Technology

New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) State-owned Maharatna company Oil India Limited on Friday announced a fresh discovery of natural gas in its third exploratory well in the Andaman shallow offshore block, marking another significant indication of hydrocarbon presence in the region.

The company said the Vijayapuram-3 (Loc. OAEB) well, drilled under the Offshore Andaman Block AN-OSHP-2018/1 as part of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP), is located around 15 kilometres off the east coast of the Andaman Islands at a water depth of 355 metres.

The drilling was carried out at a depth of over 1,900 metres in the Eocene formation.

In a regulatory filing to the exchanges, the company stated that initial production testing of the well confirmed the presence of natural gas, with continuous flaring observed after perforation.

The well also showed immediate pressure build-up, followed by production of gas.

“Oil India Limited is pleased to announce the presence of natural gas in its 3rd exploratory well Vijayapuram-3 (Loc. OAEB), drilled 15 km oƯ the east coast of the Andaman Islands at a water depth of 355 meters in the OƯshore Andaman Block AN-OSHP-2018/1 under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP),” it said in its filing.

Oil India Limited said that gas sampling is currently underway to assess the composition and calorific value of the discovery, along with isotope studies to understand the origin of the hydrocarbons.

This marks the second confirmed hydrocarbon presence in the Andaman offshore block, after gas was earlier discovered in the second exploratory well, Vijayapuram-2 (Loc. OAEA), in September 2025.

Out of the three exploratory wells drilled so far in the block, two have now indicated hydrocarbon presence.

The company described the latest find as a “leading indicator” of a possible source, migration pathway, or accumulation of hydrocarbons in the area, which is expected to help refine its future exploration strategy.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) On the occasion of World Environment Day on Friday, Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced two major biogas projects involving a total investment of Rs 150 crore, as the country's largest carmaker strengthens its commitment to sustainable manufacturing and clean energy adoption.

The company said it will establish a new biogas plant with a capacity of 10 tonnes per day (TPD) at its Kharkhoda facility in Haryana.

The project is expected to be commissioned during the current financial year. In addition, Maruti Suzuki has expanded the capacity of its existing biogas plant at the Manesar facility from 0.2 TPD to 0.7 TPD.

The automaker said the initiatives are aligned with the government's 'Waste-to-Wealth' mission and are aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels while promoting renewable energy solutions across its operations.

According to the company, the upcoming Kharkhoda biogas plant will help mitigate around 9,490 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually at full capacity.

The plant is also expected to meet nearly 20 per cent of the facility's total gas requirement.

Commenting on the initiatives, Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the company has been consistently pursuing measures to reduce fossil fuel consumption and dependence on imported oil.

“At a time when the world is navigating an increasingly uncertain energy landscape, such initiatives assume greater significance,” he stated.

“As the Prime Minister of India has called for reducing dependence on fossil fuels, the commissioning of our biogas project comes at an appropriate time. It enables us to contribute, in a modest but meaningful way, to the current national priority alongside several other ongoing efforts,” Takeuchi mentioned.

Meanwhile, the expanded biogas plant at Manesar is projected to generate about 3.6 lakh standard cubic metres of biogas every year.

The company estimates that the project will help avoid approximately 664 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

The Manesar plant uses food waste, Napier grass and paddy straw as feedstock and can further increase output through the use of cattle dung.

The facility employs anaerobic digestion technology to convert agricultural and organic waste into biogas, which is used in paint shop heating processes and canteen operations.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) IndiGo on Thursday announced temporary adjustments to a limited segment of its international network, citing softer demand in the upcoming quarter and a challenging cost environment, with services to several Southeast and East Asian destinations set to be suspended from July 2026.

The airline said it will temporarily suspend operations to Langkawi, Krabi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Shanghai starting July 1, 2026, while flights to Siem Reap will be suspended from July 3, 2026.

These suspensions will remain in place until September 30, 2026, after which bookings for all affected routes are expected to resume from October 1, 2026.

However, the airline noted that it remains open to reinstating services earlier if market conditions improve, subject to operational feasibility and advance planning timelines.

“IndiGo will resume bookings for all the impacted services starting 1 October 2026; however, should the environment become favourable, IndiGo stands prepared to reinstate these services earlier than scheduled, in appropriate lead time,” the low-cost carrier said.

IndiGo said that despite the temporary realignment, it has managed to retain the majority of its international operations, operating over 1,800 weekly international flights.

The airline described the changes as a measured step aimed at aligning capacity with prevailing demand trends while maintaining network reliability and operational integrity across its global destinations.

The airline added that it will continue to monitor market conditions closely amid elevated operating costs and ongoing airspace restrictions.

It said the decision reflects a proactive approach to capacity management designed to minimise disruptions for passengers while ensuring operational efficiency during a period of volatility in the aviation sector.

IndiGo further stated that affected customers will be proactively informed about changes to their bookings and advised passengers to check the latest flight schedules before planning their travel.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Amid the evolving situation in West Asia, the government has stepped up efforts to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply and maintain stability across key sectors, with 1.43 crore domestic LPG cylinders delivered against bookings of around 1.50 crore cylinders in the last three days, it was announced on Thursday.

The government said that despite disruptions linked to the prevailing geopolitical situation, LPG supply to domestic households has been prioritised to ensure uninterrupted availability.

They added that no dry-outs have been reported at LPG distributorships across the country, indicating steady supply management.

“In the last 3 days, about 1.43 crore LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of around 1.50 Crore LPG cylinders,” the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas said.

The government further noted a sharp rise in digital and secure delivery mechanisms, with online LPG cylinder bookings increasing to about 99 per cent on an industry basis in the last 24 hours.

Delivery Authentication Code (DAC)-based deliveries have also been scaled up to around 96 per cent, aimed at preventing diversion at the distributor level.

The DAC system is sent to the registered mobile number of consumers to verify and authenticate deliveries.

On the commercial LPG front, the government has decided to cap total commercial allocation at 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels, including a 10 per cent reform-based component.

During the same three-day period, about 1.57 lakh 5-kg FTL cylinders were sold, along with around 9,200 cylinders distributed through approximately 520 camps.

Officials also reported that a total of 19,372 metric tonnes of commercial LPG and around 649 metric tonnes of auto LPG were sold by PSU oil marketing companies in the last three days.

The government said these measures are part of a coordinated strategy to ensure fuel security, maintain supply chains, and protect consumers during a period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) IndiGo on Tuesday said it will temporarily discontinue its flight operations to and from Manchester, with effect from August 31, due to continuing international airspace constraints leading to significantly increased flight duration and a challenging cost environment.

The airline said it plans to return one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, taken on damp/wet lease, to Norse Atlantic Airways.

IndiGo said it will notify affected customers in advance and assist them with all possible options, including alternate travel arrangements or refunds, where applicable. It will continue to operate all its remaining long-haul flights as planned.

IndiGo had damp leased six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Norse Atlantic Airways in early 2025.

The objective behind this project was to make strategic inroads to establish the IndiGo brand in the European market, ahead of the commencement of services using its own Airbus A350 aircraft.

However, the airline has since experienced a significant impact of prevailing industry‑wide challenges, including geopolitical developments in the Middle East, rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs, severe airspace constraints, and foreign exchange volatility resulting in operating costs being considerably higher than originally envisaged.

“It is unfortunate that longer flying times due to airspace constraints coupled with dramatically escalating costs compelled us to take the decision to temporarily discontinue our India–Manchester services,” said Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President-Network Planning and Revenue Management, IndiGo.

“We would like to thank our customers, trade partners in India and in the UK, and Manchester Airport for their amazing support. The response and support for these services have reinforced our belief in the opportunity for IndiGo’s long-haul ambitions, and this discontinuation is temporary in nature,” he added.

—IANS

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Seoul, June 2 (IANS) Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of US chip giant Nvidia, met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in Taipei to discuss the future of cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) memory.

The meeting took place in Taipei, according to a post on SK Group's Facebook account. Both executives were in the Taiwanese capital to attend Computex, one of Asia's largest technology trade shows.

"With SK hynix reaching a market capitalisation of US$1 trillion, the executives of both companies met to share the significance of the milestone," the post said, reports Yonhap news agency.

The gathering also provided an opportunity to reflect on the achievements the two companies have made together in AI memory and reaffirm their commitment to opening a new chapter in AI infrastructure, the post added.

Huang earlier cited robotics as a potential area for investment in South Korea ahead of his visit to the country later this week.

His trip to Seoul is expected to begin Thursday night, according to industry sources. On Friday, Huang is expected to hold a series of meetings with the heads of major South Korean conglomerates.

Among those expected to attend are Chey, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lee Hae-jin, founder and chairman of Naver's board. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung is also positively considering joining the discussions, the sources said.

Kim Taek-jin, the CEO of NC Corp., a South Korean gaming company, is also expected to meet with Huang on Sunday, according to industry sources.

A closed-door meeting with local robotics and AI startups is said to be planned for next Monday in Seoul, industry insiders said, including Upstage, which is a contender in a government-led competition for the developer of a homegrown AI foundation model.

Business observers say the upcoming talks could move beyond AI semiconductor cooperation to include robotics and physical AI, an emerging field focused on integrating AI with real-world machines and systems.

During his previous trip to Seoul in October, which coincided with his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, Huang drew widespread attention when he joined Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Chung for a late-night meal of Korean fried chicken and beer, commonly known as "chimaek."

Onlookers in South Korea already appear to be excited over Huang's visit, with a website predicting his itinerary drawing attention online.

According to industry watchers, an individual under the name of "Jun" created an online map tracking possible movements of Huang and news reports related to the CEO's planned visit.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, on Monday said he met 17 of India’s most compelling startup founders, most of them building at the frontiers of deep tech.

“It was inspiring, but more than that, it was a reminder. The next India will not be built in silos. It will be built at the intersection of founders, infrastructure, capital, energy, logistics, AI, space and talent,” said the billionaire industrialist.

“Founders build companies. Ecosystems build nations,” Gautam Adani added.

The Adani Group Chairman said on Sunday the conglomerate was focusing on accelerating investments across energy, transport, logistics and digital infrastructure as part of the next phase of growth.

The Adani Group Chairman described the Rs 24,930 crore rights issue in the company’s flagship Adani Enterprises as a vote of confidence from investors, at a time when the conglomerate faced questions over governance and regulatory issues.

"Even though it was a year in which the world grew more fractured, complex energy security models returned to the centre of national strategy and technology became inseparable from sovereignty, Adani Group remained anchored to an unwavering belief - India's future cannot wait. While others debated, the Group built, advancing its journey as the world's most integrated infrastructure platform - across energy, transport, logistics, utilities and industrial manufacturing," Gautam Adani said.

And this progress did not come in calm conditions for the ports-to-energy conglomerate.

"It came in the middle of extraordinary scrutiny. However, we did not bend. We did not pause," he remarked.

"Because what we have always been defined by is: Not the noise that surrounds us, but the strength of our response. Not the intensity of the challenge, but the clarity of our purpose. Not the criticism, but the nation-building we continue to believe in," the Adani Group Chairman said.

—IANS

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Mumbai, June 1 (IANS) The CBI has arrested top executive of Reliance Communication Group, Amitabh Jhunjhunwala for causing a loss of over 6,000 crore to an SBI-led consortium of banks. He was the Group Managing Director of Reliance Communications group at the relevant time and was controlling the affairs of important functions like corporate finance, banking and utilisation of funds, according to a CBI statement issued on Monday.

Jhunjhunwala coordinated with senior formations of the bank for loans and advances. Based on his directions, loan funds received from the banks were managed or utilised by other officials of the Rcom group. It is alleged that due to misutilisation of loan funds, the banks suffered wrongful losses.

He was instrumental in getting loans from various banks. As the company did not pay the amounts back, the accounts have become NPAs (non-performing assets). He was taking instructions from the promoters of the Reliance Communications Group companies, the statement said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered this FIR on the basis of a complaint received from the State Bank of India against Reliance Communications Limited and Anil D. Ambani for allegedly causing a loss of Rs. 2,929.05 crore to the bank.

Term Loans were sanctioned to Reliance Communications Limited by the consortium of 11 banks led by the State Bank of India, who together suffered a loss of 6,015 crores. Further, as per the complaint, the total exposure towards RCom amounted to Rs. 19,694.33 crore involving 17 PSU Banks.

CBI has also registered another 6 FIRs against RCom, RHFL, RCFL and RTL based on the complaints given by various public sector banks and LIC. These cases are under investigation. The investigation of these cases is being monitored by the Supreme Court.

Amitabh Jhunjhunwala was in judicial custody in a case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate, Delhi, and was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. In order to take him into custody in the present case, production warrants were obtained from the Special Judge, Mumbai.

The jail authorities had referred the accused to AIIMS, New Delhi, for a medical examination. Following examination by the Medical Board of AIIMS, Jhunjhunwala was declared fit to travel. Accordingly, he was brought to Mumbai and produced before the Court, Mumbai, on June 1.

After his production, the CBI affected his formal arrest, which was taken on record by the Court. Thereafter, the accused was remanded to judicial custody in the RCom case of the CBI and sent to Arthur Road Jail. His police custody petition will be taken up tomorrow, the statement explained.

The CBI had filed its first chargesheet in the Rcom case on 29th May 2026 against 16 accused which included the company, five senior executives of RCom and 10 bank officials.

--IANS

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New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) The debate over digital security in education systems has intensified after the maker of the widely used Canvas platform reached a deal with hackers following a major cyberattack that disrupted thousands of universities and colleges globally, according to multiple reports.

While concerns are now being raised about the robustness of systems handling sensitive student data, including exam records and answer sheets in cloud storage such as those under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) ecosystem, the Canvas breach has highlighted the growing vulnerability of large-scale education infrastructure.

US-headquartered Instructure -- which operates Canvas LMS -- confirmed that it has reached an agreement with the hackers behind April’s cyberattack, which impacted an estimated 9,000 institutions across the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Reports said the breach led to widespread disruption, including interruptions during exams after the Canvas platform went down.

The attackers had claimed to have stolen around 3.5 terabytes of student and institutional data and threatened to publish it online unless a ransom was paid.

Reports suggest that Instructure said the hackers have claimed to have deleted the stolen data and assured that no customers would be further extorted under the agreement.

While the company has not confirmed any financial transaction, cyber experts note that such agreements are often associated with ransom negotiations conducted through encrypted channels.

According to Instructure, the agreement includes confirmation that the data has been returned, digital verification of its deletion and assurances that affected customers will not be targeted further.

The breach was discovered on April 29 and claimed by the Shiny Hunters extortion group, which has previously been linked to multiple global cyber incidents.

Notably, Canvas LMS, a learning management system, was impacted by both the data breach and service outage.

Instructure said it was investigating a cybersecurity incident involving certain user data, including names, email addresses, student ID numbers and messages exchanged among users.

The company added that there was no evidence that passwords, dates of birth, government identification numbers or financial information were accessed in the breach.

--IANS

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New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) IT major TCS said that a brief technical issue caused a delay of around two hours in the Common University Entrance Test (CUET)-UG examination in the morning shift on Saturday.

K. Krithivasan, CEO and MD, TCS, said in a statement that the issue was promptly identified and resolved by “our technical teams and the examination has since resumed without any impact to the sanctity of the exam”.

“We regret the inconvenience. Our teams are actively monitoring all systems. We remain committed to working closely with NTA to ensure seamless conduct of the computer-based tests,” said Krithivasan.

Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced revised timings for the Common University Entrance Test for admission to undergraduate courses (CUET-UG) in 2026, after a "technical glitch" delayed the examination at some centres on May 30.

In a post on X, the NTA blamed its service provider, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), for the glitch. "M/s TCS has reported that a technical glitch at their end delayed the commencement of CUET (UG) 2026 at some centres on 30.05.2026," it said.

However, the NTA stated that the issue has now been resolved. "The issue has since been resolved, and the exam is being conducted with full compensatory time so that no candidate is disadvantaged."

It added that the morning-session candidates are being given "the full duration of the paper and may exit only after completing it". The NTA said that it sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to students and parents.

The CUET provides a common platform and equal opportunities to candidates across the country, especially those from rural and other remote areas, and help establish better connections with the universities.

The registration for CUET-UG 2026 began from the first week of April. In 2025, 13.54 lakh students had registered for CEUT-UG 2025.

--IANS

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