Noted scientist Prof V Ramgopal Rao highlights India's significant progress in higher education and research but points out a critical gap in converting scientific discoveries into market-ready technologies. He advocates for a robust institutional framework, multidisciplinary collaboration, and stronger academia-industry ties to foster innovation and translate research into practical products.
Andhra Pradesh and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed an MoU to establish the PNB Quantum Finance Hub at Amaravati Quantum Valley. This initiative aims to foster innovation and adopt next-generation technologies like AI and Quantum Computing in the banking sector, focusing on cybersecurity, fraud detection, and customer experience.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon India's youth to dream big, assuring them of government support and resources, including a Rs 1 lakh crore Innovation Fund, to bolster the country's burgeoning startup ecosystem and drive its journey towards becoming a developed nation.
Researchers at IIT-ISM Dhanbad have been granted an Indian patent for an electrochemical reactor designed to recover copper from industrial wastewater. This innovative technology offers an environmentally sustainable solution for resource recovery and wastewater treatment, particularly benefiting the mining and metallurgical sectors.
IIT Madras is hosting the 3rd Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Symposium 2026 in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and RISC-V International. The symposium aims to unite stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to advance India's semiconductor innovation, focusing on indigenous processor technologies, secure computing, hardware innovation, and AI, aligning with the government's vision for India as a global semiconductor hub.
The University of Liverpool and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have established a joint seed fund to promote research and innovation collaborations in areas such as AI, biomedicine, quantum technology, and space.
Six faculty members from IIT Madras have been awarded the prestigious ANRF J C Bose Grant, recognising their outstanding research contributions in engineering and science. The highly competitive grant provides Rs 25 lakh annually for five years to support frontier research.
Researchers at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) Pune have developed a new protective enclosure for industrial abrasive saw machines. This innovative technology significantly reduces noise levels by up to 20 dB(A) while also containing sparks, dust, and flying debris, enhancing worker safety and welfare.
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.
A one-day patent workshop was held at CSIR-NIIST to promote intellectual property awareness and equip researchers and startups with essential knowledge in patent filing and innovation.
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 new MoU between the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) and Imperial College London has paved the way for deepening India-UK ties in the life sciences sector.
Indian researchers from ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women's Health and IIT Bombay have developed an indigenous "placenta-on-chip" platform. This microphysiological system mimics the human placental barrier, reproducing essential functions like hormone production and nutrient transfer. It offers a simple, scalable tool for studying placental biology, pregnancy complications, and drug effects, aiming to reduce reliance on animal experimentation.
Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have identified a type of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) that can effectively remove lead from contaminated water. The study highlights the role of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by the algae in absorbing lead, with laboratory experiments showing up to 66.2% removal. This discovery offers a promising, naturally abundant solution for water purification, though further validation is needed before commercial application.
'Our research demonstrates the potential of perovskite-based semiconductor technologies for next-generation solar cells and memory devices.'
Researchers at MIT World Peace University in Pune have developed an innovative thermal energy storage system using a phase change material (PCM)-based battery. This technology addresses the intermittent nature of solar energy by storing excess heat for use after sunset, potentially reducing reliance on conventional fuels for water heating and enhancing energy security.
Specialty chemicals maker Anupam Rasayan India Ltd has become the first company globally to commercialise Ethyl trifluoroacetate (ETFA) production using its proprietary continuous flow chemistry platform. This innovative technology offers significant advantages over traditional methods, and ETFA is a crucial component for pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and performance materials, with a global market estimated at USD 500-600 million.
Researchers at IIT Bombay have developed a novel, low-cost, and highly durable catalyst using cobalt, nickel, phosphate, and graphite. This breakthrough material can accelerate both hydrogen and oxygen generation from water, significantly reducing the production cost of green hydrogen by eliminating the need for expensive noble metals like platinum and iridium.
Econz IT Services, in partnership with Google Cloud, has launched Bengaluru's first Gemini Enterprise Experience Centre. This centre provides an immersive environment for businesses to develop and deploy advanced Agentic AI solutions, marking a significant step in enterprise AI innovation in the region.
Researchers at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad have secured a patent for a novel temperature-independent optical sensor designed to precisely measure structural tilt in two directions. This lightweight sensor, utilising Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology, offers enhanced monitoring capabilities for various applications including bridges, robotics, aerospace, and geotechnical systems, promising low maintenance and long-term stability checks.
'ISRO will not manufacture any launch vehicles. That will all be done by the private sector or public sector undertakings.'
Researchers at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad have developed an ultra-compact wearable antenna, measuring just 5x5x0.75 mm, designed to significantly enhance the performance of future healthcare devices, smart wearables, and wireless body communication systems. This innovation offers high-speed data transmission, wider wireless coverage, and a low Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), making it safe and efficient for prolonged use in Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs).
An independent study reveals that while Geographical Indication (GI) registration has boosted the identity of Kerala's traditional handloom products, it has not uniformly translated into economic benefits across weaving clusters. Challenges include an ageing artisan population, competition from powerloom products, rising raw material costs, and inadequate marketing.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar met with AI major Anthropic to discuss a long-term partnership aimed at accelerating AI adoption across governance, education, healthcare, research, and the state's startup ecosystem. The collaboration focuses on deploying AI solutions responsibly, ensuring data privacy, and developing AI-focused skilling programmes and an AI University.
Researchers at IIT Indore have developed a groundbreaking method to convert carbon dioxide and glycerol, two common waste materials, into valuable green chemicals like lactic acid and formic acid in just seven minutes. This low-energy process uses a specially designed ruthenium-based catalyst and microwave heating, offering a sustainable solution for waste management and green manufacturing.
E-Eye, which cost about Rs 3,500 to develop, can test a sample for around Rs 2, making it particularly suitable for field-level water quality monitoring in areas where access to sophisticated laboratories is limited.
Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have developed an inexpensive and efficient catalyst for producing hydrogen from water, a crucial step for the National Green Hydrogen Mission and the transition to sustainable energy. The catalyst uses nickel salt and an anthracene-based organic molecule, offering a cleaner alternative to fossil fuel-derived hydrogen.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced the establishment of India's first government-driven Artificial Intelligence University and an AI Hub in Bengaluru. This initiative aims to position Karnataka as a global leader in responsible AI innovation, fostering talent, research, and collaboration. The state seeks to become an AI-native state, leveraging AI to improve governance and daily life across various sectors.
A study by Amazon Ads reveals that nearly 87% of Indian small and medium businesses (SMBs) believe AI has opened up new advertising opportunities, including streaming TV. The research indicates that 75% of surveyed SMBs attribute business growth to AI-enabled advertising, with 68% noting increased creativity. AI is also facilitating international trade for 59% of businesses, though human oversight remains crucial in decision-making.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training has reconstituted the Textbook Development Team for class 11 and 12 political science with a mandate to integrate cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion, with at least four of the members having direct or indirect links with the RSS.
Aequs Group, in collaboration with IIT-Dharwad, has established an advanced research and development facility for materials science and manufacturing innovation at the IIT-Dharwad campus.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged national law universities to proactively lead the integration of technology into the legal system, rather than merely reacting to changes. Speaking at a conclave, he stressed the importance of incorporating academic integrity and responsible AI use into the curriculum, rejecting outright bans on generative AI. The CJI highlighted that law schools must prepare graduates to critically engage with technological tools, ensuring justice, fairness, and human judgment remain central to the evolving legal landscape.
BRICS Sports Ministers adopted a Joint Declaration in Visakhapatnam, reaffirming their commitment to strengthen sports cooperation through dialogue and mutual respect. The meeting, held under India's 2026 Chairship, saw Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya call for a BRICS Sporting Partnership and introduce three key initiatives: a Working Group on Sports Technology, a Sports Manufacturing Conclave in Udaipur, and Traditional and Indigenous Sports Demonstration Games in Ahmedabad in 2026.
The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) has chosen seven to eight biotechnology startups as the initial group to receive funding from the government's ~1 trillion Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund, with an average investment of approximately ~25 crore per startup.
IIT Madras's Centre of Excellence for Road Safety has organised its first international hackathon, focusing on AI in road safety. The event brought together participants from India and other BIMSTEC nations to develop data-driven, technology-enabled solutions for the region, which faces a high number of road fatalities annually. The hackathon aims to foster collaboration among governments, academic institutions, and regional bodies to address this critical issue.
The Maharashtra government is setting up a ministerial task force, led by Minister Ashish Shelar, to ensure the effective implementation of its drone policy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced this, emphasising the need for a "policy of policies" to integrate R&D, manufacturing, testing, and subsidies, and to strengthen the state's drone ecosystem, including developing a 'Drone City'.
Param Foundation inaugurates 'ParSEC Whitefield', a 30,000 sq ft experiential science and innovation centre in Bengaluru, designed to engage visitors through interactive exhibits, innovation workshops and public programmes.
'Think of the brain like a machine, and Alzheimer's is like rust.'
'Like a rusty machine breaks down, a rusty brain also breaks down. And when it breaks down, you have memory loss, cognitive issues and so on.'
CSIR Director General N Kalaiselvi emphasised the importance of research and applied sciences in developing sustainable solutions for India's energy security and environmental challenges at an international conference on Sustainability Through Fundamental and Applied Sciences (STFAS), 2026.
Odisha-based Serendipity Space successfully demonstrated drug crystallisation processes on a satellite prototype in a near-space mission. This breakthrough aims to enable pharmaceutical manufacturing in low Earth orbit, leveraging microgravity to create superior drug crystal structures for enhanced solubility, stability, and effectiveness. The mission tested core technologies, including an autonomous pharmaceutical factory, and was inspired by advancements made on the International Space Station.
