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New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) The recent controversy around a robot displayed by Galgotias University at the India AI Impact Summit may have grabbed headlines, but it remains just one small episode in an otherwise massive showcase of India’s growing strength in artificial intelligence.

From indigenous foundational models to autonomous drones and rural AI solutions, the summit underlined how India is rapidly emerging as a global AI powerhouse.

Reporting from the ground, a DD India correspondent highlighted that the summit is not defined by one disputed exhibit.

Instead, it is a vibrant platform featuring hundreds of stalls that display futuristic technologies being developed across the country.

Each innovation reflects the depth and diversity of India’s AI ecosystem, he stated.

One of the biggest attractions at the event was BharatGen AI, which is building foundational AI models in all 22 official Indian languages.

The initiative aims to make AI accessible and inclusive for millions of Indians by breaking language barriers.

Another key highlight was ParadigmIT’s Sovereign AI Box, designed to strengthen data security and support the goals of the IndiaAI Mission.

In a time when data privacy is critical, such indigenous solutions signal India’s intent to build secure and self-reliant AI systems.

Startups also made a strong impact at the summit. Skye Air Mobility showcased its achievement of completing 3.6 million autonomous deliveries while saving more than 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The company’s work demonstrates how AI is being used not just for efficiency but also for sustainability.

The summit also brought forward inspiring grassroots innovations. Tarakram Maram presented his AI Trainer Machine, which aims to democratize AI education and make advanced learning tools available to a wider population.

Frontier Markets demonstrated how AI is empowering rural women entrepreneurs by helping them improve business decisions and expand their reach.

Among the young innovators, Drublet Innovation Private Limited stood out. Founded by two students, Agniva and Aaditya, the startup is pushing the boundaries of autonomous navigation and robotics.

Their work reflects the ambition and technical capability of India’s youth, the reporter added.

State pavilions, including Bihar’s, showcased how regional governments are adopting AI-driven solutions to solve local challenges, the reporter mentioned.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) Gold and silver prices rose on Wednesday after two consecutive sessions of decline, amid renewed buying interest due to global macro-economic factors.

Easing US-Iran tensions due to progress in negotiations and a firmer US dollar capped gains by weighing on safe-haven demand. Thin liquidity because of Lunar New Year holidays in several Asian markets also acted as headwinds on the rally, market participants said.

MCX gold April futures gained 1.24 per cent to Rs 1,53,294 per 10 grams on an intra-day basis. Meanwhile, MCX silver March futures gained 3.81 per cent to Rs 2,37,490 per kg.

In international markets, gold prices slipped below $4,900, while declining Treasury yields offered limited support and kept sentiment cautious across Commodities.

Iran and the US reached an understanding on key guiding principles to frame future nuclear negotiations, during talks in Geneva, raising hopes of diplomatic progress.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the discussions as more constructive than before, with both sides planning to draft and exchange texts for a potential agreement, though he cautioned that this did not mean a final deal is imminent.

Araghchi, however, added that the United States should immediately stop the threat of using force against Iran, according to multiple reports.

Despite the price decline, gold ETF holdings continued to edge higher, indicating underlying institutional interest, while physical demand remained resilient in India and China, with India’s January imports rising, said Manav Modi, Commodities Analyst, Motilal Oswal Financial services Ltd.

Analysts said the volatility in silver stems from a demand‑supply mismatch and profit‑booking after steep gains over the past year, even as gold remains elevated compared with recent weeks.

The dollar index surged 0.10 per cent to 97.25, making greenback-priced bullion more expensive for other currency holders.

"Gold has support at Rs 1,49,800 and Rs 1,47,700 while resistance at Rs 1,53,150 and Rs 1,55,500. MCX silver has support at Rs 2,24,400 and Rs 2,18,800, and resistance is at Rs 2,32,200 and Rs 2,36,000," an analyst said.

—IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) In conjunction with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon’s participation in the 'India AI Impact Summit' here, the chip major on Wednesday announced plans to invest up to $150 million through Qualcomm Ventures to back Indian startups across all stages.

The US-based company aims "to support India’s rapidly expanding technology and AI startup ecosystem, with a focus on AI for automotive, IoT, robotics and mobile," it said in a statement.

“Through our new Strategic AI Venture Fund, Qualcomm is investing in companies that are advancing the next chapter of AI in India,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO, Qualcomm.

AI is entering a new phase where intelligence is built directly into devices and systems people depend on every day, from smartphones and PCs to cars, industrial machines, robots, etc., delivering richer meaningful experiences, Amon said, adding the shift will reshape entire industries.

Amon said that India’s startup ecosystem has a critical role to play as edge AI drives innovation across sectors.

The Venture Fund underscores Qualcomm’s long‑standing commitment to India’s technology landscape and aligns with the company’s leadership in advancing edge AI at global scale, the release said.

Qualcomm aims to help emerging companies build transformative, market‑leading solutions market‑leading solutions by helping founders accelerate innovation through access to its deep technology expertise and global industry network.

Qualcomm has been investing in India’s startup community since 2007, backing more than 40 companies such as MapMyIndia, a provider of digital maps and navigation solutions; ideaForge, a pioneer in drone technologies etc, the release said.

The ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ brings together the heads of state and government, ministers, global technology leaders, eminent researchers, multilateral institutions and industry stakeholders to deliberate on the role of AI in advancing inclusive growth.

The five-day summit is witnessing participation from over 100 government representatives, including more than 20 heads of state and government and 60 Ministers and Vice Ministers, along with over 500 global AI leaders comprising CEOs, founders, academicians, researchers, CTOs and philanthropic organisations.

—IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) Norway is looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for later in the year, which would further expand bilateral cooperation, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

In his meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Oslo, Store appreciated India's reform momentum and said that Norway and India can collaborate in the sectors of fisheries, health tech, maritime and space. He also lauded the contribution of Indian diaspora in Norway.

They also discussed about EFTA and TEPA operationalisation and outlined key areas of collaboration between the two countries, including in areas related to high-tech manufacturing, carbon capture storage, start ups, semiconductor, renewable energy, and waste management among others, according to a Finance Ministry statement.

Sitharaman met Cecilie Mysreth, Minister for Trade and Industry, and Even Tronstad Sagebakken, State Secretary, Fisheries and Ocean Policy, in Oslo.

The leaders discussed ways of forging deeper cooperation and exploring mutual opportunities in the areas of green tech, rare earth processing, maritime and shipping industries, and fisheries among other, especially in the context of India EFTA and TEPA deals.

Mysreth mentioned that she and her team are looking forward to the visit of Prime Minister Modi scheduled for later in the year.

Secretary Sagebakken also referred to the important role being played by India in Norway’s maritime industry.

Finance Minister said the effective operationalisation of TEPA will foster mutual benefits for both sides and that she looked forward to timely operationalisation of the same.

Sitharaman also participated in a roundtable meeting with prominent Norwegian CEOs and investors, in Oslo, and interacted with over 35 CEOs and top level participants from the business and investment community in Norway.

She said that her official visit to Norway has witnessed engaging and positive discussions on India as an investment destination and the fastest growing major economy of the world.

In the light of India’s expanding trade architecture — including agreements with EFTA, the EU, the UK and the US — the Union Finance Minister highlighted the conditions in India that provide a durable framework for trade, industrial collaboration and long-term investments.

She said that Union Budget 2026-27 also underpins the reform focus of the Government of India on easing regulatory and compliance burden for citizens and companies.

—IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) Google-owned video platform YouTube said on Wednesday it restored large parts of its service after a global outage that left thousands of users reporting issues with the social media platform.

“We’re back!! This issue has been fixed across YouTube. Thanks for all the reports and for bearing with us while we sorted it out,” TeamYouTube posted on X social media platform.

The company said the homepage was restored, and the team was working on a full fix.

"Update: An issue with our recommendations system prevented videos from appearing across surfaces on YouTube (including the homepage, the YouTube app, YouTube Music and YouTube Kids). The homepage is back, but we're still working on a full fix – more coming soon!," the post said.

Outage‑tracking site Downdetector showed 321,958 user complaints across multiple countries. In India, the outage was first reported around 6 am with nearly 20,000 complaints, with over 70 per cent of them from app users, the site showed.

In the United States, over 3.2 lakh users flagged outages. YouTube TV logged 8,923 complaints, while Google recorded 2,694 reports of issues.

YouTube's parent company Alphabet earlier this week reported annual revenues exceeded $400 billion for the first time, with the Gemini AI app reaching over 750 million monthly active users.

In the company’s quarterly earnings call, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said they have sold more than 8 million paid seats of Gemini Enterprise launched just four months ago.

In addition, “We are also seeing significantly higher engagement per user especially since the launch of Gemini 3 in December. Overall, we are seeing our AI investments and infrastructure drive revenue and growth across the board to meet customer demand and cap on the growing opportunities ahead of us, our 2026 capex investments are anticipated to be in the range of $175 to $185 billion,” he explained.

—IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) India’s large market, indigenous models such as BharatGen, Sarvam‑1, strong digital public infrastructure, deep talent pool and IndiaAI Mission makes the country the true epicentre of AI’s next Chapter, a report said on Tuesday.

The report from India Narrative said India's remarkable strides in the AI domain makes it a powerhouse of innovation and a voice for equitable global AI governance.

It highlighted that the country’s AI market is projected to grow at a 25–35 per cent CAGR through 2027 and ranks among the top globally in AI funding and competitiveness.

It tops the global charts in AI talent acquisition, with an annual hiring rate around 33 per cent and AI skill penetration 2.5 times the global average in relevant roles.

India is more than an apt host, but the "most fitting venue due to the country's explosive advancements in AI infrastructure and capabilities," it said.

The IndiaAI Mission, launched in 2024 with allocation of Rs 10,300 crore deployed over 38,000 GPUs, far exceeding initial targets, to provide subsidised, world-class compute access to startups, researchers, and students at rates as low as Rs 67 per hour.

BharatGen, the world’s first government-funded multimodal large language model and indigenously developed Sarvam-1 optimised for 10 major Indian languages marked a push toward sovereign, multilingual AI, the report said.

It also highlighted how India’s digital public infrastructure proved the ability of scalable systems to overtake traditional models.

"This foundation makes India an ideal testing ground for real-world AI applications, from multilingual models addressing language barriers (via BHASHINI, supporting over 35 languages) to AI-driven solutions in public services," the report said.

The earlier summits in UK, Seoul and France hosted in the 'Global North,' could have overlooked the priorities of developing nations such as equitable access, inclusive growth, and AI’s role in addressing poverty, climate challenges, and public health, the report said.

India, as the world’s largest democracy and a rising economic force, brings the perspective of the Global South to the table, championing the “AI for All” motto, it remarked.

India AI Impact Summit 2026, bringing together world leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as tech leaders such as Sundar Pichai of Google and Sam Altman of OpenAI, positions the country "at the center of a pivotal global conversation on artificial intelligence," the report noted.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) India’s drone ecosystem is growing at a rapid pace with the number of registered drones in the country crossing the 38,500 mark and as many as 39,890 DGCA-certified remote pilots in the country (as of February 2026), according to official figures released on Tuesday.

Over 240 approved training organisations have also been set up to provide skilled manpower for operating and maintaining the drones.

This growing adoption of drones reflects the maturation of a comprehensive ecosystem comprising manufacturers, software and component developers, service providers, training institutions, certified pilots, start-ups, research organisations, and enabling digital platforms working within a unified regulatory framework, the official statement said.

Drones are now embedded across critical sectors — agriculture, land and property surveys, infrastructure monitoring, disaster assessment, and public service delivery — demonstrating their potential to enhance efficiency, transparency, and precision in governance.

Under the SVAMITVA Scheme, 3.28 lakh villages have been surveyed using drones, and 2.76 crore property cards have been prepared for 1.82 lakh villages across 31 states.

India’s drone ecosystem has transitioned from pilot projects to a mainstream, innovation-driven sector, underpinned by progressive policies, regulatory facilitation, and targeted financial incentives. With initiatives supporting women-led entrepreneurship, rural access, and domestic manufacturing, the government has created a structured framework that encourages both technological innovation and widespread adoption, the statement said.

As many as 1,094 drones have been distributed to women SHGs (self-help groups) including over 500 under Namo Drone Didi initiative, enhancing farm productivity and livelihoods, according to official figures.

Looking ahead, continued expansion of indigenous manufacturing, skill development for remote pilots, and integration with state and central programmes positions India to leverage drones for socio-economic empowerment, infrastructure oversight, and national security. They are also being used for monitoring the railways and highways in the country, the statement explained.

With increasing government support, including budget allocations, innovation grants, and strategic deployment, India is set to become a global leader in unmanned aerial systems, fostering an ecosystem that balances commercial growth, technological self-reliance, and inclusive development, the statement added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) The cost of preparing a home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali declined in January compared with a year ago, helped by lower prices of key vegetables and pulses, a report said on Tuesday.

A report by Crisil Intelligence said the cost of a vegetarian thali fell 1 per cent year-on-year in January, while that of a non-vegetarian thali dropped 7 per cent.

The fall in the vegetarian thali cost was mainly driven by a sharp decline in onion, potato and pulses prices.

However, a rise in tomato prices limited the overall relief, according to Crisil’s latest monthly food plate cost indicator.

Tomato prices increased 50 per cent on-year to Rs 46 per kg in January 2026 from Rs 31 per kg in January 2025, as per the report.

The rise was due to 39 per cent lower arrivals in the month, although the increase came on a low base of last year.

In contrast, onion prices declined 27 per cent on-year due to higher stock availability and subdued exports.

Potato prices fell 23 per cent as lower yields had pushed up prices in the previous season, creating a high base effect.

Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence said that the cost of the vegetarian thali decreased because of a sharp fall in onion, potato and pulse prices.

“Prices of onions and pulses softened due to higher stock levels, while potato prices fell on account of a high base. In contrast, tomato prices increased due to a low base from last year,” Sharma mentioned.

Prices of pulses dropped 14 per cent compared with last year as stocks improved in the current fiscal.

This was supported by higher imports of Bengal gram, yellow pea and black gram. Imports of Bengal gram rose nine times on-year in fiscal 2025, while yellow pea imports increased 85 per cent and black gram imports rose 31 per cent.

These imports were allowed until March 2026 despite minor duties being imposed. At the same time, some input costs increased.

Vegetable oil prices rose 4 per cent on-year due to tighter global supply of soyabean oil, which pushed up domestic prices.

Liquefied petroleum gas cylinder prices also increased 6 per cent on-year, limiting the overall decline in thali costs.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Tuesday said that it is conducting a detailed and comprehensive probe into the Learjet 45 aircraft crash at Baramati on January 28, in full compliance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017 and international standards laid down under ICAO Annex 13.

The accident had claimed six lives, including Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, after the aircraft crashed while landing near Baramati.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier confirmed that all six people on board the aircraft died in the crash.

In its latest update, the AAIB said the aircraft was fitted with two independent flight recorders.

Both devices were exposed to intense heat and sustained significant fire damage due to the accident.

Despite the damage, the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), manufactured by L3-Communications, has been successfully downloaded at the AAIB’s Flight Recorder Laboratory.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), manufactured by Honeywell, is currently undergoing a detailed technical examination.

The Bureau has sought assistance from the Accredited Representative of the State of Manufacture for specialised support to retrieve data from the damaged recorder.

The AAIB emphasised that it is following all prescribed technical and procedural protocols to ensure that the investigation remains objective, thorough and based strictly on evidence.

It reiterated its commitment to transparency and said that further details will be shared at an appropriate stage of the probe.

The Bureau has also urged all stakeholders and the public to refrain from speculation and allow the investigation to proceed as per established procedures.

The crash took place around 9 a.m., nearly an hour after the aircraft had taken off from Mumbai.

Visuals from the site had shown thick smoke and flames rising from the mangled remains of the plane, with ambulances and rescue teams rushing to the spot.

Locals were seen trying to help in rescue efforts before emergency services arrived.

Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati to attend a public meeting amid ongoing Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections when the aircraft reportedly lost control during the landing phase.

Senior security officials and rescue teams were deployed immediately after the crash.

Three bodies were initially taken to Baramati Medical College, and identification procedures were carried out under the supervision of the Pune Superintendent of Police.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, Feb 17 (IANS) Bengaluru-based AI infrastructure company Bharat1.AI on Tuesday announced plans to build a 'Humanity‑First AI City' here, "for model training, fine‑tuning and inference" by hosting over 10,000 AI researchers and innovators by year‑end.

The company called the initiative, "a city-scale research and infrastructure initiative designed to advance foundational Agentic and Physical AI systems in real-world environments," according to its statement.

"The B1 AI Superpark -- a 5 lakh sq. ft. AI research and innovation campus in Sarjapura will bring together leading Indian institutions including The Airawat Research Foundation (IIT Kanpur), SPARC(Safety, Privacy & AI Research Centre, IISc), Wadhwani school of AI & Intelligent Systems(IIT Kanpur), BITS Pilani, iSPIRT Foundation, IIT Ropar as early foundational research partners," it said.

The Phase 1 of the initiative will "develop and stress‑test universal basic intelligence frameworks in controlled, real‑world conditions and build open city‑scale world models using structured, high-quality multimodal data, and creating robust validation layers for agentic and physical AI systems before they are deployed at scale," the statement further said.

The campus will feature connectivity up to 400 Gbps to major AI cloud platforms with sub-millisecond latency, enabling large-scale experimentation without data bottlenecks.

Over the next 36 months, the initiative will expand beyond the Superpark into a broader AI City testbed -- enabling Indian and global organisations to test and deploy AI systems in dynamic urban-scale environments, the firm said.

“Scaling systems without validating them in complex, real-world environments is a risk we cannot afford. Bharat1.AI is our moonshot for humanity — a commitment to build real world foundational intelligence that is safe, verifiable, and aligned with human values,” said Umakant Soni, Co‑Founder and CEO of Bharat1.AI.

The India AI Impact Summit, one of the largest artificial intelligence gatherings in the Global South, entered its second day, bringing together world leaders, policymakers, industry executives, etc.

The five-day summit, which ends on February 20, will see the participation of over 100 government representatives, including more than 20 heads of state, 60 Ministers and Vice Ministers, along with over 500 global AI leaders comprising CEOs, founders, academicians, researchers, CTOs and philanthropic organisations.

--IANS

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