Posts

Google Announces $15 Billion Connectivity Push Linking India–US Through New Subsea Cables

Image
  At the India AI Impact Summit, Google unveiled a major $15 billion investment plan aimed at strengthening digital and AI infrastructure between India and the United States over the next five years. As part of its new collaborative initiative, America-India Connect, the company will establish a high-capacity international subsea gateway in Vizag, creating a strategic landing point for future AI-driven data flows. The initiative goes beyond a single route. It includes three new subsea paths connecting India to Singapore, South Africa, and Australia, along with four additional fibre-optic routes designed to expand regional and global bandwidth. According to Google, these systems will play a pivotal role in enhancing cloud capacity, supporting AI workloads, and building long-term digital resilience for the subcontinent. This multi-route strategy marks one of the most ambitious connectivity rollouts announced at the summit, signalling India’s growing centrality in global AI archite...

UAE–India AI Cooperation Dominates Global Summit Conversations

Image
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the AI Impact Summit on Thursday, launching what has been billed as one of the most influential global forums on artificial intelligence. He outlined India’s commitment to ethical, equitable and human-centric AI, urging nations to work together to ensure technology serves as a force for global public good. While the Leaders’ Plenary brought together ministers, heads of state and technology visionaries to debate AI governance and interoperability, the most consequential diplomatic engagement occurred on the sidelines: India’s meeting with the United Arab Emirates, now one of its most trusted partners in digital transformation. The UAE, which has invested heavily in AI talent, sovereign compute, and smart-government ecosystems, engaged in robust dialogue with India on co-developing future-ready digital infrastructure, fintech corridors, and AI-powered platforms for governance and sustainability. The UAE’s leadership emphasised the strategic ...

Narendra Modi, Emmanuel Macron Elevate India-France Ties to ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’

Image
  India and France have taken a decisive step in strengthening their long-standing partnership by elevating their ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership.” The announcement came during French President Emmanuel Macron’s fourth state visit to India, marking a significant milestone in diplomatic engagement between the two nations. Hosting President Macron at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the India-France relationship as a “force for global stability” in an increasingly uncertain world. The leaders emphasized shared democratic values, strategic autonomy, and a commitment to multilateralism as pillars of their cooperation. According to an official government statement, the upgraded partnership aims to reinforce sovereignty and decision-making autonomy while deepening collaboration in critical and emerging sectors of the future. Defence Cooperation at the Core Defence has traditionally been the backbone of India-France relations, and the latest a...

Vande Bharat at 7: The Journey of India’s Flagship Semi High-Speed Train

Image
  Vande Bharat Express train at a modern Indian railway station platform showcasing its sleek white and blue design. India’s railways have long been the lifeline of the nation, but the arrival of the Vande Bharat Express marked a defining shift toward modern, technology-driven travel. Completing seven years of service, the train has evolved from a bold experiment into a nationwide symbol of efficiency, comfort, and indigenous engineering. Launched on February 15, 2019, the first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Narendra Modi on the New Delhi–Kanpur–Allahabad–Varanasi route, connecting the capital to one of India’s spiritual hubs. What began as a single route has now expanded into a fast-growing network serving multiple regions across the country. A Proud ‘Make in India’ Milestone One of the defining features of Vande Bharat is its indigenous design and manufacturing. The train was conceptualized and built under the government’s Make in India initiative, reinforcing India...

India Becomes ChatGPT’s Second-Largest Market with 100 Million Weekly Users

Image
  OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaking about ChatGPT’s rapid growth in India ahead of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. India has officially become one of the largest markets for ChatGPT , with 100 million weekly active users, according to Sam Altman , CEO of OpenAI . The announcement, made ahead of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, signals the country’s rapidly growing influence in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. Altman revealed the milestone in an article published in The Times of India , noting that India is now ChatGPT’s second-largest user base after the United States. The disclosure highlights how central India has become to OpenAI’s long-term global expansion plans. A Strategic Push into India The milestone follows months of groundwork by OpenAI in the country. In August 2025, the company opened its New Delhi office to strengthen partnerships and local engagement. Recognizing India’s price-sensitive market, OpenAI introduced a sub-$5 ChatGPT Go tier, wh...

Indian Railways Deactivates 3.03 Crore Fake IDs in 2025 to Strengthen Cybersecurity and Protect Tatkal Bookings

Image
  In one of its most significant cybersecurity crackdowns, Indian Railways deactivated approximately 3.03 crore suspicious user IDs in 2025. The move comes as part of a broader strategy to protect its online reservation system from fraud, automated misuse, and cyberattacks —especially during high-demand Tatkal bookings. The scale of action reflects the growing sophistication of cyber threats targeting India’s busiest ticketing platform. With millions attempting to secure tickets within minutes of release, the system has historically been vulnerable to bots, fake accounts, and agent-controlled bulk bookings. Aadhaar-Based OTP Verification Strengthens Tatkal Fairness To curb misuse and improve transparency, the Ministry of Railways introduced Aadhaar-based One-Time Password (OTP) verification for online Tatkal bookings. This measure ensures instant authentication of users, enforcing uniqueness and preventing multiple accounts operated by the same entity. Given the time-sensitive na...

SBI Surpasses TCS in Market Value After 15 Years, Reflecting Shift in Investor Sentiment

Image
  In a significant development for India’s corporate landscape, State Bank of India (SBI) has surpassed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in market capitalization for the first time in 15 years. The milestone underscores a broader shift in investor sentiment toward companies closely aligned with India’s domestic economic growth story. SBI’s shares rose 3.4% on Wednesday, hitting a record high and pushing its market valuation to approximately $120 billion. In contrast, TCS, long considered India’s most valuable company in the information technology sector, saw its stock decline 2.5% in Mumbai trading, bringing its market value to about $116 billion. The crossover reflects a dynamic change in sectoral leadership within India’s equity markets. Investor Optimism Fuels SBI’s Rally SBI’s impressive rise has been driven by strong investor confidence in the financial services sector. Since the beginning of the year, the bank’s stock has rallied nearly 20%, fueled by improving credit dema...