SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Google Cloud AI Hub, Visakhapatnam

• Valued at USD 15 billion — India's largest single FDI project, aiming to make Vizag a global AI/Cloud capital.
• Will feature 1 GW capacity hyperscale data centres in partnership with AdaniConneX and Nxtra by Airtel.
• Managed by Google subsidiary Raiden Infotech India, reflecting deepening global tech investment in Andhra Pradesh.

China Launches Pakistan's PRSC-EO3 Satellite

• Placed into orbit via Long March-6, the 640th mission of China's Long March series.
• PRSC-EO3 is an Earth-observation satellite developed indigenously by Pakistan's SUPARCO.

Vikram-1 — India's First Private Orbital Rocket

• Developed by Skyroot Aerospace; can carry payloads up to 350 kg into Low Earth Orbit.
• Flagged off from Skyroot's Max-Q campus in Hyderabad to Sriharikota for integration ahead of launch.

Coastal Atmospheric Research Testbed (C-ART), Visakhapatnam

• An IITM open-field observatory under Mission Mausam, strengthening coastal weather-prediction research.
• Andhra University provided campus land to enable continuous atmospheric monitoring.

Indigenous Silicon Photonics Solutions Launched

• MeitY unveiled a Photonics PDK and Test Engine at IIT Madras' CoE-CPPICS, with Malaysia and Bengaluru partners.
• The PDK provides over 50 verified components for designing Photonic Integrated Circuits within India.

ONGC-MRPL-OPaL Petrochemical Marketing JV

• Streamlines integrated petrochemical marketing across ONGC group companies, pending DIPAM approval.
• MRPL and OPaL are both ONGC subsidiaries involved in refining and petrochemical production respectively.

Long-Range Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile — Second Test

• DRDO's LR-AShM struck targets over 1,500 km away at speeds up to Mach 10.
• Based on a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) system maintaining around Mach 5 during the glide phase.

Sigma Advanced Systems-Rolls-Royce Deal

• A ₹3,800 crore, 7-year agreement to supply precision aerospace components for global programmes.
• Covers engine parts, assemblies and aerostructure components under an integrated India-UK platform.

ICMR's Priority Pathogen List

• Supports syndromic surveillance for faster outbreak detection across India's public-health system.
• Tracks symptom clusters like fever, respiratory illness and diarrhoea before lab confirmation is available.

India's Defence Production and Exports Surge

• Production reached ₹1.54 lakh crore (174% growth in a decade); exports hit ₹23,622 crore (34-fold rise).
• Announced by Dr Jitendra Singh at the North Tech Symposium 2026, Prayagraj.
• Defence Budget 2026-27 was set at ₹6.81 lakh crore, a 9.5% increase, reflecting sustained capability build-up.

SpaceX Launches South Korea's CAS500-2 Satellite

• Falcon 9's first-stage booster (B1071) completed its 33rd reused flight.
• CAS500-2 is a 534 kg high-resolution Earth-observation satellite built by KARI and KAI.

Type-IV Composite CNG Cylinders

• Backed by the Technology Development Board for commercial production, offering up to 75% weight reduction over steel.
• Uses advanced filament-winding and blow-moulding techniques for lighter, safer cylinders.

Pixxel-Sarvam AI's 'Pathfinder' Satellite

• India's first orbital AI data-centre satellite, carrying data-centre-grade GPUs for in-orbit processing.
• Sarvam AI will provide full-stack language models for in-orbit AI training and inference.

UIDAI-NFSU MoU on Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics

• A 5-year partnership to strengthen the Aadhaar ecosystem's cyber resilience.
• Focuses on AI-based anomaly detection, deepfake detection and cryptographic security.

O.P. Jindal Global University's DASCA Accreditation

• First Indian Institute of Eminence accredited by the Data Science Council of America.
• Awarded under DASCA's World Data Sciences & AI Initiative for internationally benchmarked standards.

Pixxel Secures US NRO Hyperspectral Contract

• Uses the six-satellite Firefly constellation, launched in 2025, for advanced Earth-observation imaging.
• Part of the NRO's Strategic Commercial Enhancements programme integrating commercial hyperspectral data.

'Lakshya 2047' Centre for Future Skills, Parul University

• Prepares youth for Viksit Bharat 2047 with training in quantum, AI, semiconductors and cybersecurity.
• Developed in collaboration with NSDC, Ethnotech and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

SATHI Facility Review at BHU Varanasi

• DST-supported interdisciplinary analytical facility strengthening research infrastructure access.
• SATHI stands for Sophisticated Analytical & Technical Help Institute, aiming to democratise access to advanced equipment.

CSIR-IIIM Jammu-JKEDI MoU

• Strengthens the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Focuses on incubation support, mentorship and market-linkage for aroma and allied-sector startups.

'Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar' 2026

• A coastal-cleanup campaign (12-19 September 2026) covering India's 11,098 km coastline.
• Culminates on International Coastal Cleanup Day, involving central and state ministries and local communities.

BIS Hosts ISO/TC 20/SC 14 Meeting

• First-ever India hosting of this global space-systems standards body, with 131 delegates from 13 countries.
• Held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, focusing on developing global space-operations standards.

CSIR-CBRI Transfers 13 Technologies

• Marked National Technology Day with technology transfers to industry and startups.
• CSIR-CBRI, based in Roorkee, specialises in sustainable building and construction research.

IMD's AI-Enabled Hyper-Local Weather Forecasting

• Jointly developed by IMD, IITM Pune and NCMRWF, including AI-based monsoon-advance forecasts.
• Provides probabilistic forecasts of monsoon progression up to 4 weeks in advance.

Indian Army Inducts ULPGM and AGNIKAA VTOL-1 Drones

• Developed by DRDO and Adani Defence & Aerospace, inducted under the Emergency Procurement-6 programme.
• Followed successful high-altitude, electronic-warfare and precision-strike trials.

NASA's Psyche Spacecraft Captures Mars Crescent View

• Imaged Mars from 8 million km away while using its gravity for a course-correcting 'gravity assist'.
• Psyche's ultimate destination is the metal-rich asteroid also named Psyche, in the asteroid belt.

Helix Cell Therapeutics' CAR-T Therapy Project

• An Indo-Singapore collaboration for dual-targeting CAR-T cell therapy against Multiple Myeloma.
• Backed by the Technology Development Board, with Phase I clinical trials planned.

Samsung Electronics Crosses $1 Trillion Valuation

• Became Asia's second company after TSMC to hit this milestone, driven by AI chip demand.
• Reflects surging global demand for advanced semiconductors used in AI infrastructure.

SVAMITVA Recognised as Global Governance Model

• IIM-A presented this drone-based rural land-mapping scheme (launched 2020) to the World Bank.
• Drone-based surveys have covered about 3.3 lakh of a targeted 3.44 lakh villages so far.

RDI Fund Scheme for Deep-Tech R&D

• Aims to accelerate private-sector participation in India's research and innovation ecosystem.
• Organised by the Technology Development Board at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

AB PM-JAY Auto-Adjudication Hackathon 2026

• NHA, IndiaAI Mission and IISc collaborated to improve AI-driven health-claims processing accuracy.
• Winning teams built AI solutions for clinical-document classification and radiology-report correlation.

India's First Integrated CCUS Field Lab, IIT Bombay

• Combines carbon capture and geological CO₂ storage research in Deccan Trap basalt formations.
• Includes India's first pilot-scale scientific drilling initiative to assess CO₂ storage potential.

Central Electronics Limited's 200 MW Solar Line

• Dedicated to the nation by Dr Jitendra Singh; CEL made India's first solar cell in 1977.
• Aligns with India's target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

India-Norway Science and Technology Agreements

• CSIR and DSIR signed cooperation pacts in Oslo during PM Modi's visit, led by DG Dr N. Kalaiselvi.
• Aims to boost bilateral R&D, startup engagement and institutional collaboration.

US Delegation Discusses Nuclear Investment with India

• NEI and USISPF representatives explored private-investment opportunities in India's civil nuclear sector.
• Reflects growing US-India cooperation in advanced energy technology.

Oldest Directly Dated Air Sample Discovered in Antarctica

• Found trapped in 6-million-year-old ice at Allan Hills, dated using argon isotope analysis.
• Provides valuable data on ancient atmospheric composition for climate research.

Nanogold-Embedded Flexible Films for Wearables

• Convert small temperature fluctuations into electrical signals for self-powered sensors.
• Supports next-generation wearable devices and autonomous environmental-monitoring sensors.

CSIR-NGRI Discovers Ancient Buried River Channel

• Located 10-15 m beneath the Prayagraj-Kanpur stretch, extending roughly 200 km.
• Palaeo-channels like this help scientists understand ancient hydrology and groundwater potential.

Liberty Mutual Raises LGI Stake to 74%

• Continued a steady rise from 49% (2023) to 55.40% (2025) and now 74%, reflecting sustained India commitment.
• Highlights growing foreign investor confidence in India's insurance sector post-FDI liberalisation.

'Suryastra' Rocket System Trials

• Achieved precise strikes up to 300 km off the Odisha coast, tested by NIBE Limited.
• Flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the launch of NIBE's Shirdi facility.

Russia's RS-28 Sarmat ICBM Test

• Known as 'Satan II', designed to replace the Soviet-era R-36M2 Voyevoda missile.
• Roughly 35 metres long and weighs over 208 tonnes, among the heaviest ICBMs in the world.

Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis — New Dinosaur Species

• Discovered in Thailand; the largest dinosaur found in Southeast Asia to date.
• Recovered fossils include spine, ribs, pelvis and leg bones, indicating a well-preserved specimen.

India's First BTR-1 Submission to UNFCCC

• Part of India's effort to strengthen its national greenhouse-gas inventory systems.
• A three-day knowledge-sharing workshop on GHG inventory was held at CSIR-IIP Dehradun.

'Plant-OpenCRISPR1' — World's First AI Genome-Editing Platform for Crops

• Developed by ICAR-CRRI Cuttack, led by Dr Kutubuddin Ali Molla, using rice as a model crop.
• Enables advanced gene knockout, base editing and prime editing in rice.

Vayu Astra-1 Loitering Munition Trials

• Operational range of 100 km, tested at Pokhran and Joshimath (Malari) by NIBE Limited.
• Trials demonstrated a No-Cost, No-Commitment (NCNC) evaluation model for defence procurement.

Agni-1 SRBM Test-Fired at Chandipur

• Conducted under the Strategic Forces Command, validating operational and technical parameters.
• Agni-1 is a single-stage, solid-fuelled, road-mobile missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads.

China's Shenzhou-23 Mission

• Carried three astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station for a planned year-long stay.
• Launched aboard the Long March-2F Y23 rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

ITBP's First All-Women Everest Expedition

• A 14-member team summited via the South Col Route from Nepal.
• Marks a milestone for gender representation in India's paramilitary mountaineering programmes.

NASA's $20 Billion Lunar Base Programme

• A three-phase plan targeting a permanent Moon base by March 2027 and crewed landings again in 2028 under Artemis.
• Involves robotic landers, lunar rovers and drones to support long-term human presence on the Moon.

'Khet Bachao Abhiyan' Reaches 2.71 Crore Citizens

• ICAR's nationwide soil-health and sustainable-agriculture campaign held over 12,979 awareness camps.
• Focuses on balanced fertiliser use and sustainable farming practices.

Light-Driven Nano-Catalyst for Cleaner Chemical Production

• Developed at INST Mohali to reduce toxic solvents and energy use in medicine manufacturing.
• Expected to make production of medicines and industrial chemicals cleaner and more cost-effective.

'Loktak Protocluster' — 12.6-Billion-Year-Old Galaxy Structure

• Discovered by Dr Ronaldo Laishram's team, associated with Japan's National Astronomical Observatory.
• Described as an ancient 'city of galaxies' formed in the early universe, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

11th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, New Delhi

• Chaired by S. Jaishankar; India to host the 2nd Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission.
• Key participants included representatives from Australia, Japan and the United States.

Google's 'Education Schoolers' AI Training Programme

• Announced at the Education World Forum, London, offering free AI training for Indian teachers.
• Provides mobile-first training on responsible AI-tool use, including Gemini, in classrooms.