DPIIT and KRAFTON India sign MoU to support gaming and digital entertainment startups.
[Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade]
Key Updates:
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed an MoU with KRAFTON India Pvt Ltd on 26 March 2026 in New Delhi.
- The collaboration will organise innovation challenges under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge and targeted hackathons, workshops, and masterclasses in game design, animation, immersive technologies, esports management, and AI applications.
- Selected startups may gain pilot collaboration opportunities and further engagement based on outcomes.
- Startups will receive mentorship, industry insights, knowledge exchange platforms, and curated engagement opportunities.
- The partnership will facilitate Proof-of-Concept development, market access, and integration into industry ecosystems.
- The MoU was signed by Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, T L K Singh and Head of Government Relations, KRAFTON India Pvt Ltd, Vibhor Kukreti.
Similar Coverage
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) partnered with Razorpay on 26 Mar 2026 to provide financial tools, founder enablement programmes and ecosystem support to startups.
- Startup Sahayak platform launched to give end-to-end assistance including company incorporation, access to central and state government schemes, funding guidance and structured interface for ecosystem support.
- DPIIT-recognised startups will receive incorporation support with zero professional fees, excluding applicable government charges.
- Selected startups will be onboarded into curated founder communities for peer learning, networking and domain-specific support in engineering, hiring and marketing.
- Knowledge sessions on applied artificial intelligence, marketing, product development and financial management will be conducted through Startup India Hub.
- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed an MoU with Blue Star Limited on 24 March 2026.
- The partnership targets startups, innovators, and entrepreneurs in HVAC technologies, digital solutions, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain innovation.
- Startups will gain access to industry mentorship, R&D facilities, testing infrastructure, and pilot opportunities.
- The initiative supports proof-of-concept development and integration into existing industry value chains.
- DPIIT and Blue Star will organise innovation challenges and hackathons under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge focused on manufacturing, HVAC, and digital technologies.
- The MoU was signed by T. L. K. Singh, Deputy Secretary, DPIIT, and B Thiagarajan, Managing Director, Blue Star Limited.
- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed an MoU with Voltas Limited to strengthen industry-startup collaboration in cooling and smart-appliance technologies.
- The collaboration will engage startups working on HVAC technologies, advanced control systems and power electronics, AI/ML-based diagnostics, IoT-enabled smart appliances, and digitalisation in manufacturing and service operations.
- Startup India and Voltas will explore organising innovation challenges and hackathons through platforms such as the Bharat Start-up Grand Challenge focused on industry-driven problem statements.
- Selected startups may receive mentorship, technical guidance, access to testing infrastructure, market linkage opportunities, industry validation, product development support, and participate in structured Proof-of-Concept programmes with Voltas engineering teams.
- Startups can conduct field trials through Voltas’s service network to test, improve and potentially achieve commercial integration of new technologies.
- Key innovation areas include energy-efficient cooling systems, air-quality monitoring and filtration technologies, advanced inverter control systems, predictive maintenance solutions, refrigerant safety technologies, and digital tools for installation and servicing.
- The MoU was signed by Dr. Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, Director, DPIIT, and Mr. Mukundan Menon, Managing Director of Voltas Limited, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.
- WaveX, the startup accelerator under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), signed an MoU with FITT, IIT Delhi to scale media-tech incubation nationwide.
- FITT will provide strategic guidance for incubator setup, mentorship, IP support, and access to IITs and innovation hubs.
- WaveX will offer financial support, policy backing, and national visibility to startups in media, entertainment, broadcasting, and communication technologies.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti Appointed Chairperson of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC)
[National Commission for Backward Classes]
Key Updates:
- Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti assumed charge as the chairperson of the NCBC in New Delhi on 19 March 2026.
- The NCBC is a constitutional body established to safeguard the rights, welfare, and development of socially and educationally backward classes.
- Jyoti belongs to the Nishad community, which is categorised under the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
- The 59-year-old leader served as a Union Minister in the Government of India for ten years from 2014 to 2024.
- She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Fatehpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
- Her previous political experience includes serving as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Hamirpur Sadar seat in 2012.
- She has also held the position of National Joint Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
- Pankaj Chaudhary, the MP from Maharajganj, was appointed as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh.
Similar Coverage
- The government reconstituted the Hindi Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
- Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda will serve as the chairman of the committee.
- The committee includes six nominated Members of Parliament.
- The committee will review and recommend measures for the progressive use of Hindi in the ministry’s official work and its subordinate offices.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Kompella Venkata Ramana Murty as a whole-time member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a period of three years.
- Murty is a 1991-batch officer of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) and previously served as the Additional Controller General of Defence Accounts.
- The appointment increases the total number of whole-time members on the SEBI board to four, alongside Sandip Pradhan, Kamlesh Chandra Varshney, and Amarjeet Singh.
- Tuhin Kanta Pandey is the current Chairman of SEBI, having assumed the position on March 1, 2025.
- The SEBI board structure consists of a chairman, four whole-time members, and four part-time members representing the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), the Ministry of Finance, and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Murty previously served as a part-time member on the SEBI board as a representative of the MCA.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sanctioned the appointment of former RBI Executive Director Jose Joseph Kattoor as non-executive part-time chairman of South Indian Bank on 3 February 2026.
- Kattoor’s chairmanship is effective 23 March 2026 for a three-year term.
- He served at RBI from 1991 to 2023 and led departments including enforcement, corporate strategy, currency, and human resources.
- Kattoor has been an independent director on South Indian Bank’s board since 18 July 2024.
- Nidhi Chhibber, Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), has been given additional charge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog.
- She is a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre and previously served as Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
- At NITI Aayog’s DMEO, she has been responsible for monitoring and evaluating flagship government schemes.
- Chhibber holds a Master’s degree in History and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), and is proficient in both English and Hindi.
- BVR Subrahmanyam, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, completed his three-year term as CEO of NITI Aayog.
- Subrahmanyam has served as Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir, Principal Secretary in the Chhattisgarh government, and has also worked in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposes ₹2.20 crore penalties on Union Bank, Central Bank, Bank of India, Pine Labs
[Reserve Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Bank of India, Pine Labs]
Key Updates:
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed penalties of ₹95.40 lakh on Union Bank of India, ₹63.60 lakh on Central Bank of India, ₹58.50 lakh on Bank of India, and ₹3.10 lakh on Pine Labs for regulatory non-compliance.
- Union Bank of India failed to credit amounts related to unauthorised electronic transactions within 10 working days of notification as of 31 March 2025.
- Bank of India violated Priority Sector Lending directions by levying ad hoc charges on loans up to ₹25,000 and not paying interest on some matured Term Deposit Receipts until repayment.
- Central Bank of India breached KYC and Financial Inclusion norms concerning Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts.
- Pine Labs issued full-KYC Prepaid Payment Instruments without completing proper KYC verification during July 2024–May 2025.
Similar Coverage
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹31.80 lakh on HSBC for non-compliance with regulatory norms.
- The penalty was issued following a statutory inspection for supervisory evaluation of the bank's financial position as on March 31, 2025.
- HSBC failed to host a searchable database of unclaimed deposits on its official website.
- The bank did not generate and assign Unclaimed Deposits Reference Number (UDRN) to certain unclaimed deposits.
- The non-compliance involved unclaimed deposits transferred to the Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2.70 lakh on Manappuram Finance.
- The penalty was levied for non-compliance with RBI guidelines regarding the compensation of Key Managerial Personnel (KMP).
- The company violated norms by paying the entire variable pay upfront to certain KMPs without deferring a portion of the compensation as required.
- The action followed a statutory inspection conducted by the RBI regarding the financial position of the company as of 31 March 2025.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed penalties totalling Rs 1.35 crore on CSB Bank (Rs 63.60 lakh), Bank of Maharashtra (Rs 32.50 lakh), DCB Bank (Rs 29.60 lakh), IIFL Finance (Rs 5.30 lakh) and Navi Finserv (Rs 3.80 lakh).
- CSB Bank was penalised for non-compliance with directions on ‘Scope of activities to be undertaken of Business Correspondents (BCs)’ and ‘Customer Service in Banks’ and for failure to classify certain accounts as non-performing assets on restructuring.
- Bank of Maharashtra was penalised for non-compliance with directions on ‘Credit information reporting in respect of Self Help Group members’ and ‘Know Your Customer’, including not reporting Self Help Group member level data to Credit Information Companies and not identifying Beneficial Owners in certain accounts.
- DCB Bank was penalised for non-compliance with directions on loans against pledge of gold ornaments and jewellery for non-agricultural end uses by failing to maintain the prescribed loan-to-value ratio in certain non-agricultural gold loan accounts.
- IIFL Finance was penalised for non-compliance with directions on ‘Asset Classification’ by entering into an arrangement with BCs for activities outside the permitted scope and levying charges in savings bank accounts without ensuring prior customer awareness.
- Navi Finserv was penalised for non-compliance with directions on ‘Recovery Agents’ by contacting customers after 7:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m. for recovery of overdue loans and not following due protocol while sending messages to customers.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of ₹11.50 lakh on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited on 27 February 2026.
- The penalty was for non-compliance with RBI directions on ‘Fair Practices Code’ and ‘Internal Ombudsman for Regulated Entities’.
- The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on 31 March 2025.
- The company levied revised foreclosure charges on certain borrower accounts without incorporating suitable conditions in loan agreements.
- The company failed to escalate certain complaints to its Internal Ombudsman within the prescribed time and did not communicate final decisions to complainants within the prescribed time in certain cases.
Government mulling bringing unorganised sector workers under EPFO and ESIC
[Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, Employees’ State Insurance Corporation]
Key Updates:
- The government is deliberating bringing unorganised, gig and platform workers under the ambit of Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
- Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, stated this in Lok Sabha during Question Hour on 30 March 2026.
- The Ministry is examining domestic and international models to design a suitable social security scheme for these workers.
- The proposed model involves worker’s voluntary contribution plus government subsidy due to funding constraints.
- The ESIC expansion aims to cover at least 32 crore unorganised, gig and platform workers as per ongoing deliberations.
Similar Coverage
- The Ministry of Labour and Employment pre-published draft rules under the Code on Social Security, 2020 proposing that a gig or platform worker must be engaged for 'not less than 90 days with an aggregator, or in the case of multiple aggregators, not less than one hundred and twenty days, in the last financial year' to qualify for social-security benefits.
- A worker is counted as 'engaged' on a calendar day if they earn any income, irrespective of amount, for work done for an aggregator on that day.
- If a worker is associated with multiple aggregators, engagement days across all aggregators will be added together; being engaged with three aggregators on the same calendar day will be counted as three separate days of engagement.
- Stakeholders have 30 to 45 days to submit objections and suggestions before the rules are finalised for implementation alongside all four labour codes from 1 April.
- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) commenced its 75th Year of Service celebrations at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
- Established in 1952 with 1.2 lakh beneficiaries and one dispensary, ESIC now serves over 15 crore beneficiaries through 166 hospitals, 17 medical colleges, and nearly 1,600 dispensaries.
- The organisation's footprint currently extends across 713 districts in 36 States and Union Territories (UTs).
- Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya released a commemorative coin (ESIC@75), the ESIC@75 Coffee Table Book, and launched the Swasthya Rath Initiative.
- ESIC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Health Authority (NHA) for the convergence of the ESI Scheme with Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
- An MoU was signed between ESIC and the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) to improve diagnostic standards and laboratory accreditation.
- Under the new Labour Codes, ESIC’s mandate includes pan-India coverage and the extension of benefits to unorganised and gig workers.
- The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) highlighted that workers aged 40 and above are now mandated to receive annual health check-ups for preventive care.
- India was recently recognised by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) for excellence in social security administration.
- ESIC will observe a nationwide Special Services Fortnight from 24 February to 10 March 2026, featuring health camps, preventive screenings, and grievance redressal drives.
- The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates global unemployment at 186 million people in 2026.
- The ILO warns that 465 million jobs depend on foreign demand through exports of goods and services and related supply chains.
- Nearly 300 million workers live in extreme poverty on less than $3 a day.
- About 2.1 billion workers are expected to hold informal jobs in 2026 with limited social protection and job security.
- Youth unemployment among 15 to 24-year-olds is projected at 12.4% for 2025, with 260 million young people not in education, employment or training.
- Women account for only two-fifths of global employment, highlighting entrenched gender inequalities.
- The Karnataka government formally notified the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers’ Welfare Board under Section 33 of the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Act, 2025.
- The 16-member board is chaired by the Labour Minister as the ex-officio chairperson and includes a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) functioning as Member Secretary.
- The board composition includes five government representatives, four aggregator platforms, four gig worker unions, and two civil society organisations.
- Aggregator representatives on the board include Porter, Zomato, Uber, and Amazon, while the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy and IT for Change represent civil society.
- Gig worker representatives include Vinay Sarathy of United Food Delivery Partners’ Union (UFDPU), Mohammed Inayath Ali of Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers (IFAT), Satyananda of AITUC Karnataka, and Tanveer Pasha of Ola Uber Drivers’ and Owners’ Association.
- The state government will levy a welfare fee of 1-1.5% on every transaction on aggregator platforms to fund social security benefits including accident insurance, health coverage, and maternity benefits.
- The Act mandates algorithmic transparency in automated decision-making systems and requires a 14-day notice period with written reasons for the termination of workers.
- Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives has been named as a special invitee and technical expert on digital platforms and data for the board.
- The Act includes a reconciliation clause ensuring welfare fees paid to the state count toward contributions required under the Central Code on Social Security, 2020.
World Trade Organization (WTO) Members Negotiate Extension of E-commerce Tariff Moratorium in Cameroon
[World Trade Organization]
Key Updates:
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) is holding a ministerial meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, to discuss the extension of the global moratorium on e-commerce tariffs.
- The moratorium, which prohibits customs duties on electronic transmissions such as digital downloads and streaming, is due to expire this month.
- India signalled a potential shift in its position by suggesting a two-year prolongation of the e-commerce moratorium.
- The United States (US) Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that Washington seeks a permanent extension of the ban rather than a temporary one.
- The e-commerce moratorium has been maintained through temporary extensions for nearly 30 years to provide regulatory predictability for global businesses.
- India reiterated its opposition to incorporating plurilateral agreements into the WTO rulebook, citing concerns over the erosion of the organisation's foundational principles.
- A group of 66 WTO members agreed to implement a separate baseline on digital trade rules among consenting participants, bypassing traditional adoption hurdles.
- The European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade and US officials highlighted that bilateral and plurilateral deals are essential for reforming the WTO system.
Similar Coverage
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) will convene its 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) from March 26 to 29, 2026, in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
- The Ministerial Conference (MC) is the highest decision-making body of the WTO and generally meets once every two years to decide on WTO law.
- A total of 166 WTO member countries are expected to participate in the conference to deliberate on global trade rules.
- Key agenda items include the potential incorporation of plurilateral agreements, such as the Investment Facilitation for Development and the Agreement on Electronic Commerce, into the WTO rulebook.
- The conference will address the e-commerce moratorium, an agreement not to impose tariffs on electronic transmissions, which is scheduled to expire on March 31.
- Members will discuss Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) for developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to provide special rights based on economic standing.
- The United States (U.S.) has proposed prohibiting larger economies, including India, China, Brazil, and Indonesia, from accessing SDT special rights.
- The conference aims to address the paralysis of the WTO dispute settlement system caused by the lack of appointments to the Appellate Body.
- Since its establishment in 1995, the WTO has successfully created only two new major agreements: the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs exceeded presidential authority.
- Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, stating the president must point to clear congressional authorization for such tariff actions.
- The legal challenge was brought by affected businesses and 12 U.S. states, most Democratic-governed, against Trump's unprecedented IEERA tariff use.
- Penn-Wharton Budget Model economists estimated over $175 billion had been collected under IEEPA-based tariffs, now likely requiring refunds.
- IEEPA, a 1977 law traditionally used for sanctions, does not explicitly mention tariffs and was invoked by Trump for the first time to impose import taxes.
- Trump's administration is exploring alternative legal justifications, including national security provisions and retaliatory trade measures, to retain as many tariffs as possible.
- US President Donald Trump signed a 10% global tariff order under Section 122 of the Trade Act 1974, effective 12:01 a.m. ET on 24 February.
- The new levy applies for up to 150 days and requires Congressional approval for extension.
- The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled 6–3 that Trump exceeded authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad-based import tariffs.
- The IEEPA tariffs of 10% to 50% were declared illegal as the 1977 statute does not explicitly authorise duties.
- Twelve US states—Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Vermont—joined legal challenges against the IEEPA tariffs.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimated maintaining the tariffs could have an economic impact of roughly $3 trillion over the next decade.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) forecasts global merchandise trade growth to slow to 1.9% in 2026 from 4.6% in 2025.
- If crude oil and liquefied natural gas prices remain high throughout 2026 due to the Middle East conflict, global trade in goods could slow further to 1.4%.
- A prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran would choke one-third of fertilizer urea imports, hitting major producers like India, Thailand, Brazil.
- Trade in AI-enabling goods accounted for 42% of global trade growth in 2025 and increased by 21.9% year-on-year to $4.18 trillion.
- Asia will lead merchandise import growth in 2026 with imports up 3.3% and exports up 3.5%, followed by Africa with 3.2% imports and 1.2% exports.
- Around 72% of world trade is being conducted on a Most-Favoured-Nation basis, down from about 80% at the start of last year.
CSIR transfers bio-bitumen technology to 10 firms; industry seeks buyback assurance
[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]
Key Updates:
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) signed technology transfer agreements with 10 companies on Monday for producing bio-bitumen from crop straw.
- In January 2026 CSIR had already transferred the same technology to 14 companies, and one plant in Puducherry has started production.
- Bio-bitumen uses paddy, wheat, maize or cashew straw and yields about 165 litres of bitumen per tonne of straw, with cashew straw giving the highest output.
- The thermochemical conversion process also generates straw gas and crop nutrients in equal proportion to the bitumen produced.
- India uses around 8 million tonnes of bitumen annually, importing 50 per cent directly and producing the rest from crude oil.
- The country generates an estimated 600 million tonnes of crop residue per year, enough to replace all bitumen imports and allow exports.
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved the technology for road construction, and performance is reported equivalent to conventional bitumen.
- Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stated the adoption supports Net Zero targets, Atmanirbhar Bharat, National Bio-Energy Mission and circular economy goals.
- CSIR Director General N Kalaiselvi said the initiative is part of CSIR’s target to announce 1-2 innovations every month.
- Science & Technology Minister Jitendra Singh highlighted the technology’s role in self-reliance, clean energy transition and Waste-to-Wealth.
Similar Coverage
- CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and Institute of Indian Foundrymen (IIF) have announced a collaborative effort to turn waste foundry sand into a beneficial material for road construction.
- The initiative aims to mitigate environmental issues posed by large quantities of waste foundry sand generated by the metal casting industry.
- Dr. N Kalaiselvi, Director General of CSIR, stated that the initiative aligns with sustainable development and the circular economy.
- Sushil Sharma, President of IIF, highlighted that the Coimbatore foundry cluster, India’s largest, produces vast amounts of foundry sand waste which will be scientifically repurposed into infrastructure resources.
- The Supreme Court (SC) refused to interfere with a Bombay High Court (HC) order allowing the removal of 45,675 mangrove trees for the proposed Versova-Bhayandar coastal road.
- A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant noted that the project is intended to decongest the western highway and provide significant advantages to Mumbai residents.
- The project proponent has identified 31 hectares of land for compensatory afforestation, which received permission on 12 December 2025.
- The SC mandated that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Nagpur, must file annual status and audit reports for the next 10 years on or before 12 January.
- The environmental NGO Vanasakthi contested the project, stating that mangroves absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) five times more than normal forests and serve as critical flood protection for Mumbai.
- The court emphasised the need to maintain a balance between environmental protection norms and developmental requirements in the public interest.
- Delhi government signed a six-month collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on 13 March to evaluate photocatalytic coatings that break down nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- The project is funded by the Delhi government and led by Professor Somnath C Roy of IIT Madras.
- Laboratory testing will precede field trials in Delhi; specific trial locations are yet to be decided.
- Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) surfaces will be assessed for their ability to dismantle pollutants under sunlight.
- Deployment modes under study include mixing TiO₂ into concrete and asphalt, applying it as coatings, and developing rooftop or streetlight-mounted panels.
- Bio-bitumen is produced by converting farm residue, like paddy straw, through a process called pyrolysis.
- A 100-metre trial stretch using bio-bitumen has already been laid on the Jorabat–Shillong Expressway (NH-40) in Meghalaya.
- The pyrolysis process also yields energy-efficient gas and high-grade carbon for applications from batteries to water purification.
Tech Mahindra and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) sign MoU for 3D Digital Twin project
[Tech Mahindra, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay]
Key Updates:
- Tech Mahindra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) to develop a 3D Digital Twin of the institute's Gymkhana building.
- The collaboration leverages advanced 3D modelling and rendering technologies, Digital Twin frameworks, Building Information Modelling (BIM) integration, spatial data integration, and a cloud-based visualisation platform.
- The project aims to create an immersive, web-based interface for the Gymkhana building to enable enhanced visualisation, real-time tracking, and predictive maintenance of infrastructure assets.
- The solution developed by Tech Mahindra and IIT Bombay will integrate Internet of Things (IoT) devices and advanced analytics for operational optimisation and automated resource allocation.
- The initiative serves as a practical deployment of Digital Twin technology to create a benchmark reference model replicable across other smart campuses and public infrastructure projects.
Similar Coverage
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) to collaborate on telecom research, standardisation, and innovation.
- The agreement aims to align academic research with national priorities in the telecom and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors.
- The two institutions will jointly work on developing standards and conducting research for next-generation telecom technologies, including 5G and future networks.
- The collaboration will focus on advanced antenna systems and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technologies to support 5G and future wireless networks.
- The partnership involves work on Passive Optical Network (PON) technologies, including standardising network design, improving deployment models, and evaluating performance.
- The entities will develop electromagnetic field (EMF) monitoring systems and smart Internet of Things (IoT) solutions using AI-based sensor platforms to improve safety standards.
- TEC serves as India's national body for telecom standards and represents the country at global forums such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- The Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of the Indian Army has partnered with the IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation to develop indigenous military technologies.
- A Nodal Indigenisation Centre has been established at Avadi to strengthen the Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor.
- The partnership focuses on critical domains including sensing systems, cyber-physical systems, and autonomous technologies.
- Major General Lalit Kapoor serves as the Indian Army Commander-Base Workshop Group.
- M J Shankar Raman is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation.
- The Corps of EME is the technical backbone of the Indian Army responsible for the maintenance and sustenance of equipment.
- WaveX, the startup accelerator under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), signed an MoU with FITT, IIT Delhi to scale media-tech incubation nationwide.
- FITT will provide strategic guidance for incubator setup, mentorship, IP support, and access to IITs and innovation hubs.
- WaveX will offer financial support, policy backing, and national visibility to startups in media, entertainment, broadcasting, and communication technologies.
- Indian scientists led by IITM Pune are deploying 3D-printed Automatic Weather Stations in Delhi under Mission Mausam to strengthen India’s weather observation network.
- The first batch of these next-generation stations is set to be installed in the national capital from February.
- Manufacturing via 3D printing reduces costs, allows flexible design of geometric structures and is well-suited for large-scale production.
- All indigenously developed meteorological instruments are certified by IMD’s Surface Laboratory, which the Bureau of Indian Standards recognises.