Science & Technology

38 items tagged Science & Technology.

• 2026-09-26

  Technology Development Board signs Rs 200 crore agreement with Agnikul Cosmos to develop a fully reusable Agnibaan launch vehicle

  The Technology Development Board, under the Department of Science and Technology, signed an agreement on 25 September 2026 with Chennai based Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited for Rs 200 crore in financial support under the Research Development and Innovation Fund, to be provided through Optionally Convertible Debentures. The project aims to develop a fully reusable version of Agnikul's Agnibaan launch vehicle, taking the underlying technology from Technology Readiness Level 4 and above to Level 8, using a lightweight upper stage and a semi-cryogenic propulsion system capable of deep throttling and restart. Agnikul had earlier developed Agnibaan, India's first launch vehicle to fly with a single piece 3D printed engine, the Agnilet.

• 2026-09-24

  NIT Srinagar becomes first NIT with a dedicated campus observatory for astronomy and astrophysics

  The National Institute of Technology, Srinagar inaugurated the Observatory for Astronomy and Astrophysics (NSOAA) on 22 September 2026, becoming the first NIT in the country to have a dedicated campus based observatory. Its centrepiece is a 14 inch Celestron C14 EdgeHD aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope mounted on a computerised equatorial system, supported by planetary and cooled deep sky cameras, LRGB filters and high speed imaging equipment capable of observing the Moon, planets, nebulae, star clusters and distant galaxies. The facility was developed with scientific guidance from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and is intended to support student training, astrophotography and public outreach across Jammu and Kashmir.

• 2026-09-21

  Cochin Shipyard lays keel for Indian Navy's first Next Generation Missile Vessel

  Cochin Shipyard Limited held the keel laying ceremony for the first of six Next Generation Missile Vessels being built for the Indian Navy at Kochi on 18 September 2026, with Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, as chief guest. The NGMVs, ordered under a contract signed with the Navy in March 2023, are high speed stealth corvettes designed for anti-surface warfare and maritime strike operations, intended to act as a potent instrument of sea denial at maritime choke points, and will be armed with missiles such as BrahMos. The defence ministry said the project's major role defining equipment is being indigenously developed and manufactured, in line with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India objectives.

• 2026-09-14

  India's first Vande Bharat Freight EMU completes 130 kmph trial run

  India's first Vande Bharat Freight EMU, a 16 coach rake designed to carry parcels and other high value cargo at higher speeds, completed a trial run touching 130 kilometres per hour on the Ahmedabad to Vadodara to Mumbai Central section of Western Railway on 12 and 13 September 2026. The trial, conducted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation with a payload of about 20 tonnes axle load, is intended to serve sectors such as e-commerce, courier services, electronics, pharmaceuticals and cold chain logistics that need faster, more reliable freight movement than conventional goods trains. The rake had earlier touched higher speeds in trials without payload, and commercial operations will begin only after final performance data collection and RDSO safety certification.

• 2026-09-13

  BRICS backs peaceful use of space, reaffirms bid to prevent an arms race in outer space

  The BRICS New Delhi Declaration reaffirmed support for the peaceful use of outer space and for preventing an arms race in outer space, referred to as PAROS, along with opposing the weaponisation of space and the use of force against space objects. Leaders welcomed progress on the BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, a shared network of earth observation satellites, and on finalising amendments to let new BRICS space agencies join it, as well as on drafting terms of reference for a proposed BRICS Space Council. The declaration also referred to the 2014 Draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space submitted to the UN Conference on Disarmament, and backed non binding transparency and confidence building measures as a practical step toward an eventual legally binding PAROS instrument.

• 2026-09-11

  India and France sign three private sector space agreements at the Paris Space Summit

  India and France signed three space sector agreements at the International Space Summit held in Paris on 9 and 10 September 2026, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed by video conference. France's Safran Space and India's Dhruva Space signed a contract worth more than 5 million euros for surveillance technologies that will feed into India's planned Space Based Surveillance constellation of 52 satellites, to be deployed between 2027 and 2030. Separately, France's U Space and India's AXISCADES signed a commercial cooperation agreement to jointly develop India's microsatellite market under the Make in India framework. Both agreements build on more than five decades of cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation and the French space agency CNES.

• 2026-09-11

  UIDAI says it is working to make Aadhaar interoperable internationally

  UIDAI Chief Executive Officer Saurabh Vijay said at a fireside chat during the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai that the authority's focus is now on making Aadhaar interoperable internationally, with proof of concept projects already under way and the legal framework being adapted to support this. Vijay said UIDAI is also working on policies that would let Overseas Citizens of India use Aadhaar to ease investment into the country, and is developing a lighter product called Aadhaar Lite with guidelines to follow soon. Separately, UIDAI Chairman Neelkanth Mishra said at the same event that Aadhaar authentications, currently around 100 million a day, are being scaled to handle 250 to 300 million a day, and UIDAI launched a new Aadhaar face authentication software development kit letting partner banks run verification on their own servers.

• 2026-09-10

  GRSE launches India's first advanced Ocean Research Vessel, Sagar Manthan

  Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) launched India's first indigenously built advanced Ocean Research Vessel, ORV Sagar Manthan, at its Rishi Bankim Shipyard in Kolkata on 9 September 2026. The 89.5 metre, 5,900 tonne vessel is being built for the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and will eventually replace the 43 year old ORV Sagar Kanya as India's advanced oceanographic research platform. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who was chief guest at the launch, noted that the vessel was launched within two years of contract signing and about five months after its keel was laid. Once delivered by early 2028 at a cost of about Rs 840 crore, Sagar Manthan will be capable of underway multibeam and geophysical seismic surveys at depths of up to 6,000 metres in the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Southern Ocean.

• 2026-09-09

  ISRO's EOS-05 completes final orbit-raising manoeuvre, reaches geosynchronous orbit

  ISRO completed the third and final orbit-raising manoeuvre of its EOS-05 satellite at 8.57 pm on 7 September 2026, firing the Liquid Apogee Motor for 1,247 seconds and placing the satellite into a near circular orbit of about 34,903 km by 35,884 km. EOS-05, launched aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket on 4 September, is India's first imaging or Earth observation satellite designed to operate from geosynchronous orbit, distinct from India's long-standing GSAT communication satellites in that same class of orbit, and will undergo health and systems checks over the coming days before its imaging payload is activated. Two earlier orbit-raising manoeuvres on 5 and 6 September had already reshaped the satellite's orbit from its initial sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

• 2026-09-09

  India's first genome-wide study links 21 genetic regions to endometriosis

  A study led by the ICMR, National Institute for Research on Women's Health in Mumbai has identified 21 suggestive genetic regions associated with endometriosis in Indian women, described by its researchers as the first genome-wide association study of the disease from India and South Asia. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the study analysed genetic data from 2,523 participants gathered across 18 centres nationwide under the Endometriosis Clinical and Genetic Research in India initiative, and found the strongest signal near the LINC00415/SHISA2 region on chromosome 13. The researchers said the findings are not yet ready for clinical use or individual risk prediction, but provide a foundation for future genetic studies of endometriosis in South Asian populations.

• 2026-09-08

  Indian led team shows a well timed flip can delay or avoid entanglement sudden death

  Scientists have shown that applying a single well timed flip operation can delay, and in some cases entirely prevent, the abrupt loss of quantum entanglement known as entanglement sudden death, without any change to the hardware. Entanglement links the state of one particle to another and is a core resource in quantum systems, but it decays as particles interact with their environment, and it can vanish at a finite time well before that decay is complete. The team, from the Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology, with the University of Calgary and Louisiana State University, mimicked a two level system using the polarisation of light and used a waveplate to swap the populations of the excited and ground states, finding that the moment the operation is applied determines whether the loss is hastened, delayed or avoided. The work was partly funded by the Department of Science and Technology's National Quantum Mission and was published in the American Physical Society journal Physical Review A in July.

• 2026-09-08

  Luxembourg proposes concrete space and emerging technology collaboration with India

  Lex Delles, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism, called on Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh on 7 September 2026 and proposed identifying concrete areas of collaboration, primarily in space and also in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, advanced materials and life sciences. India and Luxembourg already have a memorandum of understanding on the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes signed in February 2022, and the partnership has a commercial dimension that includes transponder leasing and the launch of two Luxembourg satellites on commercial terms aboard the PSLV. IN-SPACe and the Luxembourg Space Agency have been working to connect the two countries' space ecosystems, with Earth observation imagery, communication transponders, launch services and ground stations identified as areas of interest. Jitendra Singh set out India's longer term goals of an Indian space station by 2035 and a human landing on the Moon by 2040, and both sides discussed a proposed State Visit from Luxembourg in January 2027.

• 2026-09-07

  ISRO rejects reports of privatisation, says role will remain central to space reforms

  The Indian Space Research Organisation on 6 September 2026 rejected media reports suggesting it was being privatised or that its role in India's space programme was being reduced, terming such claims completely baseless. The clarification came days after nine employee associations representing thousands of ISRO staff wrote to ISRO chairman and Department of Space secretary V Narayanan seeking clarity on a reported proposal to shift the agency's manufacturing and operational work to private companies. ISRO said transferring mature technologies to industry enables large scale production and commercialisation while allowing the organisation to focus on advanced research, next generation technologies and complex national missions, with ownership and control of critical national space infrastructure remaining with the government.

• 2026-09-07

  IAF's Sarang helicopter team reaches Egypt for El Alamein International Airshow

  The Indian Air Force's Sarang Helicopter Display Team reached Egypt on 6 September 2026 to participate in the second edition of the El Alamein International Airshow, scheduled from 8 to 10 September at El Alamein International Airport. Flying the indigenously designed and manufactured Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Sarang is the world's only five helicopter aerobatic display team and will showcase manoeuvres including its signature Dolphin Leap along with a new Spot Stall Turn. The IAF described the participation as another milestone in its international engagements, reflecting growing defence and diplomatic ties between India and Egypt.

• 2026-09-07

  6th RISE Conclave in Kolkata spotlights India's Tier-2 and Tier-3 startup ecosystem

  Union Minister Jitendra Singh, addressing the inaugural session of the 6th RISE Conclave 2026 in Kolkata on 6 September, said more than half of India's startups are based outside metro cities and called for stronger linkages between science, startups and industry to move indigenous technologies from laboratories to the marketplace. The two day conclave, held on 6 and 7 September at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in Salt Lake, is organised jointly by four CSIR laboratories around a 'Minerals, Medicine, Materials and Machines' framework, and features eight memoranda of understanding, four technology transfers and two product launches. Singh also referred to the government's one lakh crore rupee Research, Development and Innovation Fund and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation as instruments to encourage high risk, high reward research.

• 2026-09-06

  ISRO tests semi-cryogenic engine power head at full 200 tonne thrust

  The Indian Space Research Organisation conducted the ninth hot test of its Semi-Cryogenic Engine Power Head Test Article at the ISRO Propulsion Research Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, on 5 September 2026. It was the first time the test article was fired at its full thrust level of 200 tonnes, having previously been tested at 47, 60 and 88 percent thrust in earlier trials. The 35 second test, which sustained full thrust for 5 seconds, also validated the switch over of propellant supply from a low pressure start tank to a medium pressure run tank, a step needed for longer duration tests ahead.

• 2026-09-05

  Department of Biotechnology launches BIO-NIVESH platform to connect biotech startups with investors

  Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched BIO-NIVESH on 3 September 2026, a platform designed to strengthen engagement between biotechnology innovators and private investors and catalyse the flow of private capital into biotechnology innovations for scale up and commercialisation. The platform functions under the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, or BIRAC, which has been designated a Second Level Fund Manager for biotechnology under the Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Fund. The inaugural edition brought together 20 biotechnology and deep tech startups with around 50 investors, and the government plans to hold subsequent editions across other cities.

• 2026-09-04

  ISRO's GSLV-F17 successfully launches India's first geosynchronous imaging satellite EOS-05

  The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F17 successfully placed the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite into its intended Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, 18 minutes after lifting off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2.55 a.m. on 4 September 2026. Weighing 2,367 kilograms, EOS-05 is India's first ever imaging satellite designed to operate from Geosynchronous orbit, about 36,000 kilometres above Earth, and will provide real time imagery for agriculture, environment and disaster management once operational. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said this was the 107th launch from Sriharikota and the 19th flight of the GSLV, and the space agency's first successful launch since the failure of the PSLV-C62 mission in January 2026. The EOS-05 mission replaces the payload lost when the GSLV-F10/EOS-03 mission failed in August 2021 due to a cryogenic upper stage anomaly.

• 2026-09-03

  IAF successfully trials indigenous Long Range Glide Bomb Khagantak-243

  The Indian Air Force successfully conducted the drop trial of an indigenously designed and developed Long Range Glide Bomb, Khagantak-243, on 2 September 2026. Long range glide bombs allow combat aircraft to strike targets from stand off distances while staying outside the range of many enemy air defence systems, increasing the safety of the launching aircraft. The IAF said the trial met all its objectives and called it a significant milestone for the Air Force and Indian industry under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The development is part of a sustained push by the government and armed forces to reduce dependence on imported precision strike weapons.

• 2026-09-02

  C-DOT unveils 14 indigenous quantum products at its 43rd Foundation Day

  The Centre for Development of Telematics unveiled a series of 14 indigenous quantum products at its 43rd Foundation Day celebrations in New Delhi on 31 August 2026. The products span Quantum Key Distribution hardware, Post Quantum Cryptography encryptors, and specialised sub-components and endpoint devices for telecom, enterprise and defence applications. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister of State Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani addressed the event, describing the products as part of a quantum safe transition for India's communication networks ahead of future 6G architectures, and Scindia called on C-DOT to move from research into international commercial marketing of these products.

• 2026-09-01

  ISRO to end seven month launch pause with GISAT-1A on 4 September

  The Indian Space Research Organisation announced on 31 August 2026 that it will launch the earth observation satellite EOS-05, also called GISAT-1A, aboard the GSLV-F17 rocket from Sriharikota on 4 September 2026. The launch will end a seven month operational pause for ISRO since the PSLV-C62 mission, carrying the EOS-N1 satellite, failed shortly after liftoff on 12 January 2026. GISAT-1A is a replacement for the original GISAT-1, also known as EOS-03, which was lost in August 2021 after the cryogenic upper stage of its launch vehicle failed to ignite.

• 2026-08-29

  India signs agreement with United States for Javelin anti-tank missile system

  India and the United States signed an agreement on Friday (28 August 2026) for the procurement of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, the US Embassy in New Delhi said. The Javelin is a medium range, fire and forget anti-tank guided missile that can be operated by a single soldier and is designed to engage armoured vehicles and fortified positions. The US Embassy said the agreement demonstrated the growing depth of the US India Major Defence Partnership and opened the way for greater cooperation between the two countries and their defence industries, with Bharat Dynamics Limited having earlier signed an agreement with the Javelin Joint Venture to explore future co-production in India.

• 2026-08-28

  HAL and Safran sign contract to jointly develop 'Aravalli' helicopter engine

  Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Safran Helicopter Engines signed a contract on 26 August 2026, through their fifty-fifty joint venture SAFHAL Helicopter Engines, to jointly design, develop and manufacture a new generation high power helicopter engine named 'Aravalli'. The engine, in the 3,500 to 4,000 shaft horsepower class, will power India's upcoming 13 tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter and its naval variant, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter, with manufacturing planned at a facility in Tumakuru, Karnataka. Design and development is expected to be completed by 2032 to 33, and the programme marks the first time a high power helicopter engine has been designed and developed in India rather than assembled under licence.

• 2026-08-26

  Defence Minister approves transfer of DRDO conventional missile technology to industry

  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved on 25 August 2026 the transfer of DRDO developed technologies for all conventional missile systems to the Indian defence industry for production within the country. The Ministry of Defence said the move will promote greater participation of domestic industry in the defence ecosystem by enabling qualified companies to undertake indigenous production, subject to applicable qualifications, certifications and regulatory requirements. The approval covers conventional missile systems, meaning those that carry conventional warheads to strike adversary ships, combat aircraft and ground targets, or to defend against incoming threats, and is meant to speed the transition of these weapons from development to production, expanding the private sector's role in missile manufacturing that was previously dominated by public sector entities.

• 2026-08-24

  Rajnath Singh lays foundation for Rs 3,500 crore GRSE and Yantra India expansion

  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually laid the foundation stone on 23 August 2026 for five brownfield expansion projects of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Yantra India Limited (YIL) in West Bengal, comprising three GRSE projects and two YIL facilities worth nearly Rs 3,500 crore. As part of its expansion, GRSE has leased two small shipyards from the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port on either bank of the Hooghly, along with a 32-acre riverside property at Raichak, to expand its warship construction, refit and commercial vessel capacity; Bhumi Pujan ceremonies were held simultaneously at Kidderpore, Shalimar, Raichak and Ishapore. At Yantra India's Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore, two Industry 4.0-equipped facilities worth over Rs 750 crore will strengthen indigenous metallurgical and defence manufacturing, reducing import dependence for the defence, railway and strategic sectors.

• 2026-08-24

  Assam nears private-partner selection to build its own satellite, AssamSAT

  Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on 23 August 2026 that the state is in the final stage of selecting a private-sector partner to build and launch 'AssamSAT' under the DBLOTT (Design, Build, Launch, Operate, Train and Transfer) model, which would make Assam the first Indian state with its own earth observation satellite system. The project is being developed in collaboration with IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) under the Department of Space, after the state floated Expressions of Interest earlier this year and received strong interest from private space companies. The satellite is intended to provide continuous data for agriculture, disaster management, infrastructure development and border security, shifting Assam from a user of satellite data to an active participant in the space-tech ecosystem.

• 2026-08-24

  ICMR clarifies no new H1N1 strain behind India's rising flu cases

  The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said on 23 August 2026 that the Influenza A(H1N1) viruses currently circulating in India belong to the existing A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1) pdm09-like strain, clarifying that no new H1N1 strain has emerged despite a rise in cases this monsoon. ICMR said these strains are well matched with the vaccine strains recommended for the Northern Hemisphere, and that seasonal influenza, including H1N1, is mostly self-limiting. Delhi has recorded 1,777 confirmed H1N1 cases so far this year, including 114 new cases on 20 August, while Karnataka has logged over 4,000 cases, more than half of them in Bengaluru.

• 2026-08-23

  Army raises its first Baaz Battalion of drones in Punjab

  The Indian Army has raised its first Baaz Battalion, a dedicated unit for drone operations, under the Jalandhar-based Vajra Corps (11 Corps), known as the defenders of Punjab, it was reported on 22 August 2026. The battalion is named after 'Baaz', a bird of prey, and is meant to enhance aerial agility, responsiveness and battlefield reach, serving as the Corps' 'eyes in the sky'. The Vajra Corps' General Officer Commanding said technology, innovation and operational excellence would sharpen the aerial edge for the future battlefield.

• 2026-08-23

  Cochin Shipyard delivers 'Mangrol', third indigenous anti-submarine warfare craft, to Navy

  Cochin Shipyard Limited delivered 'Mangrol', the third of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWCs) it is indigenously designing and building for the Indian Navy, on 21 August 2026. Built to Det Norske Veritas classification rules with approximately 80 per cent indigenous content, the vessel is powered by a diesel engine-waterjet propulsion system and carries lightweight torpedoes, indigenous ASW rockets and shallow-water sonars for anti-submarine, search and rescue, and mine-laying operations in coastal waters. The ship is named after the coastal township of Mangrol in Gujarat's Surat district.

• 2026-08-23

  Union Minister calls for India to move from 'Pharmacy of the World' to 'Laboratory of the World'

  Addressing the IIMA Healthcare Summit 2026 in Ahmedabad on 23 August 2026, Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel said India must move beyond its identity as the 'Pharmacy of the World' to become the 'Laboratory of the World', driven by research, innovation and artificial intelligence in drug discovery, personalised treatment and disease surveillance. She said AI adoption in healthcare must remain safe, responsible and complementary to clinical judgement, and highlighted Centres of Excellence for AI in healthcare set up at AIIMS New Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Rishikesh, alongside the government's Rs 5,000 crore Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme.

• 2026-08-22

  Aadhaar app crosses 5 crore downloads

  The Aadhaar mobile app crossed five crore downloads, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said on 20 August 2026, as UIDAI expands the app's role as a digital interface between residents and Aadhaar services. Through the app, Aadhaar holders can update their mobile number, address and email, lock or unlock their biometrics, and download an e-Aadhaar without visiting an enrolment centre; more than 60 lakh mobile number updates, 15 lakh address updates and 23 lakh email updates have been carried out through the app. UIDAI has also onboarded more than 200 entities as Offline Verification Seeking Entities, letting them verify identity through QR codes and digital documents without a live connection to UIDAI's database.

• 2026-08-21

  Indian scientists develop 'smart' cancer drug RK-251

  Researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, and IIT-Guwahati have developed RK-251, an experimental cancer drug designed to stay largely inactive in healthy tissue and activate mainly inside cancer cells. It exploits the elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) found in tumour cells: high ROS levels trigger the drug to release an anticancer compound, NBDHEX, that blocks proteins cancer cells use to survive. In preclinical tests, RK-251 showed strong activity against aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells with much lower effect on healthy cells, and caused no obvious toxicity in zebrafish embryo studies. The findings, published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, are still at the preclinical stage and have not been tested in humans.

• 2026-08-19

  Chandigarh University and ISRO host National Space Technology Conclave 2026

  Chandigarh University's Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science and Technology, in collaboration with ISRO and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, hosted the two day National Space Technology Conclave 2026 on 17 and 18 August. Around 30 scientists, mission leaders and technologists from ISRO, IN-SPACe, NewSpace India Limited and the U R Rao Satellite Centre took part alongside industry leaders, deliberating on emerging space technologies for India's future missions across five roundtables and technology demonstrations. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla attended as special guest, and Chandigarh University said it became the first Indian university to unveil a Declaration on Space Technology for Viksit Bharat 2047.

• 2026-08-18

  NABARD's RSVC AMRIT platform launched for rural technology transfer

  Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, launched the RSVC AMRIT digital platform on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day. Developed by NABARD with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, the platform is meant to serve as the digital backbone of the RuTAG Smart Village Centre (RSVC) ecosystem, supporting technology discovery, validation, deployment tracking and knowledge sharing. NABARD currently supports eight RSVCs, which provide a structured, last mile route for validated technologies and startup solutions to reach rural communities across areas such as agriculture, renewable energy and water and sanitation.

• 2026-08-18

  NASA invites ISRO to join its Artemis Moon Base programme

  At the 9th India US Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on 5 and 6 August, NASA invited ISRO to participate in its Artemis Moon Base programme, a lunar South Pole base being developed under the Artemis Accords framework. India became the 27th signatory to the Artemis Accords on 21 June 2023. The invitation comes as India's own human spaceflight programme progresses, with the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission carrying the half humanoid Vyommitra targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026, ahead of two further uncrewed flights and India's maiden crewed orbital mission.

• 2026-08-17

  New deep sea shark species found off Kerala coast

  Scientists at the Zoological Survey of India described Apristurus drona, a new deepwater catshark found at the Kollam slope off Kerala's coast at depths of 400 to 650 metres, as part of the Deep Ocean Mission under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It was distinguished by more than five per cent genetic divergence from its closest relative, well above the usual threshold used to classify a new species.

• 2026-08-17

  PM sets target of 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047

  In his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on 15 August, the Prime Minister set a target of 100 GW of nuclear power generation capacity by 2047, with five new reactors to begin construction within this decade. He linked the target to the rising energy needs of semiconductor fabrication, artificial intelligence and data centres, and referred to progress in mastering fast breeder reactor technology as part of India's push for self-reliance in nuclear fuel.

• 2026-08-17

  PM highlights semiconductor self-reliance push

  In the same Independence Day address, the Prime Minister said three semiconductor fabrication plants in India had already been initiated, with another five to eight plants expected to come up over the next seven to eight years. He described this as a step towards reducing India's dependence on imported chips for electronics, telecommunications and defence applications, building on the incentives offered under the India Semiconductor Mission.