Microsoft has inaugurated its India South Central data centre region in Telangana, marking its fourth cloud region in the country and significantly expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure. This strategic investment supports Telangana's ambitious goal of achieving 5 GW of data centre capacity by 2029 and attracting USD 30 billion in digital infrastructure investments, further solidifying Hyderabad's role as a global technology hub.
IIT Ropar's ANNAM.AI, in collaboration with Syngenta and Google, has launched 'HACK CORE 2026', a national AI hackathon. It invites innovators to develop AI-driven solutions for critical agricultural challenges like crop health, pest management, and climate-resilient farming, offering significant prizes and mentorship.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries reported a 27 per cent year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit to 2,894.7 crore for Q1FY27, with revenue growing 10 per cent to 15,299.8 crore, driven by strong performance in India and innovative medicines.
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) CEO Amit Chadha announced that artificial intelligence is a net positive for the company, with six key focus areas expected to contribute 80% of revenue in five years. These areas, including digital manufacturing and AI infrastructure, are projected to deliver higher growth and margins, offsetting pricing pressures in traditional IT services. LTTS also inaugurated an NVIDIA-powered AI manufacturing lab in Bengaluru.
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has publicly welcomed competition from Elon Musk's Starlink in the satellite communications sector, asserting that all players, including Jio, must abide by Indian laws and policies.
AI-managed services firm RapidCanvas, with a significant employee base in India, announced on Friday that it has raised USD 29 million (approximately Rs 275 crore) in Series B funding. The round was led by Vertex Ventures SEA and India, with participation from Hitachi Ventures and existing investors. The company plans to use the funds to expand its go-to-market teams, partner network, and grow its employee base and engineering teams in India, the US, and Brazil, while also investing in product development.
Microsoft has inaugurated its India South Central datacenter region in Telangana, marking its fourth cloud region in the country. This expansion aims to bolster India's cloud and AI infrastructure, with Telangana targeting 5 GW of datacenter capacity by 2029 and attracting significant investment in the digital ecosystem.
Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran has urged the industry to invest in skilling, capability development, and innovation to counter the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly for Global Capability Centres (GCCs). He noted that while the government has supported GCCs through Budget measures like simplifying transfer pricing and promoting expansion into tier-II/III cities, industry must move beyond low-cost execution to thrive in an an AI-driven landscape. Nageswaran emphasised that AI displaces routine tasks, necessitating a focus on higher-value work and continuous skill enhancement to maintain India's competitive edge.
NetApp CEO George Kurian announced that India is the company's fastest-growing market in Asia, driven by strong performance in BFSI, manufacturing, IT services, and public sectors. The company's Bengaluru global capability centre is its largest, housing 4,000 engineers and leading global R&D. NetApp also unveiled new AI-focused storage solutions and cloud partnerships at its Insight event.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed strong confidence in India achieving over 10 per cent economic growth, advocating for increased technology adoption and innovation. She urged overcoming scepticism and highlighted technology's transformative role in agriculture and public sector reforms, while also launching a new fund and book at an IIT Madras event.
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) reported a 66.78 per cent increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 548.2 crore for the July-September quarter of FY27, largely due to a one-time gain from the sale of its Smart World and Communication business. Revenue also grew by 12.1 per cent to Rs 3,040.4 crore. The company secured over USD 200 million in large deal wins, with a significant portion in AI-related projects, and launched an Engineering Intelligence Lab in partnership with NVIDIA.
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) reported a 66.78 per cent increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 548.2 crore for the July-September quarter of FY27, largely due to a one-time gain from the sale of its Smart World and Communication business. Revenue also grew by 12.1 per cent to Rs 3,040.4 crore. The company secured over USD 200 million in large deal wins, with a significant portion in AI-related projects, and launched an Engineering Intelligence Lab in partnership with NVIDIA.
Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran affirmed India's robust economic position amidst global uncertainty, emphasising that energy security, advanced manufacturing jobs, and investment in human capital are 'critical' for sustaining the nation's long-term growth.
Hindustan Copper Limited CMD Anupam Misra spoke at the 85th CSIR Foundation Day, advocating for workplace safety, employee welfare, and scientific excellence. He stressed the importance of continuous learning, innovation, and bridging research with industrial applications to support Viksit Bharat 2047. CSIR-NML Director Dr. Sandip Ghosh Chowdhury also highlighted CSIR's legacy and its role in India's technological self-reliance.
India has strongly criticised the US decision to suspend the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program for eight major IT firms, including Indian giants like TCS and Wipro. New Delhi also condemned US Vice President JD Vance's description of foreign professionals as "indentured servants," calling it "unwarranted and deeply offensive." The move is expected to impact thousands of Indian tech professionals seeking permanent residency in the US and further strains bilateral ties.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu lauded the state's first 10-day artificial intelligence boot camp and hackathon at IIT-Guwahati. The programme aims to build AI skills, promote innovation, and create a future-ready digital workforce, offering hands-on training in AI/ML, Python, and NLP to 40 young participants.
A college student from Hamirpur has received a Rs 3.5-crore grant from the Ministry of Defence for developing an advanced drone capable of evading enemy radar and resisting jamming, aimed at enhancing border surveillance for the Indian Army.
Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, has urged for the expanded adoption of the Account Aggregator (AA) framework to facilitate formal credit access for self-employed individuals and gig workers. He highlighted its potential to enable cash-flow-based lending by leveraging diverse data streams, moving beyond traditional asset-based lending, and fostering a more inclusive digital financial infrastructure in India.
A new study analysing over 33,000 cancer journal articles has uncovered widespread citation manipulation by "research paper mills". These fraudulent organisations artificially inflate citation counts, a key academic performance metric, for thousands of articles. The suspect papers show unusually high citations but low readership, distorting scientific evidence and potentially slowing progress.
The Delhi government is set to introduce a comprehensive drone policy aimed at creating over 1,000 jobs and regulating drone operations. The policy will focus on establishing research clusters, flight testing facilities, and providing subsidies, while also addressing drone usage for government purposes like traffic management and surveillance, considering the city's extensive 'no drone zones'.
A Bain & Company report projects the global AI market must reach nearly USD 6 trillion annually by 2031 to sustain massive infrastructure investments. This growth will largely depend on new innovations beyond productivity gains, with a significant gap needing to be filled by emerging revenue streams like autonomous vehicles, physical AI, and new AI-driven products. The report also highlights the surge in hardware and semiconductor industries due to AI compute demand and the importance of AI absorption for Indian companies.
IIT Hyderabad and Japan's Mie University have signed MoUs to foster academic exchanges and joint research, with a strong focus on semiconductors and digital technologies. This collaboration aims to develop skilled talent and strengthen the semiconductor ecosystem in both countries.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar outlined the critical factors for the media and entertainment sector's next growth phase, including robust intellectual property, sustainable revenue models, and disciplined investments. Speaking at the CII Big Picture Summit, he emphasised the government's role in fostering an environment for creative enterprises and addressing challenges posed by digital platforms and AI. The CII White Paper also projected a USD 100 billion Indian M&E sector, advocating for stronger IP and regulatory reforms.
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has opened applications for the second batch of its two-year Blended MBA Programme in Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (BPGP: BA & AI). The programme, offered by the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of AI, aims to develop professionals who can integrate AI technology with management principles, addressing the industry's need for leaders capable of driving transformation and managing complex IT infrastructure, including data centres.
Nandan Nilekani, head of the task force on exam reforms, stated on Tuesday that technology and a systematic approach can solve the issue of question paper leaks. He suggested generating exam papers from a large question bank at the last minute to remove economic incentives for leaks and also proposed moving towards computer-based testing.
A new study challenges the common belief that menopause is a gradual process, revealing that the female body undergoes abrupt, "physiological cliff"-like changes in various health measures around the time of the last menstrual period. These shifts, observed in over one million women, begin more than a decade before menopause, offering a new window for preventive care.
Japanese Olympic Committee chief Seiko Hashimoto acknowledged "many problems" at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, particularly regarding accommodation, but emphasized that criticism doesn't reflect the full experience. She highlighted innovative solutions like cruise ship lodging as potential models for future cost-effective international competitions and stressed the importance of learning from challenges, including weather disruptions. Hashimoto also celebrated Japan's record medal haul at the Games.
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) has inaugurated an NVIDIA-powered Engineering Intelligence (EI) lab in Bengaluru, designed to showcase AI-native manufacturing, digital twins, and autonomous systems. The facility offers clients a comprehensive view of the manufacturing journey, from virtual validation to autonomous operations, and plans to expand to the US.
Singing sensation Arijit Singh is set to celebrate two decades in the Indian music industry with an ambitious nine-city India Tour in 2027.
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.
IIT Madras has inaugurated a new state-of-the-art robotics laboratory, established with CSR support from Bechtel India. This collaboration aims to accelerate research, innovation, and industry applications in robotics and automation, specifically for the construction and infrastructure sectors, fostering advanced technological solutions and workforce development.
IIIT Hyderabad and measurement technologies firm Hexagon R&D India have collaborated to establish the Hexagon Digital Twin Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the IIIT Hyderabad campus. This CoE will focus on applied research, education, and industry collaboration in computer vision, spatial computing, and AI-powered digital twins, providing access to advanced imaging technology.
Industry body Assocham has welcomed the new UPI framework for large-value merchant transactions, effective October 15. This framework introduces a 0.4 per cent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on person-to-merchant UPI payments exceeding Rs 2,000, with a cap of Rs 300 for transactions over Rs 75,000. The move aims to enhance UPI sustainability, support innovation, and mitigate fraud, while protecting small merchants and ensuring most everyday transactions remain free.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged for a global framework to combat cross-border cyber frauds and deepfakes, highlighting the need for governments, tech companies, telecom operators, and financial institutions to collaborate. Speaking at the India Mobile Congress 2026, Modi stressed that technology thrives on trust and that India is ready to share its expertise in tackling cyber threats. He also noted the rapid expansion of 5G and the success of digital governance initiatives like Direct Benefit Transfer.
Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma has pledged personal funds, ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore, to Indian entrepreneurs developing their own artificial intelligence models. This initiative aims to foster indigenous AI capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign models, echoing Sharma's past success in mobile payments.
Jio Platforms (JPL) is preparing a capex-light strategy to commercially launch 6G services in the early 2030s through software upgrades, rather than fresh infrastructure investments, according to Akash Ambani, managing director of JPL.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted the strong health cooperation within BRICS, emphasising the critical role of digital health and artificial intelligence in ensuring continuity of care. Speaking at the 16th BRICS Health Ministers' meeting, she noted shared challenges among member nations and showcased India's advancements in digital health infrastructure and AI strategy.
Workday, a global HR tech major, has unveiled its new AI platform, Sana, designed to automate human resources and finance functions. Chairman and CEO Aneel Bhusri stated that AI is likely to replace low-cost, outsourced jobs due to increased productivity, rather than leading to jobs moving out of first-world countries. The platform uses AI agents for tasks like payroll and compliance, and Workday has acquired C1.ai to manage access rights for these agents. Bhusri emphasised that AI should augment humans, redefining roles rather than replacing them entirely.
Technopark-based space-tech startup HEX20 has been selected by the UAE Space Agency to develop a spacecraft for an asteroid probe, marking the first time an Indian private company has been chosen for a deep-space mission by the Gulf nation. HEX20 is contributing its expertise in developing the spacecraft bus and software for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, which is scheduled for launch in March 2028 to study asteroid 269 Justitia.
GE Aerospace is set to significantly increase its supply chain spending in India, targeting USD 400 million by 2030, up from USD 200 million in 2025. This expansion reflects the company's commitment to India's burgeoning aviation market, driven by substantial aircraft orders and the strategic importance of its manufacturing and technology centres in Pune and Bengaluru.
