AAPI: August 2026

DELHI, August 2026

Index of this Newsletter

INDIA

INDIA & THE WORLD

21. Why are 100 sheep working at Volkswagen's solar-powered factory in Poland?
22. 2026 BYD Sealion 7 offers bigger battery, faster charging: Available from as low as RM160k
23. Ex-McKinsey leader returns to India after 13 years in the US
24. Iran and Ukraine clashes show regional wars are spiralling into 'global conflict'
25. He topped IIT-JEE with AIR 1, turned down computer science, chose physics instead — today his discoveries are taught around the world

* * *

DELHI, August 2026

NEWSLETTER, August 2026

INDIA

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

1. India's bioeconomy to hit $691B by 2035, create 30M jobs: NITI Aayog

Newsable, Asianet News Central, July 16 2026

Key takeaways

Economic Impact: India's bioeconomy is projected to reach $691B by 2035, creating 30M high-value jobs and positioning the country among the top three global biotechnology powers.

Strategic Roadmap: Focus areas include biomanufacturing, AI-enabled biotech, regulatory reforms, and industry participation, aiming for a $6T bioeconomy by 2047, contributing 8-10% of GDP.

Innovation & Funding: Plans include six National BioMissions, a Rs 50,000-crore BioEconomy Growth Fund, faster approvals, PLI-style incentives, and initiatives to develop domestic biotech talent and capabilities.

India's bioeconomy can expand to USD 691 billion by 2035, create over 30 million high-value jobs and position the country among the world's top three biotechnology powers, according to a roadmap unveiled by NITI Aayog on Thursday, as Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said India is ready to take a leadership role in the next wave of biotechnology-driven growth.

Launching the Roadmap for Building India as a Leading Bioeconomy Powerhouse by 2035, Singh said the "fourth industrial revolution is being driven by biotechnology" and noted that the global bioeconomy market is currently valued at USD 1.4-1.8 trillion, while India already has more than 11,000 biotechnology startups. "We are among the very few countries that have come out with a dedicated biotechnology policy," the minister said. Highlighting India's ambitions in the sector, Singh added, "We are no longer waiting for others to experiment. We are ready to take risks and take risks with a certain amount of confidence."

Future Projections and Strategy

The roadmap projects India's bioeconomy to grow further to USD 2.6 trillion by 2047, contributing 8-10 per cent of GDP, through a mission-driven strategy focused on biomanufacturing, AI-enabled biotechnology, regulatory reforms and stronger industry participation. It states that with decisive execution, India can emerge as one of the world's leading biotechnology hubs.

Key Proposals and Funding

To support this transformation, the roadmap proposes six National BioMissions covering gene and cell therapies, climate-resilient agriculture, synthetic biology, disease surveillance, marine biotechnology and next-generation biopharmaceuticals. It also recommends creating a Rs 50,000-crore BioEconomy Growth Fund for 2026-2035 to help bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial-scale manufacturing, alongside PLI-style incentives, faster regulatory approvals and stronger intellectual property protection.

Developing Domestic Capabilities

Stressing the importance of developing domestic capabilities, Singh said talent development would be critical for building a sovereign biotechnology ecosystem. "We are introducing a course in engineering biology, which will be the first of its kind in India... which could be the key to bioeconomy," he said.

The roadmap notes that India's bioeconomy has already grown 16-fold, from USD 10 billion in 2014 to USD 195.3 billion in 2025, contributing 4.8 per cent to GDP.

Summing up the broader vision, Singh said, "Once we have a thriving bioeconomy, we will be addressing more than one national goal... there will be health security, food security, Vocal for Local and also global, there will be high-skill jobs in millions and above all the geopolitical stature of India."

(ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

2. India's purple economy could add $150 billion to growth.

ET, 14 Jul 2026

Key takeaways

Market Potential: The Purple Economy could add $150 billion through disability-linked products and services by recognizing persons with disabilities as customers, workers, and innovators.

Economic Impact: Inclusion can drive new markets, enterprises, jobs, and innovation, turning barriers into value creation and supporting India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Global Insights: Excluding persons with disabilities can cost countries 3–7% of GDP, underscoring the importance of inclusive infrastructure, services, and workforce participation.

New Delhi: India's Purple Economy is estimated to present a total addressable market opportunity of about USD 150 billion across disability-linked products and services, according to a report unveiled on Tuesday.

The report by Deloitte and EnAble India positions disability inclusion as a national economic growth agenda.

The Purple Economy is an economic framework that recognises persons with disabilities as customers, workers, entrepreneurs, innovators, taxpayers, and contributors to growth, and treats accessibility and inclusion as drivers of market creation, productivity, dignity, and shared prosperity.

India's capex cycle to strengthen as investments seen rising to $2.2 tn by FY30: Morgan Stanley

"Based on a conservative estimate of 100 million persons with disabilities, this report estimates a Total Addressable Market of approximately USD 150 billion across disability-linked products and services. As India enters its next phase of economic growth, the opportunity lies not only in expanding rights and access but in converting participation into new markets, enterprises, jobs and innovation," the report stated.

Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary launched a White Paper on the report. "There needs to be more purple audits and reports as part of the balance sheet reporting and the corporate governance laws. Talk about how many of your new hires, recruits, top management are people with disabilities," said the minister.

The report argues that when the unmet needs, aspirations, and participation of persons with disabilities are recognized at scale, they open new markets, deliver better services, create inclusive infrastructure, generate jobs, livelihoods, and enterprises for the entire economy.

By turning barriers into innovation signals and participation into value creation, the Purple Economy can support India's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, it emphasized.

RBI steps up scrutiny of Corporate India's foreign investments

International evidence from organizations such as the International Labour Organisation and the World Bank has suggested that disability-linked exclusion can cost countries between 3 per cent and 7 per cent of annual GDP.

These losses arise not only because persons with disabilities are excluded from jobs, but because entire support systems remain underbuilt: families lose productive time, businesses miss customers, governments carry higher long-term dependency costs, and markets fail to develop needed services.

Romal Shetty, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte South Asia, said, "India is at a decisive moment in its growth journey. The Purple Economy challenges us to see disability inclusion not as a cost, but as a catalyst for innovation, market expansion and long-term competitiveness. Businesses that design for inclusion will not only serve society better; they will build better products, stronger talent systems and more resilient markets."

For more news like this visit The Economic Times.

3. Past, present and future of rainwater harvesting in India

NDTV, 24/7, July 15 2026, Reet Kaur Sahni

Key takeaways

Historical Wisdom: Ancient India practised rainwater harvesting through temple tanks and interlinked water systems, acting as sponge cities to store water and reduce floods, maintained via community participation and Vedic hydrology.

Urban Challenges: Rapid urbanisation has destroyed natural catchments, causing waterlogging and artificial floods. Modern designs often ignore local geology and hydrology, reducing the effectiveness of rainwater management.

Local & Global Solutions: India is implementing projects like Jal Shakti Abhiyan and local initiatives (e.g., Chal Khal in Uttarakhand, Udaipur lakes) to conserve water. Countries like Israel, China, and Singapore offer models using sponge city concepts, community harvesting, and integrated urban water management.

India is currently experiencing the monsoon. Every year, the rainy season is marred by waterlogging, submerged infrastructure, and gridlocked traffic, with some areas even being hit by flash floods. The country receives so much rainwater. What does it do with it?

Per the NITI Aayog, India has roughly 18 per cent of the world's population but controls only 4 per cent of global freshwater resources. Projects like the Jal Shakti Abhiyan are working towards conserving rainwater. But there is still room for improvement.

Ancient Rainwater Harvesting In India

Experts argue that rainwater harvesting is not just a scientific concept, but it is historically linked to India. Scriptures and historical records discuss rainwater harvesting long before the term took on its popular name and meaning. Deeply rooted in Indian history, rainwater systems were not simply designed to store water but also to act as a hydraulic buffer and mitigate floods.

Professor Jothiprakash of IIT Bombay explains this idea.

"Water resources are the primary need for survival. Rainwater harvesting isn't a new concept to India at all-it's as old as our civilisation. Traditionally, rainwater harvesting has been designed, implemented, and maintained as a sustainable water resource, not only for harvesting rainwater but also to reduce flooding. A prime example of this is the traditional temple tank network. Instead of isolated reservoirs, ancient systems utilised an interlinked chain of tanks to create 'sponge cities'."

Citing an example, he adds, "That chain of temple tanks makes a city a sponge city. Chidambaram temple tanks in Tamil Nadu are one good example; the number of temples and their associated temple tanks in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, is another. The excess water of one tank goes to another, which makes no wastage of flood water."

Professor Jothiprakash further explains that these life-saving structures, as he calls them, were sustained through community action embedded in the local culture of the area.

"These structures were built based on a sound knowledge of Vedic hydrology, a better understanding of the local geology, excellent workmanship, architectural sculptures, and maintenance through participatory management, in the name of spiritual float festivals," he said.

Concrete Jungles, Clogged Drains: Decoding India's Waterlogging Crisis

Modernisation And Urban Problems

Rapid urbanisation has paved over these natural networks. Concrete developments are often built on top of traditional catchment zones, turning seasonal rainfall into big problems. Professor Jothiprakash argues that water bodies have been destroyed in the name of urbanisation.

"When a heavy downpour happens, water always moves towards the lowest part. So, earlier, water used to get stored in tanks, recharge the groundwater table and reduce flooding. But now we have constructed there, making man-made floods," he said.

Remarking on a shift away from traditional systems, Professor Jothiprakash highlights: "We have forgotten the Vedic hydrology, and we are designing just based on the rainfall pattern. These analyses may be required for large-scale dams and reservoirs, but for simple rainwater harvesting and sponge cities, we should take into account the local hydrology, local geology, as well as local land use and land cover."

Localized Rainwater Harvesting

The need for localized rainwater harvesting is visible given the geographical extremes that India is home to. Professor BW Pandey, director of the Centre for Himalayan Studies at the University of Delhi, highlights the paradox of high-rainfall areas facing water scarcity due to a lack of catchments.

"Rainwater harvesting has become mandatory by the Government of India as we are running short of water resources, particularly fresh water. Cherrapunji receives the highest rainfall in the world, but Cherrapunji too has a water crisis because every drop of water drains out immediately," he said.

To counter this, localized slope management projects have been created. Professor Pandey points out, "The Uttarakhand government started the Chal Khal project, in which they are arresting the water at source and generating their pool of fresh water. And there are so many successful stories in the Himalayas where these dry valleys are being regenerated again because of rainwater harvesting."

Even in arid regions, proper historical engineering prevents scarcity. Professor Pandey highlights Udaipur as a model.

"The best example is Udaipur. Through the interlinkages of the lakes, they manage the rainwater. Even in a dry region, a dry state like Rajasthan, there is never a crisis of water in Udaipur. Because, very efficiently, all the lakes are interlinked and managing the water," he added.

Experts, however, also argue that while India may be working towards conserving and utilizing every drop of its water, there is still scope for a lot more.

How the World Manages Its Water

While India works to manage its water, other nations facing similar issues like climate change and rapid urban growth have adapted their systems, utilizing every drop of water that falls on their surface.

Israel stands tall as a global leader in water management, treating water not just as a utility but also as a national asset that must be cherished. Instead of letting water simply glide off its surface, Israel captures it, purifies it, and pushes it back into depleted underground aquifers. This solves the problem of severe water table depletion, which is something experienced by several Indian cities, including metros. Additionally, the nation also relies on heavy community-driven rainwater harvesting projects, wherein community centres and public structures are utilized to capture the water. This helps meet the nation's secondary water needs.

China is another country that can be looked to for inspiration. China has actively perfected the modern idea of the "Sponge City" concept across dozens of its major urban centres to battle both heavy flash floods and water shortages. Instead of relying solely on pipes, drains, and concrete channels to move rainwater away as quickly as possible, China replaces solid surfaces with nature-based solutions. Urban planners suggest the installation of permeable asphalt, bioswales, rain gardens, and large urban wetlands. The core philosophy is to distribute, slow down, and retain water at its source rather than fighting it with massive concrete walls and reservoirs at the end of a drain line.

Singapore is another country that represents the gold standard for urban rainwater management. The nation employs the "Four National Taps" framework, turning a land-scarce island into a self-sufficient water model. The city-state has engineered its layout so that two-thirds of its entire land surface acts as a giant water catchment area. Rainfall dropping onto skyscrapers, roads, and residential estates is captured by a precise network of drains and canals, routing every drop into urban reservoirs rather than letting it cause urban chaos. Crucially, Singapore enforces a strict, city-wide separation between its stormwater drainage network and its used-water sewage network.

How India Must 'Flow'

For India to be climate resilient, rainwater harvesting cannot merely be a passive guideline but must be an actively pursued project. Experts suggest the incorporation of the idea into a national priority and a collective public habit. Professor BW Pandey emphasizes the scale of action required: "Rainwater harvesting must be the national agenda, street-wise agenda, and the common agenda of the masses of the people of the country."

Elucidating with an example, Professor BW Pandey says that controlling rainwater at the source addresses the problem of resource scarcity and disaster mitigation. He says, "For example, if the slope's rainwater is controlled on the contours, it can avoid flash flood. That can avoid flooding in the lower region. So, not only is it sustaining rainwater harvesting, but it is also a relief in disaster management."

A big problem in modern water infrastructure lies not only in the adoption of such systems but also in their lack of long-term maintenance. Prof. Jothiprakash calls for the community to pull up their socks, act, and take ownership of the project: "The government constructs a pond and leaves. But who will maintain it? There should be a policy on participatory management... Community participation is the key element in RWH."

To implement this on the ground, Prof. Jothiprakash outlines an actionable framework where local institutions, colleges, and corporations adopt existing, traditional water structures. "Every college, every educational institute, every company, and every industry in that locality can identify an existing, traditional water harvesting structure and other water bodies, and adopt it to maintain it. They can clean it and divert all the runoff to conventional water bodies like temple tanks, stepwells, village ponds, etc., for sustainable management of the RWH," he said.

Looking at examples from other nations, the message for India is loud and clear: modern water security requires working with water and not fighting it away. Any solution, hence, must work towards incorporating every drop of water into the system, rather than pushing it away into other sources from which it may not be able to work its way back into the cycle.

4. Karnataka CM proposes all-party meet on Cauvery water issue: Parameshwara

ToI, July 29 2026

Mekedatu is a multi-purpose project for drinking water supply and power generation proposed by Karnataka, involving the construction of a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Bengaluru South district.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has proposed convening an all-party meeting following the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's direction to the state to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Highlighting that the state was not in a position to release water because of a shortage even for drinking water needs, he said the government would take an appropriate decision.

The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on Tuesday directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 3,500 cusecs at Biligundlu from July 29 for 15 days, amounting to a release of about 4 TMC of water.

"The CM has proposed to call an all-party meeting on this. Such issues keep arising. When water is available, they (Tamil Nadu) need not ask; we release it. Whether it was last year or the year before, we released more water than what was allocated to them," Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "When the situation this time is such that we don't even have enough drinking water, how justified is it to ask us to maintain a flow of 3,500 cusecs? When we have water, we will release it; there is no issue. The CM has proposed convening an all-party meeting to discuss the matter."

Referring to the possibility of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay visiting Bengaluru on August 3 for talks, Parameshwara said, "It is yet to be confirmed. If he comes, we will discuss the issue with him too."

Replying to a question about the CM's consultations on Wednesday with legal experts and the state's team in New Delhi on the Cauvery issue, he said, "During the recent meeting with MPs in Delhi, Senior Advocate Mohan Katarki and others, including Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy, were present. I returned to Bengaluru for some work. A decision will likely be taken at today's meeting."

The BJP on Tuesday alleged that the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's direction to Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu stemmed from the Congress government's "failure" to effectively present the state's case.

It urged Chief Minister D K Shivakumar not to release the water, to immediately challenge the order by filing an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority, and to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the way forward.

Stating that it was natural for farmers and various organizations to protest in Mandya and surrounding regions, the Deputy CM said similar protests had taken place on Tuesday as well.

"Farmers are worried about the release of water when there is no adequate supply. They may apprehend that the government will agree to release the available water. Hence, they are protesting. Let's see. Ultimately, the government will make a decision," he added.

Asked about the Tamil Nadu CM writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the proposed Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, Parameshwara said, "Let them write. The PM is not above the court. Whatever the court says is final."

"The court itself has asked what the issue is with Karnataka building a dam within its own territory, as long as the quantum of water allocated to you (Tamil Nadu) is released. If they have objections, they must place them before the court," he said.

Tamil Nadu opposes the project, fearing it would adversely affect the state if implemented.

Responding to a question on the BJP's objections to a meeting between Shivakumar and Tamil Nadu CM Joseph Vijay, Parameshwara said the heads of the two states were meeting to resolve various issues amicably and that such interactions were common in a federal system.

"What is the BJP's problem if neighbouring states want to resolve the issue? Do they want states to keep fighting? It seems to be their policy," he added.

5. Banks receive $36.7 billion under FCNR deposits

Mint, August 1 2026, Shayan Ghosh

The new deposit incentive scheme allows NRIs to make leveraged deposits and runs till the end of September, with the central bank taking the hedging risk, offering overseas investors the potential to earn up to 14% return on their money.

Mumbai: Non-resident Indians (NRIs) have poured $36.7 billion into Indian banks through foreign currency non-resident (FCNR) deposits under a new deposit incentive scheme to attract dollars and strengthen the rupee.

Announced on June 5 and rolled out three days later, the scheme allows NRIs to make leveraged deposits and runs till the end of September, with the central bank taking the hedging risk, offering overseas investors the potential to earn up to 14% return on their money.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday said its dollar swap facility received a total of $40.8 billion till July 31, with FCNR-B deposits accounting for the lion's share. Apart from FCNR(B) deposits, the swap window also received $2.6 billion in overseas foreign currency borrowings and $1.5 billion through external commercial borrowings. Commercial banks exchange dollars for rupees at the swap window at guaranteed rates.

The swap facility has seen avid interest and attracted steady forex inflows since June 8, the RBI had said in a press release on July 20.

Can India mop up $50 billion under RBI's FCNR (B) scheme?

Tanvee Gupta Jain, Chief India Economist, UBS said in a note on July 30 that RBI's measures announced in June to incentivize foreign currency inflows—including relaxed norms for FCNR(B) deposits and overseas borrowings under the RBI-subsidized swap window—have already attracted approximately US$32bn in inflows in around 45 days, with FCNR(B) deposits accounting for the bulk of these flows.

"The FCNR (B) window will remain open until September 30, leaving room for more inflows. We believe use of the leveraged borrowing facility by the banks is driving the bulk of the deposit accretion," said Gupta.

Burnt fingers, cold feet: Inside NRI reluctance to fund India's dollar dream

In contrast, several public sector banks have disclosed both collections and targets.

Union Bank of India is aiming to garner FCNR deposits of around $1.5-2 billion by the end of September. So far, the state-owned lender has raised $106 million from NRIs without any leverage, managing director Asheesh Pandey said in a post-earnings media conference on July 15.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

6. Northeast's share in India's natural rubber output projected to rise to 45 per cent under INROAD

India Today, Press Trust of India, July 16 2026

Key takeaway

Plantation Expansion: INROAD has established 1.79 lakh hectares of new rubber plantations across 113 districts in the Northeast and West Bengal, achieving nearly 90% of its 2 lakh hectare target.

Industry Collaboration: Backed by Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre, and MRF, the Rs 1,100 crore project strengthens local nurseries and enhances the capacities of rubber growers.

Future Impact: Once fully productive, the Northeast is expected to produce ~3 lakh tonnes annually, raising its contribution to India's total natural rubber output to 40-45%, up from 15%.

The INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development) project has completed nearly 1.8 lakh hectares of new rubber plantations across the Northeastern states and West Bengal, achieving close to 90 per cent of its target under a six-year initiative backed by India's leading tyre manufacturers.

According to an official release issued on Wednesday, the project has established 1,79,376 hectares of new natural rubber plantations across 113 districts in the Northeast since its launch in the 2021-22 financial year. The initiative is expected to achieve its original target of developing 2 lakh hectares of plantations.

The project, with an estimated outlay of Rs 1,100 crore, covers Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and West Bengal. It is financially supported by Apollo Tyres, CEAT, JK Tyre and MRF through the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) and is being implemented by the Rubber Board of India.

The release described the plantation expansion as the highest achieved in the country within such a short period.

INROAD Project Chairman Mohan Kurian said that despite operational challenges, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic during the initial phase, the initiative has achieved nearly 90 per cent of its plantation target over the past five years.

Kurian said the project has also focused on strengthening local nurseries and enhancing the capacities of rubber growers, reflecting collaborative efforts between the tyre industry and the Rubber Board.

He added that with plantations reaching a critical stage, the next phase of the initiative is progressing through the INROAD Skilling and Production Efficiency Enhancement Drive (iSPEED). The programme includes the development of model smokehouses and the dissemination of improved cultivation and processing practices among rubber growers.

The Rs 145-crore iSPEED initiative aims to improve the quality of natural rubber produced at the source, enabling greater value addition for farmers. It will also undertake large-scale educational and skill development programmes through a combination of digital and in-person training.

According to the release, the project has so far benefited more than two lakh people by improving livelihoods and contributing to socio-economic development across the region.

Once the project is fully completed and the new plantations become productive, the Northeast is expected to produce around three lakh tonnes of natural rubber annually. This is projected to increase the region's contribution to India's total natural rubber production to 40-45 per cent, compared with the current share of around 15 per cent, significantly strengthening the country's domestic rubber production capacity.

Visit India Today NE

7. Flipkart deepens West Bengal investments, backs jobs and MSMEs

Economic Times, July 13, 2026

Key takeaways

Largest Fulfilment Hub: West Bengal hosts Flipkart's biggest fulfilment centre at Haringhata, featuring 5 million cubic feet of storage, automated systems, robotic packaging, and a 9-km conveyor network, earning IGBC Platinum certification.

Job Creation & Seller Support: The company supports 120,000+ jobs, seasonal employment during Big Billion Days, and empowers 66,000+ local sellers and 500+ farmers, while Flipkart Samarth lists nearly 29,000 artisan products.

Expansion & Innovation: Flipkart is growing its quick commerce Flipkart Minutes with 90 micro fulfilment centres, creating around 10,000 new jobs, reinforcing West Bengal as a key hub for digital commerce and entrepreneurship.

Kolkata: Flipkart on Monday said it would deepen its long-term investments in West Bengal, expanding its supply chain infrastructure, seller ecosystem and skills initiatives in the state, which houses the company's largest fulfilment centre in India.

The Walmart-owned e-commerce company said West Bengal is home to its largest fulfilment and logistics hub, located at Haringhata, and remains central to its long-term growth strategy.

The Haringhata campus has a storage capacity of 5 million cubic feet across six mezzanine levels and features automated storage and retrieval systems, robotic packaging arms, cross-belt sorters and a nine-kilometre conveyor network.

Flipkart said the facility is the first e-commerce fulfilment centre of its scale in India to receive the Indian Green Building Council's Platinum certification.

Across West Bengal, the company operates more than 300 fulfilment centres, mother hubs and last-mile delivery facilities, supporting more than 120,000 direct and indirect jobs across operations, technology, delivery and support functions.

The company said it also creates thousands of seasonal jobs during its annual Big Billion Days sale.

Flipkart has expanded its quick commerce business, Flipkart Minutes, in the state with 90 micro fulfilment centres, creating close to 10,000 employment opportunities. The company added that its sourcing network includes more than 500 farmers from West Bengal supplying fresh fruits and vegetables.

"West Bengal has long been one of India's great centres of enterprise, innovation and craftsmanship. Today, it is also emerging as a key hub for digital commerce. At Flipkart, we are proud to be a long-term partner in the state's growth journey. Our investments in infrastructure, technology and supply chains are creating jobs, empowering MSMEs, supporting farmers and enabling thousands of entrepreneurs to access markets across India. As home to our largest fulfilment centre in the country, West Bengal will continue to play a pivotal role in Flipkart's growth, and we remain committed to investing in the state's people, businesses and long-term potential," said Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Chief Executive Officer, Flipkart Group.

The company has more than 66,000 sellers from West Bengal using its marketplace to sell products across India, while nearly 29,000 products from the state's weavers and craftspeople are listed under its Flipkart Samarth programme. In Shantipur, more than 250 Tant and Jamdani weavers and sellers generate annual sales of over Rs 100 crore through the platform, it said.

For more news like this visit The Economic Times.

8. Coimbatore farmer earns UN FAO recognition for soil health farming model

ToI, July 23 2026, Aishwarya S

Protecting soil is the duty of every farmer, says V T Valluvan. On his 36-acre farm at Vettaikaranpudur near Pollachi in Coimbatore, he has done just that, raising soil organic carbon from 0.5% to 3.4%, cutting water use and turning an unprofitable coconut plantation into a flourishing food forest.

The farming method recently earned Valluvan recognition from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a 'soil health guardian' for demonstrating how natural farming can restore degraded soils, build climate resilience and ensure profitable farming without chemicals.

His model has also been documented globally on the WOCAT platform as a successful farmer-led ecological transformation. "The natural farming system I follow is part of Tamil Nadu's traditional agricultural wisdom," says Valluvan.

In a region known for coconut plantations, Valluvan's farm stands apart. Instead of rows of coconut trees, his land resembles a dense food forest, with timber trees, spices, fruits, and other intercrops growing under a multi-layered agroforestry model.

"I started coconut farming in 2006 but switched because of poor returns," says Valluvan, a civil engineer from Vadavalli who also runs a construction firm. "A coconut tree used to yield 110 nuts. The maintenance cost of a tree was more than `500, but coconuts were sold for `3 each. Even if I sold everything I earned only `350 per tree."

Valluvan says he was introduced to natural farming practices through volunteers associated with Isha's outreach initiatives and a close aide of Nammalvar (green crusader who died in 2013). "They advised me to move away from monocropping and adopt Tamil Nadu's traditional multi-crop, multi-layer farming system," he says.

Along with coconut, Valluvan started growing mahogany, mountain neem, red sandalwood, ironwood, nutmeg, pepper, banana, papaya, yam, turmeric, curry leaves and several other intercrops. His farm now has more than 9,000 timber trees and 2,000 coconut trees.

"If one crop fails or the price of one produce falls, other crops support. This gives stability," he says. "Through chemical-free farming, mulching, biomass recycling and native cattle-based bio-inputs, carbon content has increased."

The average annual income, he says, has risen to `2.5 lakh per acre annually (from `30,000) supported by diversified income from pepper, nutmeg, fruits, vegetables, timber and spices.

"South India has the advantage of farming 365 days a year, with good sunlight, moderate rainfall and healthy soil. Tree-based farming is the need of the hour," says Valluvan, who has trained more than 7,000 people in natural farming. The farm has also received Tamil Nadu organic certification.

9. India's major steps towards energy independence and agricultural support

Newspoint, August 1 2026

In a significant move towards achieving energy independence, the central government has approved the 'Samudra Manthan' National Offshore Exploration Plan. Additionally, to emphasize its commitment to farmers, the Modi administration has decided to extend the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme for another five years. During a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a total of ₹4,41,209 crores was allocated for various initiatives focused on agriculture, energy, sports, and green development. The government believes these decisions will stabilize farmers' incomes while strengthening India's position in energy, sports, and sustainable development.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw shared details of the cabinet's decisions with the media. He highlighted that the most significant decision pertains to the PM-KISAN scheme, which has been approved for continuation from the fiscal year 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a budget provision of ₹3,15,614 crores. Under this scheme, eligible landholding farmer families will receive ₹6,000 annually in three equal installments directly into their bank accounts. The government asserts that this will ensure cash availability during sowing seasons, reduce reliance on expensive loans, and facilitate the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural investments. So far, over ₹4.47 lakh crores have been disbursed to farmers through 23 installments of this scheme.

Moreover, the government has taken a significant step in the clean energy sector by approving ₹5,070 crores for the Pradhan Mantri Surya Sarovar Yojana. This initiative aims to develop 5,000 megawatts of floating solar capacity over the next five years. These projects, which will be installed on reservoirs, canals, and industrial water bodies, are expected to enhance solar energy production without the need for additional land acquisition. The projects will also include energy storage systems to assist states during peak electricity demand. The Modi administration estimates that this initiative will reduce carbon emissions by approximately one crore tons annually and create 16,000 to 17,000 direct job opportunities.

In addition, to prepare the sports sector for global competition, the cabinet has approved a total of ₹36,441 crores for the Khelo India scheme and the National Sports Federation Assistance Scheme. This includes ₹29,054 crores for Khelo India and ₹7,387 crores for national sports federations. According to the government, this investment will strengthen sports infrastructure, promote talent identification and scientific training, and accelerate India's Olympic and Paralympic goals. Special incentives will also be provided for women, para-athletes, and traditional Indian sports.

The 'Samudra Manthan' National Offshore Exploration Plan, with a budget of ₹84,084 crores, is considered crucial for energy security. This plan will involve seismic surveys, deep-sea drilling, the development of shared infrastructure, and the promotion of manufacturing in the oil and gas sector. The government's objective is to increase domestic oil and gas reserves, boost production, and reduce dependence on imports. According to Ashwini Vaishnaw's presentation, the plan is expected to significantly enhance domestic hydrocarbon reserves, save foreign currency, and create new investment and employment opportunities in the energy sector.

Strategically, the 'Samudra Manthan' plan is deemed highly significant. While its primary goal is to increase domestic oil and gas production, its implications extend far beyond that. Currently, India meets a substantial portion of its energy needs through imports. Therefore, developing new oil and gas reserves in offshore areas will bolster the country's energy security and mitigate the impact of disruptions in the global supply chain. Furthermore, expanding surveys, drilling, and infrastructure in offshore regions will enhance India's technical and industrial capabilities in the Indian Ocean region. There is no doubt that the development of domestic manufacturing and offshore energy infrastructure is expected to strengthen India's strategic autonomy, energy supply reliability, and economic security in the long term.

Visit Newspoint

10. Why India needs a national agricultural intelligence network

TOI, 26 Jul. 2026,

Key takeaways

Fragmented Decision-Making: Farmers often rely on delayed market signals, intuition, and local advice, leading to poor crop planning, excessive fertilizer use, and lower yields.

National Intelligence Network: A unified platform could provide real-time advisories on soil health, weather, pest threats, market demand, export opportunities, and government schemes, acting as a personal AI agronomist.

Collaborative Ecosystem: Success requires government standards, university knowledge, ICAR protocols, startups, banks, insurers, and exporters working together via APIs to deliver preventive and predictive agriculture solutions.

India’s farmers are among the hardest-working entrepreneurs in the world. Yet they make some of the most consequential business decisions with the least information. Manufacturers know their inventories, demand forecasts, financing options and customer pipeline. Retailers track sales in real time. An airline uses predictive analytics to price every seat. Farmers, by contrast, often decide what to plant, when to irrigate and where to sell using fragmented advice, delayed market signals and intuition. That is not a failure of farming. It is a failure of intelligence infrastructure. The next agricultural revolution needs to be driven by providing every farmer with timely, trusted intelligence to make better decisions.

A large proportion of farmers still depend on local input dealers, neighbouring farmers and traditional practices.

Govt extension officers are intended to bridge this gap, but in many areas their capacity to provide field-level, crop-specific guidance is limited.

The result is excessive fertilizer use, incorrect pesticide application, poor irrigation scheduling, lower yields and higher production costs. This is not because farmers are unwilling to learn. Many seek practical, timely advice.

The absence of crop planning is perhaps the biggest structural weakness. Suppose turmeric prices are exceptionally high this year. Next season, thousands of farmers switch to turmeric. Two years later, production surges, and prices collapse. The same cycle has happened with several crops.

We don’t advise farmers that their district has too much chilli, or that planting sesame or pulses the following year is likely to be more profitable.

Imagine if farmers received district-wise, data-driven advisories based on expected acreage, rainfall forecasts, export demand, domestic consumption and global prices; it would be transformative.

Many export consignments are rejected due to pesticide residues above permitted limits, incorrect chemical use, poor traceability, contamination and improper grading. The problem is rarely the farmer alone. Sometimes aggregators mix produce from multiple farms. Records are poorly maintained, or exporters themselves adopt wrong practices, making it impossible to identify the source of contamination. One farmer’s mistake can affect an entire shipment. One shipment can damage India’s reputation in an export market. This is fundamentally a quality governance issue.

European Union’s residue limits, for example, require a pre-harvest interval of 21 days if there is intent to export.

Another real problem is fragmentation. The scientist knows one thing. The agriculture university knows another. The extension officer knows something else. The weather department has different information. Exporters understand global demand. Banks know credit history. Processors know future requirements. Retailers know consumer trends. None of this knowledge reaches the farmer in an integrated way.

India lacks a national agricultural intelligence network.

Imagine the impact where every farmer receives personalised, continuously updated advice based on soil health, weather forecasts, satellite imagery, pest surveillance, local water availability, market demand, export opportunities, warehouse capacity, logistics availability, expected prices, govt schemes, crop insurance, carbon credits and regenerative farming incentives on one platform.

Instead of saying “apply pesticide”, the system tells them that the crop in their village has a 72% probability of fungal infection in five days and that applying a particular fungicide at a certain dosage is necessary only if symptoms appear. This is where AI becomes critical. Every morning, farmers should receive information on whether rain is expected in 48 hours, whether irrigation would need to be postponed by 48 hours, whether a nearby textile mill is offering a premium for longer-staple cotton, and so on. Can we attempt unified digital public infrastructure for agriculture, similar in philosophy to UPI?

It could include farmers’ digital identity, which would have the name and address, farm location, survey number, land size, irrigation source, crops grown, machinery owned, livestock and FPO membership and field intelligence, where the platform continuously gathers satellite imagery, rainfall, soil moisture, temperature, humidity, NDVI vegetation index, pest surveillance, disease outbreaks and groundwater levels, so the farmer would not have to collect it manually.

Another missing layer it could include is agronomic intelligence with specific advisories on fields. Market and financial intelligence would help connect mandis, warehouses, processors, exporters, retailers, and logistics providers, giving information such as when demand is expected to rise, crop loan due dates, subsidy eligibility, credit ratings, and govt schemes. Instead of the farmer applying, the system recommends.

Knowledge intelligence is perhaps the biggest revolution, where the farmer gets a personal AI agronomist that speaks all languages.

But who builds it? Not govt alone. Think of it like UPI. Govt builds standards. Universities contribute knowledge. ICAR develops agronomic protocols, state agriculture departments provide extension content, start-ups build applications, banks integrate finance, insurance companies integrate claims, exporters provide demand forecasts, and processors publish procurement plans. Private companies have a wealth of information on agronomic practices, and they can also contribute. Everyone connects through APIs. AI allows one expert to guide 10 lakh farmers. The officer becomes teacher, trainer and supervisor.

The platform should not wait for questions. It should predict problems. This is preventive agriculture.

That makes it one of the highest-return public digital investments India could undertake for the benefit of farmers who toil for us every day with the least returns for themselves.

(The writer is director and group president – corporate affairs, TAFE Ltd)

Visit The Times of India

- Industry and Manufacture

11. India to become AI use-case capital of the world, not chip capital: Nandan Nilekani

Moneycontrol, 96 Aug. 2026, Ishaan Gera

Key takeaways

AI Use-Case Leadership: India can become the world's AI use-case capital by deploying AI at population scale in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education, leveraging its digital public infrastructure.

Entrepreneurship & Jobs: Growth in startups (from 10,000 to 150,000 in a decade) will drive job creation, with small enterprises less vulnerable to automation than large firms.

Inclusive AI & Workforce: AI must support Indian languages and voice interfaces, while labour reforms should provide portable benefits and digital credentials for a flexible workforce.

India is better placed to lead the next phase of the artificial intelligence revolution by building real-world applications rather than competing in the race for advanced chips and large language models.

Speaking at the NCAER India Policy Forum 2026, Nilekani said India has the opportunity to become the world's "AI use-case capital" by deploying artificial intelligence at population scale across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare and education.

"The Western focus on AI is on infrastructure—larger models, more chips, more data centres. But infrastructure eventually gets commoditised. The value shifts to the application layer, and India can become the AI use-case capital of the world," Nilekani said.

He argued that India's success with digital public infrastructure (DPI) provides a blueprint for AI adoption, where technology is used not just by businesses but by over a billion people.

According to Nilekani, the country's biggest AI opportunity lies in making the technology accessible in Indian languages and voice interfaces. Given India's linguistic diversity and widespread use of mixed languages in daily conversations, AI systems need to understand multilingual and code-mixed speech rather than relying solely on English.

"If you want AI to work for a billion people, it has to work in Indian languages, in voice, and even in the way Indians naturally mix languages," he said.

He said AI should be deployed to solve real-world challenges, including improving farm productivity, healthcare delivery and learning outcomes, rather than focusing exclusively on frontier model development.

Entrepreneurship key to jobs

Nilekani also argued that entrepreneurship, rather than large corporations, will drive India's employment growth over the next decade.

India has grown from fewer than 10,000 startups a decade ago to around 150,000 today. If the ecosystem continues to expand at roughly 20 percent annually, the country could have more than one million startups by 2035, he said.

"These companies will not only create entrepreneurs but also create jobs," Nilekani said, adding that the government has played an important role in supporting the startup ecosystem.

He also called for faster deregulation to reduce compliance burdens on small businesses, saying India would need a significantly easier business environment if it wants to create one million entrepreneurs.

Small firms will create future jobs

Nilekani said job creation in the AI era is likely to come from millions of small enterprises rather than large companies.

Large firms, he argued, are more vulnerable to automation because their work processes are highly structured, making tasks easier to replace with AI. Smaller businesses, where employees perform multiple roles, are less susceptible to automation and more likely to generate employment.

"We have to rethink how jobs get created. It may not be one company employing a million people, but a million companies employing one person each," he said.

To support this transition, Nilekani called for wider access to credit through digital public infrastructure such as the Account Aggregator framework, greater market access through platforms like ONDC, and AI-powered business tools for small enterprises.

Nilekani also said India's labour market institutions need to adapt to a workforce that increasingly shifts between employers, gig work and entrepreneurship.

He advocated creating portable social security benefits—including pensions, insurance and healthcare—that remain with workers instead of being tied to employers. He also called for portable digital credentials that allow workers to carry proof of skills and work experience across jobs.

Growth challenges remain

Beyond AI, Nilekani said India must sustain rapid economic growth to capitalise on its demographic dividend while simultaneously addressing urbanisation, climate risks, healthcare, education and productivity.

"We have to grow at a rapid pace over the next few years to take advantage of the demographic dividend," he said, warning that India will also be "ground zero" for climate-related risks such as floods, heatwaves and rising sea levels.

Visit Moneycontrol

12. India can be a trusted textile manufacturer the world is looking for

The Pioneer, July 16 2026

Key takeaways

Global Opportunity: India is poised to become the world's most trusted textile manufacturing partner, leveraging its complete value chain, young workforce, and large domestic market to capture USD 100 billion in exports by 2030-31.

Investment & Growth: Achieving this vision requires ~USD 60 billion in fresh investment and structural transformation across fibre, spinning, weaving, garmenting, and technical textiles, creating jobs and strengthening rural economies.

Policy & Competitiveness: Success depends on policy certainty, trade agreements, raw material availability, and the development of a textile machinery ecosystem, ensuring India remains competitive and trusted in global supply chains.

India, July 16 -- India's textile moment has arrived. The world is looking for a trusted manufacturing partner. The question is not whether India can lead, but whether it can execute with the speed and certainty this moment demands

Global supply chains are being reconfigured at a pace not seen in decades. The world is no longer merely open to alternatives-it is actively searching for them. For the first time in modern textile history, major consumer markets are simultaneously seeking diversification, resilience and trusted manufacturing partners.

Few countries are better positioned than India to answer this call. Yet India accounts for only about USD 37 billion in textile and apparel exports today-far below its potential.

Opportunities of this scale do not emerge often. When they do, countries either build industries around them - or spend decades wondering what might have been.

India possesses a complete textile value chain, deep manufacturing capabilities, a large domestic market and a young workforce. Yet positioning alone does not win markets. Investment does. Execution does. Policy certainty does.

The next decade will not be won by the country that produces the cheapest T-shirt. It will be won by the country that global buyers trust the most.

If India is serious about achieving USD 100 billion in textile and apparel exports by 2030-31 and building a USD 350 billion textile economy, it must prepare for one of the largest investment cycles in the sector's history.

India's textile and apparel market today stands at approximately USD 194 billion, comprising exports of around USD 37 billion and a domestic market of nearly USD 157 billion. Reaching the 2030-31 vision requires creating almost USD 156 billion in additional market opportunity over the next five years. This is not incremental growth. It is structural transformation.

Industry assessments suggest that nearly USD 60 billion of fresh investment may be required across the value chain-from fibre and spinning to weaving, processing, garmenting and technical textiles. Beyond exports, this investment can create large-scale employment, strengthen rural economies, deepen manufacturing capabilities and reinforce India's position in global value chains. As one of India's largest employment-generating sectors, textiles can convert manufacturing growth into broad-based economic opportunity.

For decades, textile competitiveness was largely measured by labour costs and production efficiency. Today, the equation has changed. Global buyers increasingly evaluate sourcing destinations through a broader lens: reliability, compliance, sustainability, traceability, resilience and execution capability. The experience of leading exporting nations demonstrates that long-term success is built not only on cost competitiveness, but on buyer confidence. Trust has become a strategic asset.

India's opportunity, therefore, is not simply to become a larger textile producer. It is to become the world's most trusted textile manufacturing partner.

What makes this moment exceptional is not merely the global supply chain shift. It is the convergence of three conditions that rarely align simultaneously.

First, political intent is clear. Initiatives such as PM MITRA, Production-Linked Incentive schemes, and support for technical textiles demonstrate recognition of textiles as a strategic manufacturing sector.

Second, the administrative machinery is increasingly focused on enabling investment and competitiveness through compliance rationalization, infrastructure development and ease-of-doing-business reforms.

Third, industry is ready to invest. Across the value chain, companies are evaluating capacity expansion, technology upgradation and sustainability initiatives.

When political leadership, effective governance and industry commitment move in the same direction, nations create industries that endure for generations.

Recent trade agreements and ongoing negotiations are helping address long-standing market-access disadvantages faced by Indian exporters. The India-UK FTA, progress in negotiations with the European Union and agreements with key trading partners are steadily improving India's competitive position in global markets. However, market access alone is not enough. Preferential tariffs without competitive supply remain an unrealized opportunity. Trade agreements create openings. Competitiveness converts them into exports.

Raw material competitiveness remains critical. Manufacturers making decade-long investment decisions need confidence that internationally competitive fibre and raw materials will remain available throughout the life of those investments. Similarly, export remission frameworks such as RoSCTL and RoDTEP require continuity, predictability and appropriate upward revision to keep pace with rising domestic costs and unrebated taxes. These mechanisms are not incentives; they are essential competitiveness tools that neutralize embedded taxes and levies and help maintain a level playing field for Indian exporters. Policy certainty is often the difference between announced and implemented investment.

India must also accelerate the development of a textile machinery manufacturing ecosystem. The country continues to import significant volumes of advanced machinery every year. India should not aspire only to manufacture textiles. It should aspire to manufacture the machinery that manufactures textiles. Targeted foreign direct investment, technology partnerships and phased localization can build capabilities not only in textile production but in textile technology itself. Manufacturing competitiveness ultimately rests on technological competitiveness.

Technical textiles represent one of India's most promising growth frontiers. From medical textiles and geotextiles to filtration fabrics, defence applications and advanced industrial solutions, this segment combines strategic relevance with high-value manufacturing potential. It offers India an opportunity not merely to participate in global markets, but to build leadership positions in emerging applications where demand is expected to grow rapidly in the years ahead.

China Plus One is no longer a theory; it is increasingly reflected in sourcing decisions across global supply chains. Buyers are actively seeking resilience, diversification and trusted partners. The future will belong not merely to the lowest-cost producer, but to the most trusted manufacturing ecosystem.

India possesses the raw materials, entrepreneurial talent, manufacturing depth, domestic demand and demographic advantage required to emerge as a global textile powerhouse. The question is no longer whether India can achieve USD 100 billion in textile and apparel exports. The question is whether we are willing to make the investments, undertake the reforms and create the policy certainty required to get there.

India's textile moment has arrived. The world is looking for a trusted manufacturing partner. The question is not whether India can lead, but whether it can execute at the speed and with the certainty this moment demands.

The writer is Chairman, ASSOCHAM National Council on Textiles and Technical Textiles; Views presented are personal

Visit The Pioneer

13. 'India has a lot to grow in the next 30 to 40 years': Lakshmi Mittal sees next phase of growth for ArcelorMittal

Business Today, 05 Aug. 2026

Key takeaways

Long-Term Opportunities: Lakshmi Mittal sees India as a major growth market over the next 30-40 years, comparing it to China 25 years ago, with steel production currently at 200 million tonnes and significant expansion potential.

Gujarat Expansion: ArcelorMittal is doubling its coastal plant capacity in Gujarat to become one of the world's largest and most advanced steel facilities, highlighting India's strategic importance alongside Brazil and the US.

Innovation & Technology: The company emphasizes R&D, AI, robotics, and digitalisation to drive future growth, focusing on advanced steel products for automotive, renewable energy, and electrical sectors.

'India has a lot to grow in the next 30 to 40 years': Lakshmi Mittal sees next phase of growth for ArcelorMittal

India is set to become one of ArcelorMittal's most important growth markets over the coming decades as the country's steel demand continues to rise, Executive Chairman Lakshmi Mittal said, comparing India's current stage of development to where China was about 25 years ago.

Speaking during a podcast with Tim Bouquet, author of Cold Steel: Lakshmi Mittal and the Multi-Billion-Dollar Battle for a Global Empire, to mark the 20th anniversary of the ArcelorMittal merger, Mittal said India offers significant long-term opportunities for the world's largest steelmaker.

"India is obvious as our new target. India reminds me of China 25 years back... They have a lot to grow in the next 30 to 40 years. We will have a lot of opportunities to continue to grow in India," he said.

Mittal noted that India currently produces around 200 million tonnes of steel annually and has substantial room to expand production over the next three to four decades.

Gujarat expansion to double capacity

ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal said the company has steadily expanded its presence in India over the past two decades and is now scaling up its operations in Gujarat.

"When ArcelorMittal was created, we didn't have any assets in India. Over the last 20 years, we've entered India and acquired a world-class coastal facility in Gujarat. It is an 8-million-tonne plant, and we are in the process of doubling its capacity. It will become one of the largest and most advanced coastal steel facilities in the world," he said.

The company sees India as one of its key long-term growth markets, alongside Brazil and the US.

Calls for a level playing field

Lakshmi Mittal also underlined the importance of ensuring fair competition for global steelmakers, particularly amid growing competition from China.

"China is in everyone's mind. We definitely need a level playing field, and that's what we are working with regulators and governments to achieve. If there is a level playing field, I believe we can outperform everyone," he said.

Aditya Mittal said governments across the US, Europe, India and other major markets increasingly view steel as a strategic industry that is critical for national security and resilient domestic supply chains.

"We are not a global company because we ship steel around the world. We are global because of our people, technology and knowledge. Operationally, we are regional suppliers serving customers close to where they operate," he said.

Innovation to remain at the core

Aditya Mittal said innovation will play a bigger role in the company's future than scale alone.

ArcelorMittal spends around $300 million annually on research and development, employs more than 2,300 researchers and scientists, and continues to develop advanced products for the automotive, renewable energy and electrical steel segments.

"The value that innovation creates far exceeds what size alone can deliver. Our scale allows us to invest heavily in R&D and accelerate new technologies across our global operations," he said.

Lakshmi Mittal added that technological leadership would remain central to the company's competitiveness as customers increasingly seek advanced steel products.

AI and robotics to transform steelmaking

Looking ahead, Lakshmi Mittal said artificial intelligence, robotics and digitalisation will reshape steel manufacturing over the next two decades.

"We have to digitalise our operations before we can fully leverage AI. Over the next 20 years, there will be much wider application of AI and robotics across steel plants," he said.

Aditya Mittal said AI, combined with ArcelorMittal's global manufacturing footprint and vast operational data, would help the company deploy innovations faster across markets.

Positioned for the next phase of growth

Reflecting on the company's journey since the landmark ArcelorMittal merger in 2006, both executives said the company had become stronger by navigating multiple global crises through innovation, operational excellence and talent development.

Aditya Mittal said the next phase of growth would be driven by India's industrial expansion, the global energy transition, rising demand for resilient domestic supply chains and AI-enabled manufacturing.

"We don't know what the defining story of the next 20 years will be, but we know we are well positioned for it because of our people, our innovation and our presence in the world's key growth markets," he said.

14. India's Rising Cotton Import Dependence Calls for Technology and Policy Reforms: Dr RS Paroda

Rural Voice, Aug. 3 2026

India's rising dependence on cotton imports has triggered fresh concerns over the sector's declining competitiveness. Veteran agricultural scientist Dr RS Paroda calls for next-generation GM technologies and a science-based regulatory framework to restore India's global leadership in cotton production.

Expressing serious concern over India's growing dependence on cotton imports, eminent agricultural scientist, Padma Bhushan Dr RS Paroda, called for urgent technological and policy reforms to restore the country's global competitiveness in cotton production. He described the current situation as a major setback for Indian cotton farmers and the textile industry, noting that while cotton-producing countries across the world have rapidly adopted new agricultural technologies and innovations, Indian cotton farmers have been deprived of access to the same GM technology for more than two decades.

Dr Paroda stressed that this prolonged technological stagnation has adversely affected productivity, competitiveness, and farmers' incomes, underscoring the need for a transparent, science-based regulatory framework.

Reacting to the latest estimates released by the Cotton Association of India (CAI), Dr Paroda, Founder Chairman of the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) and former President of both the Indian Science Congress and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, urged the Government to undertake a critical review of the sector and adopt a long-term strategy centred on advanced biotechnology, science-based regulation, and innovation-led growth.

According to the latest CAI estimates, cotton imports during the 2025–26 season are projected to reach 60 lakh bales, while exports are expected to decline sharply to 15 lakh bales. At the same time, domestic consumption has been revised upwards to 348 lakh bales, highlighting a widening gap between production and demand and signalling India's increasing dependence on imported cotton. This trend raises serious concerns about the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the domestic cotton sector.

"These estimates are a wake-up call," Dr Paroda said. "India's cotton sector has been steadily losing its global leadership over the past few years. Rising import dependence in a crop where India was the world's largest producer until 2014 and the second-largest exporter underscores the urgent need to embrace next-generation GM technologies through science-based regulatory reforms and establish a long-term policy framework that can revive both our productivity and global standing. This is especially critical at a time when our Hon'ble Prime Minister has called for self-reliance across strategic sectors. Increasing dependence on cotton imports exposes the country to unnecessary geopolitical and market risks."

Dr Paroda observed that the challenges facing the cotton sector are structural rather than cyclical, arising from the absence of an enabling policy environment that fosters innovation—the very factor that drove cotton's remarkable success over the past 25 years. Noting that India's cotton sector supports nearly seven million farmers and provides raw material to one of the country's largest employment-generating industries, Dr Paroda cautioned:

"We must reduce our import dependence and become Atmanirbhar once again. We have the scientific capability and technical competence to achieve this. Unfortunately, the Cotton Mission announced recently is silent on scaling up GM cotton, a proven technology that can significantly benefit both farmers and Indian agriculture."

Dr Paroda emphasised that India's regulatory framework must keep pace with global best practices to facilitate the timely adoption of scientific innovations that drive agricultural growth. He further stated that countries that have attained global leadership have consistently embraced innovation while adopting robust, forward-looking regulatory and intellectual property frameworks.

"India needs a critical relook to ensure a transparent, predictable, and science-based regulatory system that enables farmers to benefit from scientifically proven and safe technological advances, just as we did when Bt cotton was introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who at the time also held the Agriculture portfolio," Dr Paroda said.

15. Urban Development becoming genuine engine for jobs, innovation in Rajasthan: LSG Secretary Ravi Jain

ET Gov. Aug 3 Mahima Jain

Digital property tax collections have grown 34 per cent year-on-year, while average grievance resolution time has fallen below six days. ePatta has emerged as one of Rajasthan’s most consequential inclusion reforms.

Rajasthan's urban landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by digital governance, sustainable infrastructure and citizen-centric planning. From smart city initiatives and green mobility to affordable housing, inclusive urban services and technology-enabled governance, the state is building cities that are more liveable, resilient and future-ready.

In this exclusive conversation with Ravi Jain, IAS, Secretary, Local Self Government Department, Government of Rajasthan, he highlights how flagship policies, strategic partnerships and digital innovations are shaping the vision of Viksit Rajasthan @2047 while creating new opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and improved quality of urban life.

How is Rajasthan positioning its cities to evolve into next-generation smart cities driven by technology, sustainability, and citizen-centric design?

Our 'Viksit Rajasthan @ 2047' roadmap sets out a clear direction: move beyond isolated ‘smart projects’ and build a fully data-driven, citizen-centric urban ecosystem-one where technology serves people rather than just systems. RajNet connectivity and the Tier-4 State Data Centre in Jaipur form the backbone of always-on, predictive governance. Citizen services-building approvals, trade licences, property tax, water connections, grievances—are increasingly handled through the LSG Digital Portal and eMitra.

Through Jan Aadhaar and Urban Land Records integration, over 2.8 lakh digital land titles have already been issued. Supporting services—eDharti mutations, lease deeds, colony regularisation, property verification-are now fully digitised.

The Rajasthan Institute for Transformation and Innovation (RITI) serves as the strategic backbone for LSG’s long-term urban agenda, translating the vision of Viksit Rajasthan @2047 into evidence-based policy across every Urban Local Body in the state.

A ₹27,854 crore Green Budget is driving solarisation of public assets, IoT-based water monitoring, mandatory reuse of treated wastewater, smart street lighting in over 60 ULBs, and a 15 per cent EV adoption target supported by statewide charging infrastructure.

Through 85,000+ eMitra kiosks, Jan Aadhaar-enabled DBT, GIS-based heritage-sensitive planning, and real-time public feedback platforms, Rajasthan’s approach to smart governance remains inclusive rather than exclusionary.

What role do partnerships—with private sector, communities, and institutions—play in accelerating Rajasthan’s urban development success stories?

Rajasthan’s urban progress is increasingly the result of collaborative governance-bringing together private sector efficiency, institutional expertise, and genuine community ownership.

HUDCO signed an MoU with the Government of Rajasthan on 24 July 2024, committing ₹1,00,000 crore in financial support for housing and urban infrastructure over five years. At the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit held in December 2024, MoUs spanning affordable housing, smart infrastructure, waste-to-energy, and EV ecosystems were signed specifically for the UDH sector.

ADB and KfW together are mobilising over ₹5,000 crore under RUIDP for water supply, sewerage, and urban services in smaller towns across the state.

On the institutional side, the department has forged Technical MoUs with leading academic and professional bodies to bring evidence-based thinking into urban planning.

With the private sector, structured PPP models are doing the heavy lifting: Land Pooling Schemes enabling planned townships with 20-25 per cent public utility space, STPS, CETPs and waste-to-energy plants that convert urban waste into economic value, and the CM Jan Awas Yojana that incentivises developers with higher FAR and fast-track approvals in return for EWS/LIG housing quotas.

Which key urban policies have been most instrumental in accelerating Rajasthan’s transformation journey, and how are they being effectively implemented on the ground?

The Rajasthan Township Policy 2024 mandates that 40 per cent of non-saleable land be set aside for roads, parks, and utilities. Approvals are online and time-bound, and any project above 10 hectares must include a functional Sewage Treatment Plant-ensuring self-sustaining growth rather than infrastructure debt passed on to ULBs.

The Land Pooling Rules 2026 have been transformative: landowners receive 45-47 per cent of developed land, litigation has reportedly fallen by around 60 per cent, and projects in Jaipur and Jodhpur are moving faster as a result.

Model Building Bye-laws 2025 now require solar rooftops, rainwater harvesting, and EV charging as standard features, enforced through the digital Building Plan Approval System before occupancy certificates are issued.

Our Green Budget—with over 11 per cent allocation—and FSSM Policy are enabling 100 per cent mechanised sanitation and decentralised Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants, delivering measurable public health outcomes.

The department’s 188 FSTP automation project will deploy SCADA/PLC-based centralised monitoring across faecal sludge treatment plants statewide.

The Transit-Oriented Development Policy 2025 promotes dense development near transit corridors, with higher FAR and a reduced carbon footprint built in from the design stage. Together, these policies form a coherent system-land use, construction standards, sanitation, waste, sustainability, and mobility governed by a single integrated vision rather than siloed departmental mandates.

How do you see the impact of the Local Self Government Department’s (LSG) initiatives on social parameters across the state?

The LSG Department’s impact extends well beyond roads and drainage. Its most meaningful work is measured in lives improved, and the indicators are encouraging. The Shri Annapurna Rasoi Yojana (SARY) is perhaps the department’s most visible social intervention-a daily commitment to urban food security, providing nutritious meals at a nominal cost through ULBs across Rajasthan’s cities.

Till now, 12.87 crore plates have been served since December 2023.

PM SVANidhi (PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) has brought the city’s street vendor workforce into the formal financial system for the first time, implemented through Urban Local Bodies.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), running across all statutory towns, has mobilised women into Self-Help Groups that function as platforms for savings, credit, and micro-enterprise.

The Employment through Skills Training and Placement component has trained urban poor youth in market-linked trades with direct placement support. Under the Self-Employment Programme, individual micro-enterprises have received subsidised loans at 7 per cent interest.

The Shelter for Urban Homeless component has established operational shelters in major cities, providing safe accommodation, sanitation, potable water, and first-aid services.

The Mukhyamantri Shahari Rozgar Guarantee Yojana (MSRGY) provides assured wage employment to urban households. Till now, around 1.99 lakh families have been employed, including 2.18 lakh women workers. Taken together, these initiatives reflect a department that sees urban governance not as an engineering problem but as a social compact.

What opportunities do these developments create for employment, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Rajasthan?

Urban development in Rajasthan is becoming a genuine engine for jobs, innovation, and entrepreneurship-not in a rhetorical sense, but in ways that show up in employment data and startup activity.

Industrial projects like the Jodhpur-Pali-Marwar Industrial Area (JPMIA) are projected to generate 40,000 direct jobs in Phase I, scaling to approximately 3 lakh by 2042.

The push for smart governance has created opportunities for 25,000 Mini eMitra agents and over one lakh service professionals. Rozgar Utsavs have facilitated the delivery of one lakh government jobs and two lakh private sector appointments.

Through iStart Rajasthan, the startup ecosystem is being strengthened with incubation ‘Nests’ across districts, Atal Innovation Studios focused on sectors like robotics and AVGC-XR, and a digital Learning Management System launched in 2026 for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Industrial corridors are enabling MSMEs to access global markets via Dedicated Freight Corridor connectivity, while schemes like Nari Shakti Udhyam Protsahan Yojana—offering loans up to ₹1 crore-are actively promoting women-led enterprises.

- Services (Education, Healthcare, IT, R&D, Tourism, etc.)

16. Noel Tata shifts Tata Trusts focus to building lasting institutions

Business Today, ToI, Mirror, 03 Aug. 2026

Major strategic shift: Noel Tata outlined a move from project-based philanthropy to long-term institution building in healthcare and education.

Healthcare expansion: Plans include 40–50 not-for-profit hospitals nationwide, using cross-subsidies to ensure equal quality of care across income groups.

Education reform push: Tata urged easing restrictions on for-profit education to boost investment and retain talent within India.

Reviving the Tata legacy of nation-building

Speaking at IIMBue 2026, Noel Tata reaffirmed the Trusts’ founding ethos of 'Do what India needs', shifting focus from funding NGOs to creating institutions that serve generations. This mirrors the legacy of Jamsetji Tata and successors who built IISc, TIFR, and Tata Memorial Hospital. Tata stressed that companies exist to serve India, with wealth creation as a means to improve quality of life, not an end in itself.

The founders left their shares in the companies to the Trusts with one message — do good for India. They never said become the biggest company. The companies exist to serve India and improve the quality of life.

Healthcare network with cross-subsidy model

The Trusts plan 40–50 not-for-profit general hospitals across India, building on its 17 Assam cancer centres. The cross-subsidy model will see premium rooms fund care for economically weaker patients, ensuring equal access to doctors, medicines, and operating theatres. Tata emphasised uniform treatment quality, with differences only in non-clinical amenities.

Expanding world-class higher education at home

Partnering with IIM Bangalore to launch a new undergraduate institution, Tata aims to curb the outflow of students seeking quality education abroad. He cited India's abundance of academic talent but shortage of top-tier institutions, and criticised legal restrictions on for-profit education for deterring private capital. Tata argued reforms are vital to expand capacity and retain talent domestically.

Accountability and measurable social impact

Tata called for philanthropy to move beyond vague claims of 'touching lives' towards defining and measuring concrete outcomes. He urged transparency and rigorous impact evaluation to ensure every rupee spent delivers meaningful change. This aligns with his belief in early-stage institutional support shaping not just infrastructure but the character and ambition of institutions.

17. ICAR Develops 386 Improved Crop Varieties in a Year, 94% Climate-Resilient and 29 Biofortified

RuralVoice, July 16, 2026

On its 98th Foundation Day, ICAR announced the development of 386 improved crop varieties across 44 crops, including 94% climate-resilient and 29 biofortified varieties. The Council also released 17 new technologies, signed 72 MoUs for commercialization, and highlighted research-driven gains worth Rs 1.70 lakh crore in agriculture during 2025-26.

The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan lighting the lamp at the 98th Foundation Day of ICAR in New Delhi. The Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh; Ram Nath Thakur, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare; Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR; and other dignitaries are also seen.

ICAR has developed 386 improved crop varieties across 44 crops over the past year, including 94% climate-resilient and 29 biofortified varieties. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development, said this during 98th Foundation Day celebration of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). On this occasion, ICAR also signed 72 MoUs with industry partners to accelerate technology transfer to farmers.

Addressing the gathering, Shivraj Singh Chouhan described ICAR as the trailblazer of India's agricultural transformation, stating that the Council's scientific research and innovations have significantly contributed to the country's record achievements in foodgrain, horticulture, milk and fisheries production.

Emphasizing that "farmers are the soul of agriculture, while scientists are its brain," he underscored the need for demand-driven research, climate-resilient agriculture, self-reliance in pulses and oilseeds, quality agricultural education, the commercialization of technologies, and the wider dissemination of innovations through the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) network.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj called for expanding the outreach of research through the KVK network to ensure faster transfer of technologies from laboratories to farmers, livestock keepers and fishers. He expressed confidence that the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and ICAR would further strengthen research, innovation and technology dissemination, accelerating farmers' prosperity and contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Ram Nath Thakur, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare and Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj also addressed the occasion.

Presenting ICAR's annual achievements under the theme 'Reflecting on 365 Days, Reimagining Agriculture for Viksit Bharat 2047,' Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR, highlighted the Council's major accomplishments during 2025-26 and outlined its roadmap for advancing agricultural research, innovation, education and extension. He stated that increased production in crops, horticulture, livestock and fisheries generated an additional economic value of nearly Rs 1.70 lakh crore during the year, with agricultural research contributing an estimated Rs 55,000 crore, demonstrating the substantial returns on investment in agricultural science.

43 improved varieties of basmati and other crops released

On the occasion, 43 improved crop varieties and 17 advanced agricultural technologies were released. The new technologies included Basmati rice and climate-resilient rice varieties tolerant to saline and alkaline soils, export-oriented mango production technology, India's first indigenous African Swine Fever vaccine, a Digital Swine Disease Atlas and an affordable cassava harvester for smallholders.

To accelerate technology commercialization and last-mile delivery, 72 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed with 51 industry partners, facilitating faster transfer of ICAR-developed technologies to farmers.

18. Who is Prof. Balki? Ex IIT Madras professor's viral lecture with no slides, no notes: 'What a legend'

Hindustan Times, August 1 2026, Sanya Jain

A video of former IIT Madras professor V Balakrishnan delivering a physics lecture has suddenly taken social media by storm. On X, where the video surfaced two days ago, people are praising his command of the subject as well as the clarity with which he communicated his thoughts — without any teaching aids like slides or notes.

The video was published online through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), India's national open courseware programme. Although IIT Madras alumni can already attest to Professor Balakrishnan's skills, the video has brought him into the limelight for the larger public as well.

Who is Professor V Balakrishnan?

Venkataraman Balakrishnan, also known as Professor Balki to his students, is an Indian theoretical physicist and retired professor.

He has worked in a number of fields and areas, including particle physics, many-body theory, the mechanical behavior of solids, dynamical systems, stochastic processes, and quantum dynamics.

He taught at IIT Madras for decades, where he was counted among the most influential faculty members. He was known for his engaging style of teaching.

An idea of his teaching prowess and skills can be ascertained from this testimonial posted by a former student, Arun Kannawadi, on Quora: "Sitting in Balki's class is like sitting down to watch 'Game of Thrones' or any other favorite series of yours. You don't want it to get over!" Kannawadi compared Balakrishnan to a modern-day Feynman and said that his lectures along inspired him to switch from engineering to physics.

Childhood and education

Professor Balakrishnan spent a large part of his childhood in Pune and Mumbai.

As an undergraduate student, he studied Physics Honours at Delhi University's St Stephen's College. He graduated from St Stephen's in 1963.

After completing his Master's degree, Balakrishnan went to the US to obtain a PhD from Brandeis University.

He returned to India in late 1970 and spent three years at the Tata Institute in Bombay, following which he joined the Reactor Research Centre (now the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research) at Kalpakkam.

In 1980, he joined IIT Madras as a Professor of Physics — where he remained until his retirement.

He was elected a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1985.

Personal life

Professor Balki is married to Radha Balakrishnan, a theoretical physicist and retired professor from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai.

The couple has two children — their son, Hari Balakrishnan, is currently the Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science at MIT.

Their daughter, Hamsa Balakrishnan, is also on the faculty at MIT as a Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Both Hamsa and Hari Balakrishnan received their undergraduate degrees from IIT Madras.

Visit Hindustan Times

19. How 5 professors and 2 PhD scholars built a chip India couldn't afford to import

India Today, 25th Jul. 2026, Roshni Chakrabarty

Key takeaways

Pioneering Team: Five professors and two PhD scholars at IISc spent 15 years developing Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors, laying the foundation for AGNIT Semiconductors, India's first vertically integrated GaN startup.

Strategic Technology: GaN chips outperform silicon in high-power, high-frequency applications, making them essential for defence, aerospace, radar, and next-gen wireless systems.

From Lab to Market: Despite limited infrastructure and funding, the team turned research into a commercially viable deep-tech startup, supported by India's Ministry of Electronics and the iDEX program, aiming to reduce import reliance and strengthen national security.

Five professors and two PhD scholars spent 15 years building a technology that hardly anyone in India was talking about.

They began at a time when the country had little semiconductor infrastructure, almost no ecosystem for advanced chip research and no certainty that their work would ever leave the laboratory. Yet they kept going, convinced that India would one day need a technology the rest of the world was only beginning to recognise.

By the time semiconductors became one of India's biggest national priorities, they had already built one of the country's most significant breakthroughs.

Fifteen years is longer than many startups survive. During that time, governments changed, India's semiconductor ambitions accelerated and global demand for advanced chips soared. Through it all, the researchers kept working on the same problem.

Their effort eventually became AGNIT Semiconductors, India's first vertically integrated Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor startup.

Incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the company now develops strategic semiconductor technologies for India's defence sector while expanding into telecommunications, consumer electronics and electric mobility.

The journey began with a team of five professors and two PhD scholars -- (Late) Dr Muralidharan Rangarajan, Hareesh Chandrasekar, Madhusudan Atre, Digbijoy Nath, Srinivasan Raghavan, Mayank Shrivastava and Shankar Kumar Selvaraja, whose research laid the foundations for what would become AGNIT.

Today, semiconductor announcements dominate India's technology agenda. New fabrication plants, billion-dollar investments and global chipmakers entering the country have become regular headlines.

The pandemic-era chip shortage, followed by rising geopolitical tensions and export controls, exposed how vulnerable countries were when critical technologies depended on foreign suppliers.

As Chandrasekar puts it, "critical technology access itself is being overtly used as a sovereign tool of statecraft." India is now investing billions through the India Semiconductor Mission to change that.

Long before the country made semiconductors a national priority, this team at IISc had already placed its bet on one of the world's most strategically important chip technologies: Gallium Nitride.

WHY GALLIUM NITRIDE IS DIFFERENT

Most electronic devices today run on silicon chips.

Gallium Nitride belongs to a newer family of semiconductors designed for situations where ordinary silicon reaches its limits.

"Gallium Nitride is a wide bandgap semiconductor material that has the capacity to handle high power applications and operates at higher frequencies and perform more efficiently than traditional silicon," explains Digbijoy Nath, CTO and co-founder of AGNIT Semiconductors and Associate Professor at IISc.

That makes GaN indispensable for radar systems, satellite communication, electronic warfare, aerospace, and next-generation wireless technologies where performance and reliability are non-negotiable.

(AI-generated image)

More importantly, only a handful of countries possess strong capabilities in this technology.

"For India, GaN is not just a technology advancement; it is a strategic necessity. By developing indigenous GaN technology and manufacturing capabilities in India, we can reduce import reliance, strengthen national security, protect sensitive defence infrastructure, and build valuable semiconductor intellectual property that generates long-term economic and technological value," he explains.

THE DECISION THAT STARTED IT ALL

When the team first began discussing GaN inside IISc in the mid-2000s, building advanced semiconductors in India seemed almost unrealistic. There was little infrastructure, limited funding and almost no ecosystem for high-end chip manufacturing.

According to Madhusudan Atre, Co-founder and Director (Strategy) at AGNIT, the team knew India could not simply replicate the world's biggest silicon foundries.

Instead, they searched for an area where India could build unique intellectual property while remaining commercially viable.

"There was therefore a need to identify an optimal intersection between differentiated IP, capex and opex requirements, R&D expenses, human resources, availability of infrastructure, India's strategic and commercial needs, and the technological expertise available in the country," he says.

Agnit Semiconductors team

The answer was clear.

"Compound semiconductor manufacturing emerged as one such sweet spot."

At the time, Gallium Nitride was beginning to emerge globally as one of the most promising semiconductor technologies.

Research at IISc steadily built expertise, patents and confidence that India could develop this capability itself instead of importing it.

BUILDING CHIPS IS NOTHING LIKE BUILDING SOFTWARE

After spending more than a decade solving scientific problems, the team faced an entirely different challenge: turning research into a business.

"The toughest moment came from the reality of building a deep-tech semiconductor startup in India when the infrastructure is still developing," says Hareesh Chandrasekar, Co-founder and CEO of AGNIT.

Unlike software startups that can rapidly update products, semiconductor companies often get only one chance.

"Unlike software, where products can be improved quickly, a single design mistake in semiconductors can cost millions of dollars and months of work. Even when the science works in the lab, ensuring the technology performs reliably in real-world conditions is an entirely different challenge," he says.

(AI-generated image)

The team's belief never wavered.

Support through the Defence Ministry's iDEX programme helped AGNIT build its first commercial GaN prototype, but Chandrasekar believes India still needs stronger support for deep-tech companies during the difficult period between successful research and commercial success.

"There is still a need for greater scale and what we call 'viability gap funding'. There also needs to be a leap of faith from first customers to convert a successful pilot into volume orders and revenue for the startup," he says.

WHEN A LAB BECAME A COMPANY

By the late 2010s, the researchers realised they had something much bigger than an academic project.

"We could see this technology begin to commercialise across the world, starting with more strategic use-cases," Chandrasekar says.

Years of research had given the team expertise across the entire value chain, from semiconductor materials and fabrication to devices, packaging and complete systems.

That experience convinced the founders they had more than a promising laboratory project.

"Commercialising compound semiconductor technology is not only about developing the best material or best process or best packaging, but about mastering the entire product development cycle," Chandrasekar says.

Agnit at Bharat Innovates 2026, France

Just as importantly, discussions with defence customers revealed how dependent India remained on imported GaN components.

Those conversations led to AGNIT's launch in 2019.

The timing coincided with India's growing semiconductor ambitions, the Make in India push and a changing geopolitical landscape where access to advanced technology increasingly became a strategic issue.

In December 2023, AGNIT signed a contract with the Defence Ministry to design and develop advanced GaN semiconductors for next-generation wireless transmitters used in radars and electronic warfare systems.

In October 2024, the company raised $3.5 million in seed funding led by 3one4 Capital and Zephyr Peacock to scale manufacturing and expand into commercial sectors such as consumer electronics and electric mobility.

Its work has since earned the IESA Semiconductor Startup Award 2025, the NASSCOM DeepTech Emerge 50 Award and recognition among DPIIT and Startup India's Top 100 DeepTech Startups.

AGNIT's testing lab at IISc

WHY THIS MOMENT MATTERS FOR INDIA

For Chandrasekar, the biggest achievement is not simply commercial success.

"The semiconductor technology fundamentally gives countries the optionality of developing defence systems against a 10-year self-defined roadmap and innovations as opposed to making do with components available off the shelf but fundamentally built for someone else's roadmaps," he explains.

Seeing university research become technology used by the country carries a deeper meaning.

"It is really fulfilling to see research that began in a university laboratory translating into a startup that is creating real-time impact for the country," he says.

Professionally, it validates years of research and perseverance.

"Personally, it is a proud reminder that world-class, indigenous technology can be developed in India and deployed where it matters most," Chandrasekar says.

WHAT INDIA'S CHIP MISSION CAN LEARN

India's semiconductor ambitions are no longer limited to attracting global manufacturers.

The bigger challenge is creating technologies that originate here.

"When we started, semiconductors were not yet a national priority," recalls Srinivasan Raghavan, Professor at IISc and Co-founder of AGNIT.

Funding, specialised infrastructure, manufacturing partners and supply chains were all scarce. Many startups had to build these capabilities almost from scratch while convincing investors there was a market waiting.

(AI-generated image)

Madhusudan Atre believes the next decade will demand much more than factories.

Semiconductors are among the world's most interdisciplinary industries, bringing together physics, chemistry, materials science, electronics, manufacturing, logistics, finance and management. They also require patience because the journey from laboratory research to commercially useful products often spans many years.

"Technology development and IP come from big corporations, as well as from startups, and enabling entrepreneurs for the long road from lab-to-product needs sustained support," Atre says.

His final lesson may be the most important.

"It is important to not just think of technology development, but also of where the technology leads to systems and products of relevance to India's needs," he says.

India's semiconductor future will certainly be built inside massive fabrication plants.

But if AGNIT's story shows anything, it is that it also begins with researchers willing to spend years solving problems long before the rest of the country realises how important those solutions will become.

20. He lost his father and brothers to disease, failed school twice, reached Harvard and changed modern medicine forever Prize.

ToI, July 15 2026, Sanjay Sharma— yet never won a Nobel

Key takeaways

Scientific Breakthroughs: Developed the Fiske-Subbarow method, advanced understanding of ATP, and contributed to folic acid, aminopterin, methotrexate, Aureomycin, and DEC, saving countless lives., school failures, and financial struggles to study medicine in India and conduct groundbreaking resear

Perseverance & Education: Overcame personal loss ch at Harvard.

Enduring Legacy: Though he never won a Nobel Prize, Subbarow's work shaped modern pharmacology, influenced global health practices, and continues to impact medicine worldwide.

He lost his father and brothers to disease, failed school twice, reached Harvard and changed modern medicine forever — yet never won a Nobel Prize.

Every year, millions of people around the world take medicines that help fight cancer, treat autoimmune diseases, prevent congenital disabilities or cure bacterial infections. Few of them know that many of these breakthroughs can be traced back to the work of an Indian scientist who dedicated his life to medical research.

His name was Yellapragada Subbarow (Subba Rao).

He was not a Nobel Prize winner. He was rarely in the headlines. Yet decades after his death, scientists continue to regard him as one of the most influential biomedical researchers of the 20th century. His story is one of perseverance, scientific curiosity, and an unwavering desire to prevent others from suffering as his own family once did.

A childhood shaped by personal loss

Born on January 12, 1895, in Bhimavaram in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Subbarow grew up in modest circumstances. His father, a Sanskrit scholar, died when he was young after suffering from tropical sprue, a disease that was poorly understood at the time. Two of his brothers also succumbed to illness.

These personal tragedies left a lasting impression on him. They fuelled his determination to study medicine and understand the diseases that had taken away his loved ones.

His academic journey, however, was far from smooth. He failed his school examinations twice before eventually passing on his third attempt. Financial constraints made higher education difficult, and his future father-in-law is known to have supported him by purchasing medical textbooks.

After completing his medical education in India, Subbarow travelled to the United States in 1922 with limited financial resources but an extraordinary ambition—to pursue scientific research that could improve human health.

The Harvard years and discoveries that changed science

At Harvard Medical School, Subbarow joined the Department of Biochemistry and began working with biochemist Cyrus Fiske.

Together, they developed the Fiske-Subbarow method, a laboratory technique for estimating phosphorus in biological samples. Introduced in the 1920s, the method became one of the most widely used procedures in biochemistry and remains important in laboratory medicine even today.

Subbarow also played a pioneering role in advancing scientists' understanding of phosphorus-containing compounds involved in energy transfer within cells, including adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is now recognized as the primary energy-carrying molecule in living organisms and is fundamental to modern biology.

Although his scientific contributions earned widespread respect within research circles, the recognition he received during his lifetime did not always match the scale of his work.

The scientist whose work continues to save lives

In 1940, Subbarow joined Lederle Laboratories in New York, where he led research that would leave an enduring impact on medicine.

Among his most significant contributions was work related to folic acid, a vitamin that plays a crucial role in cell growth and development. Today, folic acid supplementation during pregnancy is recommended across the world because it helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects in babies.

His research also laid the foundation for aminopterin, one of the earliest drugs shown to induce remission in childhood leukaemia. This pioneering work eventually led to the development of methotrexate, a medicine that remains an essential treatment for several cancers as well as conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

Subbarow's leadership also contributed to the discovery of Aureomycin, the first tetracycline antibiotic. The breakthrough opened the door to an entire family of antibiotics that are still used worldwide to treat a wide range of bacterial infections.

Another major achievement was the development of diethylcarbamazine (DEC), a medicine that has played a vital role in controlling lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis. Even today, the World Health Organisation recommends DEC as part of programmes to eliminate the disease in several countries.

A legacy that continues long after his lifetime

Yellapragada Subbarow passed away in New York on August 8, 1948, at the age of just 53.

Although he did not receive some of the honours later bestowed on scientists working in related fields, his influence on biomedical research has only grown stronger over time. Historians of science and medical researchers widely acknowledge that his discoveries helped shape modern pharmacology and improved the lives of countless patients worldwide.

India has honoured his contributions in several ways, including issuing a commemorative postage stamp on his birth centenary. His life story is also taught in many medical and scientific institutions as an example of perseverance and excellence in research.

Yellapragada Subbarow's journey reminds us that the greatest scientific achievements are not always accompanied by fame. Sometimes, the most extraordinary legacies are found not in history books or award ceremonies, but in the medicines that quietly save lives every single day.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available historical records, scientific literature and information about Yellapragada Subbarow's life and contributions. The article is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

INDIA and the World

21. Why are 100 sheep working at Volkswagen's solar-powered factory in Poland?

Moneycontrol News, July 16 2026

Key takeaways

Eco-Friendly Grazing: Volkswagen replaced mechanical lawnmowers with 100 sheep to naturally maintain grass under 31,000 solar panels at its Poznań plant, promoting sustainable vegetation management.

Clean Energy Integration: The 18.3 MW solar installation powers around 25% of the factory's electricity needs, blending renewable energy production with agricultural practices.

Research & Biodiversity: Collaboration with Poznań University of Life Sciences studies animal welfare, soil health, biodiversity, and how solar panel shade benefits the sheep, showing industrial operations can coexist with nature.

Volkswagen has replaced traditional mechanical lawnmowers with a flock of 100 sheep to maintain the grass beneath more than 31,000 solar panels at its manufacturing plant in Poznań, Poland .

The photovoltaic farm, one of Europe's largest on-site solar installations, uses sheep grazing as a natural and sustainable alternative for vegetation management while generating renewable energy for the facility.

According to Electrek, the initiative reduces reliance on machinery for grass maintenance while allowing researchers to study how large-scale renewable energy projects can coexist with agricultural practices. The flock of sheep will continue grazing at the solar facility until autumn under the supervision of experienced breeders.

Blending clean energy

The 18.3 MW solar installation, built and operated by Berlin-based Quanta Energy, can generate enough electricity to power Volkswagen's factory on bright sunny days. Over the course of a year, the facility meets around 25% of the plant's electricity requirements.

The Poznań plant, which manufactures vehicles including the Volkswagen e-Crafter electric commercial van, spans a large area, making regular maintenance of the solar field a challenging task. To manage vegetation growth beneath the more than 31,000 solar panels, Volkswagen has replaced mechanical mowing with a flock of sheep that naturally graze on the grass, including areas directly under the panels.

The arrangement benefits both sides — the sheep help maintain the solar farm while the panels provide shade, offering the animals relief from heat during warmer days.

According to Electrek, Volkswagen is collaborating with the Poznań University of Life Sciences to study the impact of sheep grazing at the solar farm.

Researchers are examining factors such as animal welfare, biodiversity, soil health, vegetation growth and the site's microclimate, including whether the shade provided by solar panels helps reduce heat stress among the sheep.

"Today, the photovoltaic farm delivers much more than green electricity. It has also become a place that supports biodiversity, local agriculture and scientific research," said Marzena Pillich-Grońska, director of Volkswagen Poznań. She added that the project demonstrates how modern industrial operations can coexist with nature.

The flock has adapted quickly to its new surroundings. According to owner Justyna Nowak-Gajek, the sheep have naturally divided into smaller groups and graze peacefully across different sections of the solar farm. She said this behaviour indicates that the animals feel secure, as stressed or threatened sheep typically remain closely grouped together.

Beyond the novelty of the initiative, the project offers practical benefits. Sheep grazing helps reduce maintenance costs and carbon emissions associated with mechanical mowing, while also supporting biodiversity by creating a habitat for insects and other wildlife. The initiative has emerged as a sustainable solution benefiting Volkswagen, researchers and the 100 sheep managing the solar field.

22. 2026 BYD Sealion 7 offers bigger battery, faster charging: Available from as low as RM160k

Chief Chapree, July 30 2026

Key takeaways

New Variant & Pricing: The Sealion 7 Dynamic is introduced as the new base model: - Dynamic RWD: RM163,800 (launch promo: RM159,800) - Premium RWD: RM188,800 - Performance AWD: RM203,800

Battery & Range Upgrades: Premium & Performance now feature a 91.39kWh BYD Blade LFP battery with improved range: - Premium: 650km NEDC (553km WLTP est.) - Performance: 600km NEDC (510km WLTP est.) - Dynamic: 71.8kWh battery, 520km NEDC (442km WLTP est.)

Charging & Features: Enhanced charging and convenience options: - Max DC charging speed up to 230kW for Premium & Performance - Dynamic charges at 110kW DC / 7kW AC - Standard V2L adapter and portable Type 2 AC charger included - New Ultraviolet colourway exclusive to Premium variant.

Sime Motors has officially launched the 2026 BYD Sealion 7 in Malaysia. At a glance, the 2026 revision that BYD has implemented looks rather subtle but still impactful to the Sealion 7 family in many ways.

2026 BYD Sealion 7 Malaysia Pricing and Launch Promo

With the 2026 revision, the Sealion 7 now has an additional variant called Dynamic, which serves as the new base option for the family. Here is the price list of the 2026 BYD Sealion 7 in Malaysia:

2026 BYD Sealion 7 Dynamic RWD: RM163,800

2026 BYD Sealion 7 Premium RWD: RM188,800

2026 BYD Sealion 7 Performance AWD: RM203,800

Warranty-wise, the 2026 Sealion 7 family is covered by a 6-year / 150,000km vehicle warranty alongside a separate 8-year / 160,000km warranty for its EV battery and drive unit. Each unit also comes standard with a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) adapter and a portable Type 2 AC charger with a 3-pin plug.

In conjunction with the launch, the first 300 customers who purchase the Sealion 7 Dynamic can enjoy a RM4,000 launch rebate, which lowers its price tag to RM159,800. Alternatively, they can choose to forego the launch rebate for a free AC wallbox charger instead, although this offer is available to everyone.

While there is no launch rebate for Sealion 7 Premium and Sealion 7 Performance, customers will be provided with a free AC wallbox charger. There is also an overtrade bonus worth RM3,888 and RM2,888 tied to each model, respectively.

Customers who book the 2026 Sealion 7 at the launch roadshow in 1 Utama this weekend will also receive free charging credit worth RM200.

2026 BYD Sealion 7 Malaysia – what's new?

Unlike the recent Atto 3 FL, there are no major changes to the exterior and interior of the 2026 Sealion 7 compared to its predecessor, which was launched in 2024. Instead, the big changes that the 2026 Sealion 7 carries involve its battery and charging capability.

Specifically, the 2026 Sealion 7 Premium and Performance now have a 91.39kWh BYD Blade LFP battery. As a comparison, their 2024 predecessors were equipped with an 82.5kWh battery pack.

2026 BYD Sealion 7 offers bigger battery, faster charging: Available from as low as RM160k

With a larger-capacity battery, naturally its range has been improved as well. The Premium variant range is now 650km NEDC (553km WLTP est.), while the Performance option is claimed to be 600km NEDC (510km WLTP est.).

In addition, the maximum DC charging speed on the 2026 Sealion 7 Premium and Performance has been improved from 150kW to 230kW. Not to forget, BYD has somehow improved the boot space capacity on both variants from 500L to 520L, which can be expanded further up to 1789L.

Meanwhile, BYD has also provided a new colourway option called Ultraviolet that is exclusive to the Premium variant. Other colourways available for the 2026 Sealion 7 family include Aurora White, Atlantis Grey, Shark Grey, and Cosmos Black.

The biggest change that BYD has made to the 2026 Sealion 7 family in Malaysia is the introduction of the Sealion 7 Dynamic variant. Being the new base variant in the family, it helps lower the starting price for Sealion 7 in Malaysia.

While it is still an RWD model just like the Premium option, the Sealion 7 Dynamic has a less powerful 170kW (228hp) electric motor that also generates 380Nm of torque. At the same time, the Dynamic option also carries a smaller 71.8kWh battery, which is why it also has the lowest range in the family at 520km NEDC (442km WLTP est.).

At the same time, the charging speed of the Sealion 7 Dynamic is also slower at 110kW for DC and 7kW for AC. The driver's seat on the Dynamic variant is also missing the 4-way lumbar adjustment and power-adjustable leg rest.

23. Ex-McKinsey leader returns to India after 13 years in the US

Moneycontrol, Live Mint, 06 Aug. 2026

Major career shift: Dr Neeraja Nagarajan left a successful McKinsey career in the US to return to Chennai, defying conventional career advice.

Deeply rooted decision: She maintained her Indian passport, planned the return for years, and sought to merge healthcare impact with cultural connection.

Part of wider trend: Her move aligns with a growing reverse brain drain, as seasoned professionals return to contribute to India's growth.

A planned return years in the making

Dr Neeraja Nagarajan’s relocation to India was not a spur-of-the-moment choice but the result of deliberate planning throughout her 13 years in the US. She retained her Indian passport despite holding a long-term US green card, chose an international employer to keep options open, and was transparent with her future husband about her intent to return. These strategic decisions ensured a smooth transition back to Chennai when the time came.

I always knew I'd come home. And I made small decisions to keep that door open — never giving up my Indian passport (despite a long-standing EB1 green card), telling my now-husband on our first date that I intended to go back. We should only take this forward if he were open to it, even choosing McKinsey (an international firm if ever there was one).

From medicine to systemic change

Her career began with public health studies at Johns Hopkins, where she confronted her assumptions about privilege and social justice. A stint at Brigham and Women’s Hospital revealed her passion lay beyond bedside care, in tackling systemic healthcare issues. This shift led her to McKinsey, where she honed skills in decision-making and executing large-scale projects, including initiatives that supported mass vaccination.

Intertwined personal and professional motives

Nagarajan rejects the idea that career decisions are purely professional, describing hers as a blend of personal, professional, and political factors. Her motivations included improving healthcare access in India, working with inspiring leaders, hearing Tamil daily, and embracing Indian handloom culture. By rooting herself in Chennai, she aims to contribute locally while maintaining a global outlook.

A case in reverse brain drain

Her move mirrors a broader phenomenon of Indian-origin professionals returning after years abroad, bringing back global expertise and networks. Industry observers view this as a ‘reverse brain drain’ that strengthens India’s healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial sectors. Nagarajan’s journey underscores how such returns are often driven by purpose and personal fulfilment rather than purely economic gains.

24. Iran and Ukraine clashes show regional wars are spiralling into 'global conflict'

The I Paper, 31 Ju. 2026 Kieron Monks

Devastating wars in Iran and Ukraine, which show little sign of coming to an end, are escalating and expanding across the world instead. Dozens of countries are already involved in the conflicts, and more are being drawn in.

On Thursday, Poland reported a cruise missile of probable Russian origin had landed in farmland close to its border with Ukraine. On Wednesday, a US tanker in an Egyptian port went up in flames following Iranian threats against the site. Last weekend, the first known Ukrainian attack on Iran killed a sailor in the Caspian Sea.

China may be taking a more active role in hostilities, with reports suggesting it has agreed to supply Iran with air defence missiles.

Brett McGurk, one of the top US foreign policy officials under former US president Joe Biden, said the spread of fighting was a grave concern. "I don't want to be alarmist, but there are glimpses of world war dimension, global conflict dimension," he told CNN on Thursday.

Yossi Mekelberg, an international relations scholar at Chatham House, said world leaders are losing control. "Countries went to war assuming they were bilateral or trilateral," he told The i Paper. "They end up with something way bigger than they expected."

Foreign ministers in Kyiv and Tehran called for calm after the Ukrainian attack on Iran, but the strike highlighted the risks of sudden, dramatic escalation. Iran had reportedly prepared to launch ballistic missiles against Ukrainian infrastructure in response, before diplomacy intervened.

Kyiv officials suggested the attack could be part of a wider campaign. Ukrainian MP Oleksii Goncharenko told The i Paper that Iran is a "participant in this war", citing Tehran's supply of drones to Russia, and said further strikes against it were "very possible".

Caught in the crossfire

Countries risk being caught in the crossfire as the wars expand. Poland, Romania, Moldova and Baltic states have increasingly found their territories in the flight paths of drones and missiles from the war in Ukraine, with the origins and intentions rarely clear. The incidents risk opening new fronts.

"The threat is spreading," said Mekelberg. "Look at Moldova and Romania, with drones flying all over their countries. Is it a black flag [enemy attack]? Is it a mistake? A rogue element trying to test the water?

"The margins are getting smaller for mistakes…and if something feels threatening, these countries might make a move. And then there is a counter move."

Cases of Ukrainian drones crashing in Nato territory have raised suspicions in Russia that the alliance is allowing Kyiv to use its airspace for attacks – fiercely denied by those countries and Ukraine – and fueled calls for military action against the Baltic states, such as shooting down drones inside their borders.

A shootout between Ukraine and Iran could draw more nations into the fray.

Babak Taghvaee, a journalist specializing in the Iranian military, notes that drone or missile attacks between the countries would require overflying and violating the airspace of countries such as Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan or Turkey, widening the scope of the conflict.

"Except for Georgia, which has no fighter interceptors in its air force, all of these countries operate fighter aircraft capable of intercepting such drones or cruise missiles if they enter their airspace," he said. "Turkey, in particular, would almost certainly shoot them down. Such incidents would also create diplomatic tensions with those countries."

Iran also has the option of striking at Ukrainian and US allies in Europe by aiding Russia's campaign of sabotage attacks. Tehran is believed to have an extensive network of agents in the UK. The regime has also threatened to attack the RAF Fairford base used by US planes to attack Iran.

Trans-continental conflict

Many analysts believe the wars in Europe and Asia have already expanded into a trans-continental conflict.

Ukraine may be playing a growing role in the Middle East. A senior Iraqi official this week accused Kyiv of carrying out covert bomb attacks on its territory, which it denied. But Ukrainian special forces have been revealed to be operating in the Middle East and North African countries including Libya, Syria and Sudan against Russian or Russian-backed forces.

Colonel Markus Reisner, an officer and military analyst at Austria's Theresian Military Academy, believes the conflicts merged weeks or months ago. "Just look at the hit and damaged US bases," he said, referring to US assets in the Middle East that Iran has reportedly bombed with Russian intelligence assistance.

Iran has launched attacks at 14 countries during hostilities with the US and Israel, including the Gulf states, but also Turkey and Azerbaijan. Baku vowed to retaliate after drones hit one of its airports in March, but it is not known to have done so.

Mekelberg points to Kyiv's growing Middle East footprint through arms sales to Gulf regimes. "Iran is involved in many ways in the war with Ukraine and Ukraine has become involved in the war in the Gulf, whether in supplying weapons or intelligence sharing," he said. "Unless there is change in the bigger picture, this will continue."

Both wars have expanded beyond the borders of the immediate opponents. Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen are exchanging strikes with US-allied Saudi Arabia, with another major international sea trade route under threat. Riyadh this week joined the US in bombing Iran-allied militias in Iraq.

The drone attack on a US gas tanker in Egypt's Damietta port on Wednesday followed Iranian threats against the site and warnings that Washington would not be allowed to dictate the terms of a conflict now in its sixth month. The US responded with a resumption of air strikes on Iran.

Ukraine has an incentive to target a US enemy, Iran, at a time when it is heavily dependent on US military support – most crucially air defence missiles. Mark Cancian, a retired Army Colonel now at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, suggested the Caspian Sea strike would demonstrate Kyiv's value as an ally and earn "credibility with the White House".

Pacific expansion?

Another Russian ally, North Korea, is already playing a major role in the Ukraine war, having supplied Putin with thousands of soldiers and millions of rounds of artillery ammunition. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky recently warned that Pyongyang is preparing to send a further 30,000 troops.

The implications of this alliance are sparking alarm across the Pacific. Taehwa Hong, a specialist on South Korean politics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said Seoul is gravely worried – although it has declined to confirm Zelensky's claim.

"A prime concern for South Korea is that Russia is transferring military high-tech and data to the North Koreans," he said. Options to respond include assistance to Ukraine to allow it to inflict damage on North Korea. But no clear direction has yet been established, said Hong.

Seoul is said to be in talks with Nato members over joining an initiative to acquire US weaponry for Ukraine.

Among the greatest concerns for the US and its allies is that China takes a more active role in one or both of the wars. So far, Beijing has maintained an official stance of neutrality on Ukraine – while supplying many of the components that have allowed Russia to evade sanctions and keep its war machine running.

But Beijing has agreed to sell hundreds of shoulder-fired air defence missile launchers to Iran, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the deal. The deal could see the weapons arrive in Tehran via Pakistan in weeks, the report claimed. China and Pakistan both denied the agreement.

Trump has previously suggested that China may be sending unspecified supplies to Iran, and warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against giving weapons to Tehran. "It would be very bad for them – Certainly not in their best interests," the US President said last week.

But as the wars continue to spread and escalate, they appear to be out of any leader's control.

Visit The i Paper

25. He topped IIT-JEE with AIR 1, turned down computer science, chose physics instead — today his discoveries are taught around the world

TOI, 02 Aug. 2026, Sanjay Sharma

Key takeaways

Early Passion & Choice: Despite topping IIT-JEE in 1987, Rajesh chose Physics over Computer Science, driven by genuine intellectual curiosity rather than conventional career paths.

Academic Journey: Studied at IIT Kanpur, then pursued a PhD. at Princeton under Nobel laureate David Gross, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard, leading to breakthroughs in string theory.

Scientific Impact & Recognition: Co-developed the Gopakumar-Vafa Duality, influencing modern theoretical physics; returned to India to lead ICTS, earning top honours like the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and international recognition.

He topped IIT-JEE with AIR 1, turned down Computer Science, chose Physics instead — today his discoveries are taught around the world

For countless IIT aspirants, securing an All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the IIT-JEE represents the pinnacle of success. It is widely viewed as a gateway to the country's most coveted engineering programs, high-paying careers, and global opportunities.

When Rajesh Gopakumar secured AIR 1 in the 1987 IIT-JEE, however, he took a path that defied expectations.

Rather than opting for Computer Science or another engineering discipline, he chose to study Physics. Nearly four decades later, that decision has had a profound impact. His contributions have advanced the frontiers of theoretical physics, earned him some of the world's most prestigious scientific honours, and inspired a new generation of Indian researchers.

His story shows that true success is not always about following the most conventional or lucrative path. Sometimes, it comes from pursuing one's deepest intellectual curiosity.

The AIR 1 who chose curiosity over convention

Born in Kolkata in 1967, Rajesh Gopakumar grew up with an unusual fascination for understanding how the universe works.

Unlike many students who focused only on examination preparation, he immersed himself in books on science and mathematics. Accounts of his early years suggest that he spent countless hours reading beyond the school curriculum, exploring ideas that fascinated him rather than simply memorising textbook chapters.

That passion translated into remarkable academic success.

In 1987, he secured All India Rank 1 in the IIT Joint Entrance Examination, one of India's most competitive engineering entrance tests.

For many students, such a rank would have meant an obvious choice: Computer Science or another top engineering discipline at an IIT.

Rajesh chose a different path.

He enrolled in the Integrated M.Sc. programme in Physics at IIT Kanpur, prioritising his love for fundamental science over conventional career expectations.

A journey from IIT Kanpur to Princeton

His decision proved to be only the beginning.

After completing his master's degree at IIT Kanpur in 1992, Rajesh moved to Princeton University, where he pursued a PhD under Nobel Prize-winning physicist David Gross, one of the world's leading theoretical physicists.

Working in such an intellectually demanding environment helped him explore some of the deepest questions in modern physics—questions about space, time, gravity and the fundamental building blocks of the universe.

Following Princeton, he joined Harvard University as a postdoctoral researcher, where another major breakthrough awaited him.

The discovery that carries his name

While at Harvard, Rajesh Gopakumar collaborated with renowned string theorist Cumrun Vafa.

Together, they developed what is now known as the Gopakumar-Vafa Duality, along with the Gopakumar-Vafa Invariants—concepts that have become highly influential in string theory and mathematical physics.

Although these ideas are far from everyday science, they have helped physicists better understand the relationship between quantum theories and gravity, two of the biggest frontiers in modern physics.

Today, these concepts are studied by researchers and graduate students across the world and remain an important part of theoretical physics literature.

For a student who once chose Physics over engineering, having his name permanently attached to internationally recognised scientific concepts is an extraordinary achievement.

Choosing India over easier options abroad

After establishing himself internationally, Rajesh Gopakumar had opportunities to continue his career overseas.

Instead, he chose to return to India.

He spent over a decade at the Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI) in Prayagraj, where he continued his research while mentoring young scientists.

In 2015, he became the Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Bengaluru.

Under his leadership, ICTS has grown into one of India's leading institutions for advanced research in mathematics, physics and interdisciplinary sciences, attracting scholars from across the world.

Honours earned through scientific excellence

Rajesh Gopakumar's contributions have been recognised globally.

His honours include:

• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2009), India's highest science award in the Physical Sciences category.

• ICTP Prize (2006).

• TWAS Prize in Physics (2013).

• Frontiers of Science Award (2023).

• Fellowship of all three major Indian science academies—INSA, IASc and NASI.

These recognitions reflect decades of original research rather than a single breakthrough.

A lesson for students choosing careers

Every admission season, thousands of students worry about selecting the "best" branch or the highest-paying career.

Rajesh Gopakumar's story offers a different perspective.

He had the credentials to pursue any engineering discipline. Yet he chose Physics because that was where his curiosity lay.

That decision did not limit his opportunities—it enabled him to contribute to science at the highest international level.

His journey illustrates that sustained excellence often comes from pursuing a subject deeply rather than following conventional definitions of success.

For students passionate about pure sciences, research, mathematics or academia, his career stands as proof that meaningful impact is not confined to traditional corporate paths.

Sometimes, the boldest decision is not choosing the safest option—but choosing the one that genuinely inspires you.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information about Prof. Rajesh Gopakumar's academic career, institutional profiles, published interviews, and scientific achievements. Some narrative elements describing his early interests have been adapted from publicly reported accounts to present his educational journey in an engaging manner.

Visit The Times of India

***

AAPI

Pages

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Newsletter, August 2026

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

– AGRICULTURE, FISHING & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

– INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURE

– SERVICES (IT, R&D, Tourism, Healthcare, etc.)

NEWSLETTER, August 2026

– GENERAL POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURES, COUNTRY FINANCES, ETC.

- Agriculture, Fishing and Rural Development

- Industry and Manufacture

- Services (Education, Healthcare, IT, R&D, Tourism, etc.)

INDIA and the World