallels to the 1975 Emergency. The CJP is protesting alleged irregularities in voter rolls and demanding Kumar's resignation, accusing authorities of suppressing dissent.
The scenes are same; placards, viral videos, riot, police but the grievances could hardly be more different, notes Abhay Jere, ex-Vice Chairman, AICTE.
Industry leaders at an AIMA panel discussion emphasised the need for businesses to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and invest in technologies like artificial intelligence to build resilience and achieve long-term growth. They highlighted the current era of uncertainty driven by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and rapid regulatory changes, stressing that tactical responses are as crucial as long-term strategy.
Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra congratulated Indian athletes for their Asian Games performance but stressed the critical need to enhance the country's high-performance sports ecosystem. He highlighted the urgency required for preparations, with the Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away, advocating for robust systems that support athletes from early stages to build resilience and ensure timely expert intervention.
India's IT Ministry sources state the country will not slow down its Artificial Intelligence development, distinguishing its focus on people-centric applications from global concerns over frontier models. The government acknowledges AI safety risks and is tightening incident reporting norms, with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasising regulation for user safety.
'Get people young, train them, assimilate them, and grow them adequately.'
Artificial intelligence major Anthropic has launched AI inference capabilities in India through Amazon Bedrock, allowing its Claude AI models to process data within the country's jurisdiction. This strategic move addresses the growing demand from Indian entities, particularly in regulated sectors, for compliance with local data processing norms as per the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The initiative strengthens Anthropic's commitment to the Indian market, enabling secure and compliant AI deployment for sensitive workloads and fostering trust among major enterprises like Reliance, CRED, and NPCI.
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Indian government will release a consultation paper on AI regulations within a month. This framework will address critical aspects like AI safety, deepfakes, and a human-first approach, emphasising the industry's primary responsibility in ensuring safe AI deployment. The move comes amidst growing global concerns over AI risks and the need for robust safeguards.
The GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has begun deliberations on significant reforms, including decriminalising nine offences, softening provisions for 24, and raising the threshold for criminal prosecution to Rs 5 crore. The proposed changes also include scrapping the arrest powers of GST officers and introducing an 'invoice matching system' to combat fake input tax credit claims, aiming for a trust-based taxation approach and enhanced ease of doing business.
Google has chosen four Indian startups -- Terrastack, Varaha Climate, Farmers for Forests, and Climitra Carbon -- for its inaugural Google DeepMind Accelerator: AI for the Planet programme.
KPMG in India CEO Yezdi Nagporewalla expressed concern over the high valuations of global AI companies, deeming them unsustainable. He believes India, despite a late start, has a strong chance to develop its own unique Local Language Models due to its robust tech ecosystem and global capability centres.
The Indian government has ordered the removal of Jack Dorsey's Bitchat app from app stores, citing law-and-order concerns due to its ability to bypass communication restrictions. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the takedown demand under Section 69(A) of the IT Act, 2000. The government also addressed the issue of banning minors from social media, indicating a search for a better solution than outright bans.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra congratulated Indian athletes and support teams for their Asian Games campaign, emphasizing the hard work involved. He praised breakthrough achievements while calling for honest analysis of setbacks and stronger long-term high-performance systems, urging urgent preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics.
Customer experience firm Fusion CX is significantly investing in AI-enabled services and data infrastructure, aiming to increase its share in total turnover to 25% within 12-18 months. The company, which reported a turnover of Rs 1,818.13 crore in FY26, is preparing for an IPO of Rs 800-1,000 crore in October, driven by organic growth, acquisitions, and its AI strategy.
Chinese President Xi Jinping began his second state visit to the US, meeting President Donald Trump at the White House. Both leaders expressed a desire for a better future for their nations, with Xi emphasising cooperation over confrontation and the avoidance of the "Thucydides Trap." Discussions also touched upon artificial intelligence governance and the extension of a trade truce. The visit was notably marked by a media boycott of White House coverage due to a dispute over press access.
Former civil servants and rights activists have issued a "people's impeachment" notice demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. They allege six charges against him, including undermining the Election Commission's functioning, mass disenfranchisement through Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and compromising political impartiality. The group, including G K Pillai and Najeeb Jung, was prevented from submitting the notice at the EC office.
Security forces in Mizoram's Champhai district have seized smuggled areca nuts and poppy seeds worth approximately Rs 18 crore. The operation, conducted by a joint team including Assam Rifles and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, led to the recovery of over 1.25 lakh kg of areca nuts and 25,440 kg of poppy seeds. The seized consignments have been handed over for further investigation.
"Pressure on the current account is a temporary problem. Sooner rather than later, our external sector will improve," said RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra.
TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti has called for robust safeguards, human oversight, and intervention capabilities as Artificial Intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into telecom networks. While acknowledging AI's potential to transform network management and threat detection, Lahoti stressed the need for responsible AI deployment, risk assessments, and clear accountability to ensure consumer trust and prevent misuse, especially in combating online fraud.
Bengaluru-based deep-tech company RayVector Technologies is demonstrating its advanced multi-sensor module and wafer-handling technology at SEMICON India. This innovative solution uses sensing, imaging, and AI to detect minute irregularities in semiconductor wafers, helping manufacturers prevent costly production losses. The technology is already being utilised by major global players like Samsung, Intel, and TSMC, highlighting India's growing contribution to the global semiconductor ecosystem.
UST, a California-based technology company, highlights India's unique opportunity to build an AI-native semiconductor ecosystem, bypassing older models. Speaking at SEMICON India 2026, UST COO Gilroy Mathew emphasised India's advantage in investing in infrastructure and talent at the right time, enabling it to create AI-native manufacturing and supply chains for future competitiveness.
Padma Shri awardee educationist Dinesh Singh advocates for teachers to embrace artificial intelligence, viewing it as a tool to elevate their role rather than a threat. Speaking at the 4th STTAR Global Education Conference, Singh urged educators to use AI to become "gurus." Other leaders, including Shishir Jaipuria, emphasised that the future of education lies in human-technology collaboration, with teachers remaining crucial for inspiring students.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff highlights India's crucial role in the company's shift to an AI-first enterprise system. He emphasized India's vast pool of technology professionals and partners as key to this transformation, underscoring the country's importance in Salesforce's global strategy.
Authorities in Australia, Israel, and the UAE are investigating an Omani co-pilot's attempted "terrorist act" on a flydubai flight. The co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked the Indian captain with a crash axe, but passengers and reserve pilots managed to land the plane safely. The probe focuses on his motives, connections, and past radical views.
OpenAI's chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, has issued a stark warning about the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence, stating that "no one is prepared" for its rapid rise and potential consequences. He highlights concerns over autonomous AI agents taking unintended actions and calls for international coordination, voluntary slowdowns, and robust safety measures to ensure human control and alignment with human values as machine intelligence surpasses human capabilities.
