Technology

Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS) The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Tuesday removed the unified payments interface (UPI) user onboarding limit for WhatsApp Pay with immediate effect.

With this, WhatsApp Pay can now extend UPI services to its entire user base in India, the NPCI said in a statement.

Previously, the NPCI had permitted WhatsApp Pay to expand its UPI user base in a phased manner, lifting the previous cap of 100 million users.

With this notification, the NPCI is removing the limit restrictions on user onboarding on WhatsApp Pay.

“WhatsApp Pay shall continue to comply with all existing UPI guidelines and circulars applicable to existing third-party app providers (TPAPs),” said the corporation.

According to third-party data, the Meta-owned platform has over 500 million users in India. The NPCI move heralds a significant shift in regulatory policy, which had previously limited WhatsApp Payment’s rollout.

Additionally, the NPCI has deferred a proposed rule to cap any single app’s UPI transaction share at 30 per cent until December 31, 2026

UPI platform processes over 13 billion transactions monthly, with Google Pay and PhonePe controlling more than 85 per cent of the market.

The UPI achieved 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore from January to November this year, ‘showcasing its transformative impact on financial transactions’ in India.

Since its launch in 2016, UPI has transformed financial access in India, enabling 300 million individuals and 50 million merchants to perform seamless digital transactions, according to a study by IIM and ISB professors.

The NPCI said it is focused on bringing innovations in the retail payment systems through the use of technology and is relentlessly working to transform India into a digital economy. It is facilitating secure payment solutions with nationwide accessibility at minimal cost in furtherance of India’s aspiration to be a fully digital society.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Friday called for a 100 per cent integration of industry stakeholders onto the government digital platforms to improve the logistics sector.

During his address at the ULIP Logixtics Hackathon 2.0 Awards Ceremony here, the minister urged the participants to think about sustainability and integrate green practices into India’s logistics ecosystem.

"We have to adopt technology like electric mobility, biofuels, multimodal transport options to bring down overall carbon impact and make sustainability the core of our thinking," the minister pointed out.

Speaking on skill development in the logistics sector, he called for collaboration with institutions to train and build a future ready workforce.

The minister said there was a need to leverage the government, the private sector and academia to enhance skill development in the logistics sector.

Noting that innovation in building infrastructure is needed, he said that better road building techniques and faster processes for bidding out contracts are required.

Using Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, we can make sure there is no time and cost overrun, he said.

The Minister also said that more hackathons with newer problem statements could be organised every three months.

Piyush Goyal pointed out that Hackathon is the new style of governance model to solve problems in the country.

It is inclusive, involves young minds, startups and innovators. This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Sabka Prayas’, he added.

He further noted that Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business are the two objectives the government has set before itself and these two outcomes are necessary for the country to be competitive.

ULIP Logistics Hackathon 2.0 was officially launched on September 24, 2024, in association with NITI Aayog and Start-up India, to provide a nationwide platform for start-ups, enterprises, and logistics service providers to address critical challenges in the logistics sector.

For the 2024 edition, the hackathon was scaled up significantly, receiving an overwhelming response of over 4,751 registrations. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 72 participants were shortlisted to develop prototypes.

Of these, 25 finalists were presented their innovative solutions during the Finale Event on December 20.

ULIP Logistics Hackathon 2.0 received an impressive array of innovative solutions targeting critical challenges in the logistics sector.

Among these were proposals for accident hotspot mapping, leveraging geospatial data and real-time analytics to identify and mitigate accident-prone areas, thereby improving road safety and informing better infrastructure planning.

Several solutions focused on sustainable supply chain management, emphasizing reduced carbon footprints through efficient load consolidation, optimal routing, and real-time tracking to support greener logistics operations.

Participants also explored cargo insurance and risk management, presenting ideas that integrated advanced risk assessment tools with seamless and cost-effective insurance mechanisms tailored to logistics needs.

Enhancing operational efficiency was another major focus, with solutions aimed at improving route optimisation, cargo space utilisation, and transit time reductions using predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making.

The hackathon offered a substantial cash prize pool of Rs 20 lakh to recognise and reward innovation and creativity in logistics solutions. The prize distribution is designed to inspire excellence and encourage participants to develop impactful and transformative ideas.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Friday released recommendations on assignment of additional spectrum to Indian Railways for its safety and security applications.

Indian Railways has sought an additional 5 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band, free of cost, for enhancing its safety and security systems, according to Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications.

“In addition to the already assigned 5 MHz (paired) frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band, an additional 5 MHz (paired) frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band should be assigned to Indian Railways for its safety and security applications along the railway tracks for captive use,” said TRAI.

According to telecom regulator, DoT should take an early decision on the Authority’s earlier recommendation that to ascertain feasibility of radio access network (RAN) sharing, a field trial of RAN sharing through multi-operator core network (MOCN) may be conducted by the Ministry of Railways involving Indian Railways and NCRTC, under the supervision of DoT.

Based on the outcome of the field trial, a decision on the implementation of RAN sharing through MOCN in the overlapping areas among Indian Railways/NCRTC/other RRTS/Metro rail networks can be taken.

“While assigning the frequency spectrum to Indian Railways, the terms of frequency spectrum assignment should include a condition that in case it is determined through the field trial that RAN sharing is feasible, Indian Railways shall implement RAN sharing through MOCN in the overlapping areas with NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks and the same shall be governed through the guidelines issued by DoT,” according to the4 Ministry of Communications.

Spectrum harmonisation should be carried out to assign a contiguous block of 10 MHz of frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band to Indian Railways and an adjacent 5 MHz block to NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks.

At the same time, it should be ensured that minimum disturbance occurs to the running networks, said the ministry.

“Spectrum charges for Indian Railways /NCRTC/ other RRTS/ Metro rail networks should be levied based on the formula for Royalty Charges and License Fees for captive use, as prescribed by DoT,” according to the recommendations.

—IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) As many as 25,202 public charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) have been installed in the country to date, the government said on Friday.

Karnataka leads with 5,765 EV public charging stations, followed by Maharashtra at 3,728 and Uttar Pradesh at 1,989, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

As per the information received from the Ministry of Power, 271 EV public charging stations are installed in Chhattisgarh.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has been promoting the adoption of EVs in India. On September 29, 2024, the ministry notified the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme to accelerate EV adoption, establish charging infrastructure and foster the development of the EV manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

The scheme has a budget of Rs 10,900 crore for a two-year period. Of the total allocated budget, Rs 2,000 crore has been kept for the installation of EV public charging stations (EVPCS).

The Ministry of Power also issued "Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024" on September 17, outlining standards and protocols to create connected & interoperable EV charging infrastructure networks in the country.

Charging infrastructure requirements depend upon the composition of electric vehicles, running patterns, terrain & geography, urbanisation patterns, the technology of EVs and the technology of charging equipment.

"Since all these factors are still evolving, there is no global consensus on the number of charging points required for a certain number of EVs," the minister said.

As per the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the total registered electric two-wheelers in the country now stands at 28,55,015, with electric four-wheelers at 2,57,169 (as on December 4).

Meanwhile, the EV charging market in the country is projected to reach $3.7 billion by 2030, led by increasing adoption. Battery swapping, particularly for two- and three-wheelers, is emerging as a popular solution in India, with major auto companies investing in battery-swapping technologies to make EVs more affordable and accessible.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 20 (IANS) The TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), has become the first organisation in India to achieve ISO 14083 certification for its groundbreaking digital platform the Transportation Emissions Measurement Tool (TEMT).

The TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab was founded in collaboration with the Transport Corporation of India (TCI).

The certification underscores the platform’s ability to accurately quantify and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from freight transportation activities, helping organisations to measure, manage, and ultimately reduce their transportation-related emissions in line with regulatory requirements and sustainability goals.

Organisations need robust tools to measure their emissions before they can take meaningful action to reduce them. The TEMT, with its certified emissions factors across multiple transport modes, empowers organisations to quantify and report emissions accurately, setting the stage for effective emission-reduction strategies.

In India, the transportation sector is responsible for around 14 per cent of the country's total GHG emissions, with freight transportation accounting for nearly 40 per cent of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions within this sector.

Without intervention or cleaner technologies, transportation emissions are projected to increase by 4-fold between 2016 and 2050, potentially reaching 1.17 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2050 and would increase the share of transport in total emissions to 19 per cent. Accurate measurement is the critical first step toward mitigating these emissions.

ISO 14083, developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), provides a global standard for quantifying GHG emissions from transport operations.

Applicable to road, rail, air, maritime, and inland waterway transport, it covers fuel combustion and electricity consumption. The standard outlines calculation methods, data requirements, and reporting guidelines, offering a standardised framework for tracking emissions and enabling organisations to make informed decisions on emission-reduction strategies.

NICDC Logistics Data Services Limited (NLDSL), a subsidiary of the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has integrated ISO 14083 emission factors API into its flagship programme, the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).

This integration enables users to seamlessly calculate emissions from freight activities, promoting transparency and sustainability in logistics operations.

Girish Kumar Surpur, CEO and Director, NICDC Logistics Data Services, mentioned that as NLDSL continues to innovate for a sustainable future, ULIP’s Carbon Emissions API, developed in collaboration with - TCI-IIMB Supply Chain Sustainability Lab at IIM Bangalore empowers trade and logistics players to measure the environmental impact of their transportation activities.

By calculating the emissions and utilising other data sources available with ULIP -- companies now can develop tools necessary for informed, actionable decisions on sustainability including modal shifts. Together, we can drive meaningful change towards a lower-carbon logistics ecosystem.

The TEMT is a comprehensive online platform designed to measure emissions across all modes of transportation. It integrates India-specific emission factors, validated through ISO 14083 certification, ensuring data accuracy and relevance.

The tool allows users to calculate emissions for both past and future shipments and compare emissions between different transport modes for a given origin-destination pair. It also offers users the flexibility to build customized transportation chains, with all past entries securely stored in the cloud for easy monthly tracking and year-over-year comparison.

The platform is commodity-agnostic, meaning it applies to all types of shipments.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) Humanoid robotics technologies will soon transform healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and service industries by offering advanced dexterity, precision, and human-like capabilities, according to a report on Friday.

The report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company, showed that human-like dexterity and intelligence can help automate complex tasks, address labour shortages, as well as enhance operational efficiency across such industries.

“The rapid progress in humanoid robotics signals a turning point in robotics innovation. From water-powered biomimetic systems replicating human anatomy to AI-driven robots capable of learning and adapting to real-world tasks, these developments unlock unprecedented potential,” said Saurabh Daga, Project Manager of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData.

“Breakthroughs in dexterity, power efficiency, and real-time adaptability mean these robots are no longer just prototypes; they are evolving into functional systems that can replace or augment human roles across industries. As energy efficiency, modularity, and AI capabilities advance, humanoid robots will transform healthcare, automation, and labor-intensive industries, paving the way for cost-effective, precise, and intelligent solutions to global challenges,” he added.

As per GlobalData’s Disruptor Intelligence Centre, there are key developments in humanoid robotics. The new robots can mimic human anatomy and movement using advanced biomimetic technologies that can have potential applications in healthcare, prosthetics, and industrial automation.

These also come with enhanced flexibility and optional dexterous hands, and being powered by AI can autonomously perform delicate tasks, making them suitable for domestic and industrial use while addressing labor shortages.

Daga noted that beyond making an industrial impact, the novel humanoid systems are rapidly advancing in sophistication, combining AI, biomimetic engineering, and real-time adaptability.

He also highlighted challenges such as cost, scalability, and energy efficiency, Yet, “advancements in biomimetic technologies, AI integration, and modular systems are accelerating innovation”.

He urged for collaborative efforts among developers, manufacturers, and researchers will be critical to unlocking the full potential of humanoid robotics and achieving widespread adoption.

--IANS

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Seoul, Dec 12 (IANS) Korean Air, South Korea's biggest airline, has successfully integrated local rival Asiana Airlines as a subsidiary, wrapping up a years-long acquisition process, the company said on Thursday.

Korean Air spent 1.5 trillion won ($1.04 billion) to acquire 131.57 million new shares issued by Asiana to take over the country's second-largest full-service carrier in the 1.8 trillion-won merger deal.

The acquired Asiana shares account for 63.88 percent of the total, Korean Air said in a statement.

Korean Air initially announced its plan to acquire the debt-laden carrier in November 2020. It had then invested 300 billion won to purchase Asiana's perpetual convertible bonds as its first step.

The company concluded the share acquisition process Wednesday after recently securing all necessary approval from antitrust regulators in 14 countries and regions, including the European Union.

To secure the approvals, the company made some concessions to the competition watchdogs, including selling Asiana's cargo business division and handing routes to other carriers.

Korean Air will absorb Asiana after a two-year post-merger integration (PMI) process, while its budget carrier unit Jin Air Co. will absorb Asiana's low-cost units Air Seoul Inc. and Air Busan Co., a company spokesperson said by phone.

Asiana, Air Seoul and Air Busan will no longer exist after the PMI program is finalised, the spokesperson added.

To maximize business synergies, the integrated Korean Air will diversify time slots on overlapping routes and add new destinations, while maintaining the current workforce after the PMI period, the statement said.

The company expected the enlarged Korean Air will become the world's 12th-largest carrier by revenue passenger kilometer, a measure of the volume of passengers carried by an airline.

It also plans to submit the conversion ratio of mileage points between the two carriers to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) by June next year for review.

Asiana plans to hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting on Jan. 16 to appoint new board directors nominated by Korean Air, the statement said.

Also on Thursday, the FTC ordered some corrective measures as a condition for Korean Air's acquisition of Asiana to address competition concerns.

The main conditions include a requirement for the two carriers to maintain at least 90 percent of the seating capacity offered before the merger on key routes.

To mitigate potential competition issues, the FTC has mandated that the airlines ensure seat availability on 40 routes does not fall below 90 percent of their 2019 levels.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) Researchers at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have been able to accurately predict the exact time of the emergence of the first crack in aged clay and blood -- a finding that can aid in the diagnosis of conditions like anaemia.

The study can also help in forensics and improving the quality of paints used for coatings.

Researchers studying material science at the RRI proposed a relation between the time of emergence of the first crack, fracture energy -- which is the sum of the plastic dissipation and the stored surface energy -- and the elasticity of the drying clay sample which can help predict the first crack.

They used the theory of linear poroelasticity, where they estimated the stress at the surface of the drying sample at the time of crack onset.

Linear poroelasticity is a theory for porous media flow that describes the diffusion of water (or any mobile species) in the pores of a saturated elastic gel.

The team equated the stress with Griffith’s criterion which states that a crack will grow when the energy released during propagation is equal to or greater than the energy required to create a new crack surface.

The research, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, detailed that the relation thus obtained was validated by performing a series of experiments. They further said that the same scaling relation worked for other colloidal materials such as silica gels.

“This correlation can be useful while optimising material design during product development. We can apply this knowledge and suggest tweaking in the material composition at the time of manufacturing of industry-grade paints and coatings so that they can have better crack resistance and improve the product quality,” said Professor Ranjini Bandyopadhyay, head of the RheoDLS lab and faculty at the Soft Condensed Matter group at RRI.

In the study, the team used Laponite -- a synthetic clay with disk-shaped particles sized 25-30 nanometres (nm) and one nm in thickness.

They created multiple Laponite samples with increasing elasticities, which were then dried at temperatures ranging from 35 to 50 degrees Celsius in a petri dish.

The samples took between 18-24 hours to dry completely and the rate of evaporation and elasticity were measured for each sample. As water evaporated from the Laponite samples, the particles rearranged and stresses developed on the surface of the material.

Higher sample elasticity indicates a better ability of the sample to deform under the influence of these stresses.

It was also noted that the cracks started developing first at the outer walls of the petri dish and later progressed inwards. Later, networks of cracks developed as the sample aged (passing of time).

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 12 (IANS) With EV sales reaching 1.2 million and achieving 5 per cent market penetration in FY24, the shift toward electric mobility is rapidly gaining momentum in India, a report said on Thursday, adding that right policy support and faster decision-making can help in fostering collaborations across stakeholders.

EVs are emerging as a transformative solution, in line with India’s COP26 commitment to transition to 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles by 2040.

According to the KPMG in India-CII report, infrastructure and policy are the key to accelerating EV adoption in India's $5 trillion economy vision.

“The electric vehicle revolution marks the dawn of a new era for India — one defined by innovation, economic growth, and environmental stewardship. This is more than just a shift to zero-emission transportation; it’s a systemic transformation of infrastructure, finance, technology, and mindsets,” said Raghavan Vishwanathan, Partner-Automotive, KPMG in India.

“By addressing infrastructure gaps, creating affordable pathways for consumers, and building societal trust in EVs, India can set a global benchmark for sustainable mobility, green growth, and inclusive prosperity,” he added.

The report identifies four key pillars essential to accelerating EV adoption: physical infrastructure (expanding charging networks and improving battery recycling), power infrastructure (managing demand and integrating renewable energy), economic infrastructure (ensuring affordable financing and optimized taxation), and social infrastructure (raising stakeholder awareness and promoting education).

High EV penetration in states like Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Kerala with over 1,000 charging stations shows the importance of infrastructure. The World Bank finds infrastructure focus four times more effective than demand incentives.

Many factors such as policy support, total cost of ownership parity, startup ecosystem, and technology access are aiding the growth. In addition, India has set the ambitious target of 30 per cent penetration by 2030 as part of EV30@30 campaign.

“Right policy support and faster decision-making can help in fostering collaborations across stakeholders in the EV ecosystem including government bodies, private enterprises, and international partners which shall drive innovation and investment, requisite for development of infrastructure that keeps pace with the growing demand for EVs,” according to the report.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 18 (IANS) IT software giant Infosys on Thursday declared a 30 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 7,969 crore for the January-March quarter of 2023-24, up from Rs 6,128 crore in the same quarter of the previous year.

The company reported a revenue of Rs 37,923 crore in the fourth quarter ended March 31, according to a stock exchange filing.

Infosys also declared a final dividend of Rs 20 per equity share and a one-time dividend of Rs 8 per share.

India’s second-largest IT services company also announced the acquisition of In-Tech Holding GmbH, an engineering, research and development services provider.

Infosys share price went up 0.34 per cent on Thursday to settle at Rs 1,419.25, ahead of the fourth quarter results.

--IANS

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