Author: Shradhanjali Mukherjee

Dr. K. Srikar Reddy has concluded his three-year tenure as India’s consul general in San Francisco, leaving behind an expanded diplomatic mission, stronger engagement with the Indian American community and broader efforts to advance cooperation between India and the United States. Reddy served in San Francisco from August 2023 through August 2026 before moving to his new assignment as India’s ambassador to Qatar. Career diplomat Satish Sivan, who previously served as India’s consul general in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, has taken over the San Francisco post. One of the most visible developments during Reddy’s tenure was the relocation of…

Deutsche Bank is turning to agentic artificial intelligence to strengthen its ability to withstand technology disruptions, with Pankaj Ojha, a director at the bank, serving as the lead architect of a new platform developed in collaboration with Google Cloud. Known as the Agentic Resilience Platform (ARP), the system is designed to help financial institutions evaluate how effectively they could respond to technology failures and recover from major disruptions. Google Cloud recently highlighted the initiative and identified Ojha as the platform’s lead architect. The development comes as financial institutions face growing expectations from regulators to demonstrate that their technology systems can…

The CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) has unveiled three indigenous micro and small gas turbine engines designed for applications in unmanned aerial vehicles, drone interceptors and compact missile systems. The three engines, named NJ-05, NJ-50 and NJ-100, have thrust capacities of 5 kg, 50 kg and 100 kg respectively. The propulsion systems are aimed at meeting critical requirements for indigenous defence technologies and strengthening India’s capabilities in aerospace engineering. The engines were unveiled at the CSIR headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of senior officials from the defence and scientific communities. Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff…

India is preparing for a major expansion of its electronics manufacturing industry, with overall production expected to reach $433.43 billion by FY31, according to projections cited in a Kotak Mutual Fund report. The anticipated growth points to a significant shift in the country’s electronics ecosystem, with domestic component manufacturing expected to play a much larger role. Electronic components are projected to be one of the fastest-growing segments. Production is estimated to rise from $10.5 billion in FY24 to $129.90 billion by FY31, representing an increase of more than 14 times over the seven-year period. The projected expansion also indicates that…

Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan has taken on a new national leadership position that could give the California city fresh opportunities in parks, tourism, recreation and community development. Salwan has been selected as Vice Chair for Parks for the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment & Sports Committee. The appointment gives Salwan an opportunity to connect with mayors and city leaders from across the country and examine how other communities are developing their public spaces and attracting visitors. He said he intends to use the position to exchange ideas, identify potential partnerships and explore funding opportunities that could benefit…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on India’s rapidly developing private space industry to expand the use of space technology beyond traditional applications and address challenges across a wider range of sectors. During an interaction with the founders and chief executive officers of 20 space startups at Seva Teerth on Friday, Modi emphasized the potential for Indian companies to become global leaders while attracting international talent, businesses, and investment. The prime minister encouraged entrepreneurs to focus on how space-based technologies can deliver practical benefits to society. He suggested closer cooperation between companies and organizations working in fields such as agriculture…

The US Embassy in India has welcomed New Delhi’s decision to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft systems for the Indian Navy, describing the capability as an important addition to India’s maritime surveillance network. The embassy said the systems would support stronger maritime domain awareness and enable continuous monitoring across the Indian Ocean Region. The Ministry of Defense announced the agreement on August 17 following the signing of a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. The arrangement will provide the Indian Navy with two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems for a period of…

India’s coconut sector is emerging as a major global growth engine, evolving from a traditional farming activity into a diversified and increasingly export-oriented industry. The sector supports the livelihoods of nearly 30 million people, including around 10 million farmers, while creating new opportunities through value addition, processing and international trade. India ranks first globally in coconut production, accounting for 31.24 per cent of global output. The country produced around 20,301.22 million coconuts in 2024-25 across approximately 2.19 million hectares, underlining the scale and importance of the sector to the rural economy. The sector’s export performance has also strengthened significantly. Exports…

Several members of the US Congress used India’s 80th Independence Day on August 15 to recognize the growing importance of the India-US relationship and highlight the contributions of Indian Americans across the United States. Lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties shared messages emphasizing cooperation between the two countries, while also acknowledging the Indian American community’s role in strengthening economic, cultural and technological ties. The White House, however, did not release a public message marking the occasion. Representative Adam Smith of Washington said the relationship between New Delhi and Washington has become increasingly significant. He described India and the…

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called for a stronger economic dimension to the India-US relationship, describing the partnership as one of the most consequential global alliances of the 21st century. Speaking at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce National Convention, he said the relationship should now progress from strategic alignment toward concrete economic cooperation. Fadnavis positioned Maharashtra as an important platform for this next stage, emphasizing the state’s strengths in talent, connectivity, industrial capacity and technology. He said emerging opportunities created by changes in global supply chains could help India develop reliable centers for advanced manufacturing, global capability centers and…