Author: Bhakti Narayanan

Microsoft has expanded its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in India with the launch of a new cloud region in Hyderabad. The company announced the India South Central region on September 22, making it Microsoft’s fourth cloud region in the country as businesses and institutions increasingly turn to cloud computing and AI. The Hyderabad facility joins Microsoft’s existing cloud regions in Pune, Chennai and Mumbai. With the addition, the technology company now has its largest hyperscale cloud infrastructure footprint in India. The expansion is aimed at meeting rising demand for computing, storage, cloud services and AI capabilities as organizations move…

Indian and US Army personnel conducted a live-firing demonstration featuring the M777 Ultra Light Howitzer at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district. The activity was held as part of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2026, the ongoing bilateral military exercise between the two countries. The demonstration highlighted artillery operations while giving troops from both sides an opportunity to observe procedures, exchange professional knowledge and discuss battlefield practices. Indian Army gun crews demonstrated the operation of the artillery system, while members of the visiting US contingent later engaged with personnel at the M777 battery positions. The exercise is designed to…

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the growing connection between Seattle’s technology ecosystem and India during a forum that brought together more than 40 Indian-origin technology executives. The “Ideas4India: Indian American Tech CEOs Forum | Unlocking the Tech Dividend” was organized by the Consulate General of India in Seattle to explore ways to deepen technology collaboration between India and the United States. The gathering followed the India AI Impact Summit held in New Delhi in February. Nadella attended as the guest of honor alongside Consul General Prakash Gupta. Reflecting on his nearly 35 years of experience in Seattle’s technology…

India and Canada are working to accelerate negotiations for a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with both sides aiming to complete the trade pact by the end of 2026. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said he held a productive meeting with Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, in New Delhi on September 18. The discussions focused on advancing negotiations and creating greater opportunities for businesses in both countries. Following the meeting, Goyal said the two countries had reaffirmed their leadership’s commitment to moving the negotiations forward and reaching an agreement at the earliest possible opportunity. The proposed…

SpaceX has reached a major milestone in its launch history, completing the 700th mission involving its Falcon rocket family. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday carrying three telecommunications satellites for Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES. The milestone reflects nearly two decades of Falcon development, beginning with the Falcon 1’s first launch in March 2006. Since then, SpaceX has operated three Falcon variants: Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. Together, they have completed 700 missions, with Falcon 9 accounting for 685 launches. Monday’s flight was also Falcon 9’s 105th launch of 2026. The rocket deployed three…

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Bhutan on September 16 for a two-day official visit focused on strengthening the close relationship between the two neighboring countries. Bhutanese Foreign Minister Lyonpo D. N. Dhungyel welcomed Jaishankar upon his arrival in Paro. Jaishankar described the reception as warm and expressed his intention to use the visit to further develop the longstanding friendship between India and Bhutan. His schedule includes bilateral discussions with Foreign Minister Dhungyel, providing an opportunity for the two sides to review existing cooperation and discuss areas for future engagement. During the visit, Jaishankar is also expected to…

India is entering a broader phase of its semiconductor development, shifting its focus from ambitions around chip manufacturing toward building a complete ecosystem covering design, packaging, testing, equipment, materials, research and skilled talent. The country’s expanding electronics industry is providing an important foundation for this transition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi in Dwarka on September 17. The event, themed “Silicon to Systems: Building the Ecosystem,” is expected to highlight India’s efforts to develop capabilities across the semiconductor value chain rather than concentrating solely on fabrication. India’s electronics manufacturing sector has expanded substantially…

Hanuman Ansh has emerged as one of Bollywood’s strongest worldwide performers of 2026, surpassing Mirzapur: The Movie and Bhooth Bangla to secure third place among the year’s highest-grossing Hindi films. Directed by Vishal Chaturvedi, the film has collected approximately $33.6 million worldwide by Day 39. Its latest milestone puts it behind only Dhurandhar 2 and Border 2 in the 2026 Bollywood rankings. Dhurandhar 2 leads the list with approximately $217.6 million, while Border 2 ranks second with around $55.7 million. Mirzapur: The Movie had reached approximately $32.8 million worldwide by Day 11, while Bhooth Bangla had earned about $32.4 million.…

India could play a pivotal role in taking Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting from an emerging technology to a globally scalable service, according to broadcasting experts from the United States and Brazil. Speaking at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2026 in Amsterdam, industry leaders highlighted India’s enormous consumer market, expanding electronics manufacturing capabilities and semiconductor ambitions as potential drivers of the next stage of D2M development. Raymundo Barros, chief technology officer of Brazilian media company Globo and chairman of the Brazilian Digital Television Forum, said cooperation among India, the United States, South Korea and Brazil could create the market scale necessary to…

Indian-American academic Vikas Khanna has taken on a new leadership role at the University of Pittsburgh, becoming chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the Swanson School of Engineering. He officially assumed the position on September 1, 2026, following more than a year as interim chair. Khanna plans to build on the department’s interdisciplinary approach by connecting engineering education and research with fields such as artificial intelligence, public health and computing. One of his priorities will be expanding AI-related learning opportunities while developing new graduate programs that bring together civil and environmental engineering with other disciplines.…