Technology

New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) The ongoing three-day event Bharat Innovates 2026 facilitated funding commitments and advanced-stage investments worth approximately $254.5 million while generating strong investor interest in Indian DeepTech startups during the second day of the summit, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Education stated that the second day of the event brought together global investors, industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, startups and academic institutions to accelerate innovation, strengthen technology partnerships and advance the commercialisation of DeepTech solutions.

The day began with an innovation showcase featuring technologies developed by Indian startups and premier higher education institutions across sectors including biotechnology, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, mobility, space and artificial intelligence.

In addition, the summit hosted discussions involving global industry, investment and research leaders on subjects ranging from bio-innovation and advanced manufacturing to space, defence supply chains and international investment.

Participants highlighted the importance of patient capital, cross-border collaboration and stronger pathways for commercialising research.

A major highlight of the day was the investor-startup engagement programme, where more than 80 DeepTech startups presented their innovations before panels comprising over 50 global investors from more than 10 countries, according to the ministry.

The startups pitched across six thematic areas -- space and defence, artificial intelligence and semiconductors, healthcare and MedTech, biotechnology and AgriTech, energy and climate technologies, and advanced manufacturing.

According to the ministry, the sessions enabled direct engagement with global venture funds and corporate venture capital firms, with more than 40 startups receiving confirmed investor follow-up commitments.

Moreover, the summit highlighted nearly $30 million worth of investment activity announced during the opening day.

By the end of the second day of the event, Bharat Innovates 2026 had facilitated more than 1,350 business-to-business meetings involving innovators, while over 50 collaboration agreements were concluded.

Bharat Innovates 2026 was launched to connect India's rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem with global capital, industry expertise, research networks and international markets.

The Ministry of Education said the summit has strengthened India's position as a leading global hub for DeepTech innovation by creating new opportunities for collaboration between India, Europe and other international markets.

The third and final day of the summit will focus on technology parks and accelerators, climate technologies, industrial decarbonisation, global scaling strategies and long-term institutional partnerships aimed at sustaining innovation-driven collaborations.

The summit was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the French Republic HE Emmanuel Macron on June 14.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 16 (IANS) The government has temporarily suspended its newly launched Cell Broadcast System, a nationwide emergency public warning network, reportedly following a misrouted late‑night alert that prompted concerns over system reliability.

The report from The Hindu said authorities have not disclosed specific reasons for the suspension, but that a technical malfunction may be the reason.

An inadvertently misrouted alert from disaster management units in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh reached Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contact number triggering the precautionary suspension.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an advisory placing the system on hold on June 12, 2026, and officials have begun a detailed technical review to determine when services can be safely restored.

The alert prompts phones to emit a hooting sound even when they are switched off or kept in silent mode. An alert allegedly issued by the disaster management units in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh caused phones to ring at midnight, the report cited sources.

The suspension is reportedly temporary, and restoration will depend on the outcome of ongoing technical assessments and further directives from the NDMA, the report said, adding that updates are expected once the review is over and system safeguards are strengthened.

The system, developed indigenously by the Centre for Development of Telematics under the Department of Telecommunications in coordination with the NDMA and the Ministry of Home Affairs, was launched in May 2026 as a major boost to India’s emergency response framework.

According to the government, the advanced system is designed to deliver critical information related to disasters, emergencies and public safety directly to citizens’ mobile phones in real time.

As part of the rollout, a nationwide test of the system was conducted successfully as mobile users across the country received 'emergency alert messages' accompanied by a beep sound on their devices.

The initiative is seen as a significant step towards ensuring swift and effective dissemination of information during natural disasters, severe weather events and other emergency situations, officials added.

—IANS

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Bengaluru, June 15 (IANS) Indian artificial intelligence startup Sarvam on Monday announced that it has entered the unicorn club after raising $234 million in the first close of its $300 million Series B funding round, taking its post-money valuation to $1.5 billion.

The funding round was led by HCLTech as a strategic investor, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners and continued backing from existing investors Khosla Ventures and Peak XV Partners.

The latest fundraise marks a major milestone for the Bengaluru-based company, which is positioning itself as India's full-stack sovereign AI platform.

Sarvam said the capital will be used to advance research on its next-generation frontier AI models focused on agentic AI, coding and cybersecurity applications, while also expanding access to large-scale computing infrastructure and accelerating deployments across key sectors.

As part of the round, HCLTech will invest $150 million, making it the lead strategic investor.

The IT services major said the partnership would combine Sarvam's AI research capabilities with HCLTech's enterprise expertise, engineering talent and global customer relationships to build a comprehensive sovereign AI ecosystem for India and international markets.

"Our investment in Sarvam marks a significant step toward building India's trusted and globally competitive AI ecosystem," said C Vijayakumar, CEO and Managing Director of HCLTech.

He added that the collaboration would help create a differentiated full-stack AI platform for enterprises and governments while enabling secure, scalable and responsible AI adoption.

Sarvam Co-founder Pratyush Kumar said the company remains focused on research-led innovation aimed at building AI systems that work at India's scale.

He noted that the company is developing models capable of understanding Indian languages and voices, processing local documents and delivering affordable intelligence for enterprises and governments.

The company has rapidly expanded its AI portfolio in recent months. It has launched multiple foundational models trained entirely in India, including Sarvam 105B, which the company claims matches or outperforms larger reasoning models on several benchmarks, and Sarvam 30B, which is designed to run efficiently on consumer hardware.

Its document intelligence model, Sarvam Vision, is being used to digitise more than 35 million pages of records, ranging from insurance forms to land documents.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that the government would be taking further steps to attract more foreign capital into the country, and the measures announced for the bond market were only the beginning.

In her address at the Hero Mindmine Summit 2026 here, Sitharaman said: "We recognise we need more foreign capital to come in. But the fact that the RBI has now allowed public sector undertakings and banks to go out and raise money from outside is not the end of the story. We will be doing more."

The government recognised the need for greater foreign capital inflows and is working with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ensure markets receive the required investments, she added.

"We believe the bond market can be a good way to absorb the capital coming in. As of now, we have done it only for government securities. Certainly, that is not the end of the story. We recognise we need more foreign capital coming into the country," the Finance Minister observed.

Sitharaman further stated that India’s foreign exchange reserves need to be adequate to meet the growing demand. The country has a large domestic market with consumption going up, which is a comfort, she added.

The Finance Minister highlighted that India, like businesses across the world, is facing uncertainty from factors beyond its control, including tariffs, fluctuations in commodity prices, and disruptions in global supply chains. While India’s large domestic market provided a cushion, the country remained dependent on imports of several critical intermediary and raw materials, exposing it to external shocks.

According to Sitharaman, rising crude oil prices, higher insurance costs, and shipping-related risks were among the factors affecting India’s import bill and foreign exchange requirements.

"Not only is the price of crude a challenge, but insurance cover and risk of crude vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz is also high. India must maintain adequate foreign exchange reserves to manage rising external demand," she said.

Highlighting the volatility in the fertiliser market, she said global supply conditions had changed multiple times since the Union Budget was presented. While concerns had emerged over shortages after some traditional suppliers reduced exports to build domestic inventories, the re-entry of China into the export market after nearly a year had eased some of those fears.

The Finance Minister also said that India’s data centre and GCC ecosystem is expanding rapidly, driven by proactive policies and strong engagement from states. What was once concentrated in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi NCR is now spreading to Tier 2 cities like Tumakuru and Mangaluru. It will mean more jobs, stronger data security, and a boost for local economies. Centre is engaging with states to make sure the data centres and GCC policies are understood, she said.

States had not only framed policies but were also proactively engaging with investors to attract GCC and data centre projects, she added.

"And people have not treated it as, ‘Oh, what is this? What’s a data centre?’ No, there is a layer of our Indian technicians and youth who are catching on to this very easily," Sitharaman remarked.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Apple has unveiled a new global advertising campaign for its AirPods Pro 3, featuring Brazilian soccer star Vinicius Junior, popularly known as Vini Jr., in a unique 30-second film titled Dança.

The film takes an unconventional approach by showcasing Vini Jr. dancing through a variety of noisy environments without revealing the music he is listening to.

Instead of a soundtrack, viewers hear only the surrounding sounds from the bustling locations through which the footballer moves -- highlighting the noise-cancelling capabilities of Apple's latest wireless earbuds.

According to Apple, the campaign is designed to demonstrate the AirPods Pro 3's advanced audio performance and Active Noise Cancellation technology.

The company said the earbuds deliver exceptional sound quality and feature what it describes as the world's best in-ear Active Noise Cancellation, capable of removing up to four times more background noise than the original AirPods Pro.

Vini Jr., who is widely recognised for incorporating dance into his goal celebrations and often performing choreographed routines with teammates, said the concept of a dance film without music makes the campaign particularly engaging.

“It’s so fun to see a dance film for AirPods that doesn’t have music. It really makes you want to know what I’m dancing to. Everyone experiences music differently, and I love that the film leaves space for people to imagine their own soundtrack,” he said.

Apple said the campaign launched globally on June 11 and will run across television, social media and digital platforms.

In addition to the 30-second version, the campaign also includes 15-second and 6-second advertisements, all of which follow the same music-free concept.

Apple's AirPods Pro are one of the most prolific and feature-rich True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones in the world.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) The Department of Posts has launched drone-based delivery of mail and parcels on the Mandi-Rehardhar route in Himachal Pradesh, marking the beginning of a wider plan to deploy the technology across difficult and remote terrains, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.

The initiative -- rolled out under the leadership of Union Minister of Communications and DoNER Jyotiraditya M. Scindia -- is aimed at improving last-mile connectivity in hilly regions and enhancing the speed and efficiency of postal services, the Ministry of Communications said.

Taking to social media platform X, Scindia said the initiative reflects a technology-driven transformation in postal services.

“An absolute pleasure to announce the launch of drone-based mail and parcel delivery by India Post on the Mandi-Rehardhar route in Himachal Pradesh,” he wrote.

He added that the project emerged directly from field feedback.

“A journey that earlier took hours through difficult terrain will now be completed in just 7 minutes with real-time tracking. What makes this environmentally sustainable initiative particularly meaningful is that it emerged directly from feedback shared by our Gramin Dak Sevaks and Postal Assistants,” Scindia said.

He further noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s broader vision for technology-led governance.

“Guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are harnessing technology to strengthen our postal services, ensuring that the remotest corners of Bharat are connected to the opportunities and services of a rapidly transforming nation,” he added.

The first operational route connects Mandi Head Post Office with Rehardhar Branch Post Office, a distance of around 12 km that currently takes over two hours through conventional transport.

Around 150 drone delivery routes are planned across Himachal Pradesh and Assam over the next two to three months, with the Mandi–Rehardhar corridor serving as the pilot phase.

The ministry said the drone system will improve real-time tracking, reduce terrain-related delays and provide a more sustainable logistics solution for postal services in difficult geographies.

It added that the initiative will strengthen service delivery in remote and mountainous regions and improve access to essential postal services for local communities, supporting greater social and economic inclusion.

--IANS

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Mumbai, June 13 (IANS) The Indian equity benchmarks posted notable gains this week after two weeks of consecutive losses, over investor optimism about potential US-Iran peace agreement, and decline in Brent crude prices.

Nifty added 1.10 per cent during the week and gained 1.99 per cent on the last trading day to reach 23,622. At close, Sensex was up 1,695 points or 2.30 percent at 75,527. It added 1.73 per cent during the week.

The Indian equities showed structural resilience in a turbulent week, marked by global headwinds and continued uncertainty surrounding the US Fed's policy trajectory, analysts said.

Large-cap stocks outperformed broader markets, while mid- and small-cap segments witnessed profit booking following their recent strong rally.

While US bond yields eased during the week, persistent inflationary pressures and resilient labour market data are keeping the expectations of a delayed rate-cut cycle intact, an analyst said.

"Indian equities traded in a range-bound manner with a mild negative bias, witnessing a modest recovery toward the end of the week," he added.

Meanwhile, domestic bond yields moderated, supported by RBI policy measures that improved liquidity conditions and attracted foreign inflows into the debt market.

On the sectoral front, financials emerged as the top performers, led by private banks after favourable regulatory developments and a defensive rotation away from higher-beta growth segments. FMCG stocks also advanced on expectations of sustained pricing power.

IT sector continued its decline and metal stocks were weighed down by softer commodity prices amid muted demand expectations from China.

Market participants said that a slowdown in FII selling or improved visibility on the Federal Reserve’s policy direction could serve as a trigger, for domestic capital unloading in the secondary market.

Cumulative FII selling during the week stood at approximately Rs 15,300 crore, continuing to act as a key headwind for domestic equities, although the pace of outflows moderated in the latter part of the period.

In contrast, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) remained strong buyers, recording net inflows of around Rs 24,000 crore.

Broad market indices performed in line with benchmark indices, as Nifty Midcap100 gained 0.98 per cent, while Nifty Smallcap100 edged up 0.48 per cent during the week.

Nifty 50 is expected to see the 23,800 zone as a crucial resistance area. The 23,550–23,500 region is expected to act as immediate support, market participants said.

In Bank Nifty, immediate resistance is placed around the 56,900–57,000 zone and the 56,500–56,400 zone continues to act as an immediate support zone.

Investors remain keen on key macroeconomic data points, including domestic WPI inflation, China’s industrial output, and the upcoming US Fed decision.

—IANS

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New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Users of Facebook and Instagram across several countries reported widespread disruptions on Friday evening, with thousands complaining that the Meta-owned platforms were either not loading properly or failing to refresh content.

The outage appeared to begin around 7 pm IST, according to user reports and data from outage-tracking platform Downdetector, which recorded a sharp surge in complaints.

The disruption was not limited to any one region, with users from multiple countries reporting similar issues at roughly the same time.

In India, users across several cities said they were unable to access Facebook and Instagram normally.

Many reported that feeds were not loading, while others said the apps were failing to refresh content.

Some users also experienced login-related problems and difficulties accessing specific features on the platforms.

As the services encountered issues, many users turned to other social media platforms, including X, to check whether the problem was widespread.

Posts from affected users suggested that the disruption was impacting both Facebook and Instagram, while some also reported problems with Facebook Messenger.

The outage appeared to affect users differently. While some said the websites remained accessible, others reported that the mobile applications were unable to load new content or update timelines.

The varying nature of the disruption led to speculation that the issue could be linked to Meta's backend systems rather than users' internet connections or devices.

Downdetector showed more than 100,000 reports related to Facebook alone, highlighting the scale of the outage.

Instagram also witnessed a significant number of complaints, with reports continuing to rise as more users flagged issues.

Meta had not issued an official statement on the cause of the disruption at the time of writing.

The company also did not provide a timeline for when normal services would be restored.

While users attempted common troubleshooting measures such as restarting apps, switching internet networks and checking for software updates, reports suggested that the issue was likely occurring on Meta's side, limiting the effectiveness of such steps.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy said on Friday that it will host the Global Wind Day 2026 Conference on June 15, 2026 in Goa under the theme "Wind Energy: From Ambition to Acceleration".

The conference will spotlight priorities for the next phase of India’s wind sector, including resource adequacy, grid readiness, capacity addition, domestic manufacturing competitiveness, export opportunities, and advancements in forecasting and renewable energy firming.

Several industry reports and knowledge papers will be released at the event, including one that highlights India’s potential to become a global hub for wind turbine manufacturing and exports.

The conference will host plenary sessions and panel discussions with government, regulators, developers, manufacturers, and experts to identify practical measures for accelerating deployment, improving execution, and strengthening domestic capabilities.

"As the sector enters its next growth phase, Global Wind Day 2026 will serve as a key milestone in shaping a roadmap for sustained expansion and clean energy ambitions," the statement noted.

India has become the world’s fourth-largest wind power market. The country aims to generate 100 GW of wind energy by 2030 and 155 GW by 2035, as part of an overall goal of 500 GW non-fossil capacity and net-zero emissions by 2070.

“Wind energy lies at the heart of India’s renewable strategy, and the record 6.1 GW addition in 2025–26 shows what strong policy and industry collaboration can achieve. The next phase demands acceleration,” said Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs.

On Global Wind Day 2026, the focus must shift from ambition to execution, as India also positions itself to seize global export opportunities, the minister noted.

The Union minister had earlier this year made a strong pitch for global investors towards opportunities in India's clean and green energy sector at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

—IANS

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New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) India’s textile industry has expanded to nearly $190 billion in 2025-26 and is poised to achieve the target of $350 billion by 2030, Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh said on Thursday.

The domestic textile market has grown from about Rs 6 lakh crore in 2014-15 to over Rs 16 lakh crore, reflecting the sector’s robust expansion and increasing contribution to the national economy.

He further noted that the textile and apparel sector currently provides direct employment to more than 5.3 crore people and is expected to generate nearly 2 crore additional jobs over the next three years.

Highlighting the achievements of the Ministry of Textiles over the past 12 years, he said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s textile and apparel sector has undergone a remarkable transformation.

The minister said that guided by the Prime Minister’s 5F vision — Farm to Fibre, Fibre to Factory, Factory to Fashion and Fashion to Foreign — the sector has evolved into a strong and integrated value chain connecting farmers, manufacturers, weavers, artisans and exporters.

Singh emphasised that the government has implemented a series of landmark reforms and flagship initiatives to strengthen the entire textile ecosystem.

These include PM MITRA Parks, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), the Textiles Export Promotion Mission (TEEM), the National Fibre Mission and the Raw Material Support Scheme (RMSS), which are driving investments, technological advancement, sustainability and export competitiveness.

To support cotton farmers and ensure adequate raw material availability for industry, the government launched the Cotton Productivity Mission and removed import duty on cotton.

Export competitiveness has been strengthened through schemes such as RoSCTL and RoDTEP, while India’s network of Free Trade Agreements has expanded from 10 FTAs covering 19 countries in 2014 to 18 FTAs covering 56 countries, creating new opportunities for exports and investments.

Despite global trade challenges, India has diversified its export destinations and registered export growth in 135 countries. The Minister further noted that India has emerged as a major force in technical textiles, with the market expanding from about $6 billion to $25 billion under the National Technical Textiles Mission.

--IANS

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