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India-made robots shine at AI Impact Summit 2026 after early controversy

Indigenously manufactured and developed robots emerged as a major attraction at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, despite an early controversy over an Indian university's claim that a China-made robot dog was its own. Among these, SVAN-M2, a robot dog by Kanpur-based startup xTerra Robotics, was a crowd puller. Co-founder of xTerra Robotics said the product took years of translational research by students and faculty of IIT Kanpur. The SVAN-M2, which has an aluminium alloy body and legs, uses its light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device to create accurate 3D representations of its environment. It can be used for monitoring a hazardous area or at power stations for inspecting the facility with thermal imaging. In the security domain, the robot dog can play a key role in threat detection and save lives by 3D-mapping an area and relaying the images to a team away from the site. Founded by Nimesh Khandelwal, Avinash Bhashkar, Amritanshu Manu, Aditya Rajawat and Shakti S Gupta in 2

Put India-US trade deal on hold, renegotiate terms: Congress

The Congress on Saturday demanded that the government put the interim trade agreement on hold and renegotiate the terms of the deal after the US Supreme Court invalidated the reciprocal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the government must also ensure that the interests of Indian farmers are fully protected during the renegotiations and asked the government to categorically state that it will not allow any import liberalisation to the American side. Speaking with reporters here, Ramesh questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the entire deal and said he should clarify on whether he agrees with Trump's statement that nothing changes in the trade deal with India. "Does Modi agree with Trump that the trade agreement with India still holds," the Congress leader asked, while pointing out there was no response from the government so far. Claiming that the India-US interim agreement will adversely affect the Indian ..

India must innovate, not copy others' tech, says Sebi ED Sunil Kadam

Amid the Galgotias University controversy, Sebi's executive director Sunil Kadam on Saturday asked the market ecosystem to desist from "copying" others, and innovate by themselves. "'... India should not be kind of copying things like which we have experienced in the global (AI Impact) Summit (where) somebody has short projected the Chinese product as our product. We should not be in that way. We should be doing our own innovation," Kadam said at an event organised by the brokers' body ANMI here. Kadam said India has to funnel more money into research and development so that such instances are avoided, and exuded confidence that India has the capabilities to be a leader in innovation. The remarks come days after a controversy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, where the private university ended up showing a robo dog manufactured by a Chinese company as its own innovation, leading to widespread concerns over a lot of aspects. Kadam said AI is set to change business models and the .

India unveils 'Baku Evenings' to promote its heritage in Azerbaijan

The Indian Embassy in Azerbaijan has launched 'Baku Evenings', a new cultural series aimed at promoting the country's culture, education, arts, and heritage through engaging community events in Azerbaijan. The inaugural edition organised on February 20 celebrated the Sanskrit and Hindi languages in a bid to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries, an embassy official said. The event saw the participation of several guests, including Dhruv Trivedi, lecturer of Sanskrit and Hindi at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, along with some of his students. 'Baku Evenings' seeks to foster meaningful cultural exchange and strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Azerbaijan, the official said. The gathering focused on celebrating India's ancient and living language, Sanskrit and the old language Hindi. Diplomat Abhay Kumar, also a writer, artist and a language enthusiast, engaged with students, who shared their passion through recitations of timeless Sanskrit

US military airlifts microreactor as Trump pushes nuclear expansion

The Pentagon and the Energy Department for the first time airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is US potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight last weekend - which transported a 5-megawatt microreactor without nuclear fuel - highlights the Trump administration's drive to promote nuclear energy to help meet skyrocketing demand for power from artificial intelligence and data centres, as well for use by the military. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of Defence Michael Duffey, who travelled with the privately built reactor, hailed the February 15 trip on a C-17 military aircraft as a breakthrough for US efforts to fast-track commercial licensing for the microreactors, part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the country's energy landscape. A new emphasis on nuclear energy ======================= President Donald Trump supports nuclear power

Indian film nominees in spotlight ahead of BAFTA Awards in London

A quirky Manipuri comedy-drama "Boong" and a true crime documentary "The Perfect Neighbour" directed by Geeta Gandbhir, were in the spotlight at a first-of-its-kind South Asian celebration in London, ahead of the 2026 British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs). "Boong", backed by Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment and directed by debutant Lakshmipriya Devi, is in the race for an award in the BAFTA Best Children's & Family Film category. An Indian American director Geeta Gandbhir is shortlisted for a Best Documentary BAFTA for her film "The Perfect Neighbour", also nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars next month. "We are living in a time, particularly in the US, that is an incredibly alarming and dangerous time," said Gandbhir, during her address at the 'Celebrating South Asians' event at the BAFTA headquarters in London on Friday evening. "It is wonderful to be here as Asians, as South Asians. I just want to remind everyone that it's a time for us to also .

Nadda launches India-made tetanus and adult diphtheria vaccine

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Saturday launched the indigenously manufactured tetanus and adult diphtheria (Td) vaccine at the Central Research Institute in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. With the formal launch of the Td vaccine, the vaccine has now been introduced for supply under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). The Central Research Institute will supply 55 lakh doses to the UIP by April, with production expected to scale up progressively in subsequent years to further strengthen the central government's Universal Immunization Programme, Nadda said. Addressing the gathering, Nadda congratulated the scientists, technical experts and staff of the Central Research Institute Kasauli, describing the launch Td vaccine as a momentous and historic occasion. He stated that the launch marks a significant step towards safeguarding national health security and strengthening India's public health infrastructure. The minister underlined that the government, under the leadership o

Delhi's Red Fort to stay open all week, no more closure on Mondays: ASI

The Red Fort complex in Delhi shall now remain open to visitors on all days of the week, including Monday, authorities of the Archaeological Survey of India said. Earlier, the Mughal-era monument which also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, used to be closed on Monday of every week. "An order has been issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), recently according to which Red Fort in Delhi will be open on all days of week, including Monday," a senior official said. The ASI official said since the issuance of the recent order, it has already come into force, and the fort site in old Delhi was open on February 16. The order, dated February 13 has been signed by the director general of the ASI, which administers centrally protected monuments in the country.

Govt studying implications of US Court tariff ruling; Trump remarks

The US Supreme Court ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law intended for national emergencies

Jharkhand's economy projected to grow 5.96% in FY27: Economic Survey

Jharkhand's economy is expected to grow by 5.96 per cent in the 2026-27 fiscal, down from the current year's estimation of 6.17 per cent, according to the state economic survey tabled in the assembly on Saturday. The survey claimed that the economic growth in the 2024-25 fiscal was 7.02 per cent, exceeding the national rate of 6.5 per cent, and marking the fourth consecutive year of growth above 7 per cent. "The real GSDP is expected to reach Rs 3,21,892 crore in 2025-26 and Rs 3,41,064 crore in 2026-27, representing growth of 6.17 per cent and 5.96 per cent, respectively. At current prices, GSDP is projected to cross Rs 5.6 lakh crore in 2025-26 and approach Rs 6.1 lakh crore in 2026-27," the survey said. The survey, tabled in the assembly by Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, stated that per capita income at current prices crossed the Rs 1 lakh-mark for the first time, reaching Rs 1,16,663 in 2024-25. "Projections indicate that per capita income at constant prices is expected

SC flags uneven compliance in solid waste management, issues directions

Flagging the "uneven" compliance with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules across India, the Supreme Court has said the present generation cannot afford to wait for further legislative refinement while existing implementation gaps persist. Observing that the right to a clean and healthy environment is an "inseparable part" of the right to life, the court issued a slew of pan-India directions to ensure that the executive has the requisite mechanism required to enforce the SWM Rules, 2026, which will be effective from April 1. A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and S V N Bhatti said neglecting municipal solid waste will affect health as much as the economy and India must be fully-compliant with the 2026 Rules when the world looks at the country in technology-related activities. "Compliance of MSW/SWM Rules meant to govern waste management remains uneven across India. While mandated at source, the segregation at source into wet, dry and hazardous streams is still not fully realised in

Departure(s): Julian Barnes' final novel reflects on endings and memory

The book meditates on the blurred lines between fact and fiction, only to arrive at a semi-conclusion that both are governed by memory

Fund managers rebalance MAAFs after run-ups, so stay invested

New investors should consider them for risk reduction, stability and disciplined allocation, not return-chasing

Nestle in talks to sell ice cream business as overhaul gathers pace

Nestle had already handed the reins of its European and US ice cream units to Haagen-Dazs owner Froneri, a joint venture it established with European buyout firm PAI Partners in 2016

US gives IEA one-year deadline to drop net zero focus or they'll quit

The Paris-based IEA was formed after the 1970s oil supply crisis and provides research and data to the US and other industrialised governments to guide energy policy

Sheher Mein Gaon: How Delhi's urban villages navigate conflict, change

Ms Chauhan demonstrates how the character of these spaces has been changed by the forces of urbanisation

US jobless claims fall sharply to 206,000, biggest drop since Nov

That was lower than all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey. In the past year, new applications have fallen below the 210,000 mark only a handful of times

Meaningful deal in 10 days or 'bad' things will happen: Trump warns Iran

"Otherwise bad things happen," Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran, told the first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington

GalaxEye's OptoSAR satellite to use AI for Earth data analysis

Bengaluru-based private space technology company GalaxEye's upcoming satellite mission, Mission Drishti, will feature NVIDIA Jetson Orin, a powerful compact computer designed to run complex artificial intelligence models, officials said on Wednesday. It will help the satellite accelerate processing and interpretation of Earth observation data in space, and quickly deliver the data to its customers. In a statement, GalaxEye CEO Suyash Singh said, "Taking NVIDIA Jetson Orin to space aboard Mission Drishti is a defining milestone for GalaxEye. Building on our successful in-space demonstration in 2024, we're advancing to next-generation of Earth observation satellites." Mission Drishti will also carry what GalaxEye calls the world's first SyncFused OptoSAR architecture, which integrates Electro-Optical (EO) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors on a single satellite platform. While EO sensors capture high-resolution images during sunlight and clear skies, SAR sensors provide ...

ATR bets on 2026 production ramp-up amid strong turboprop demand

The company logged 60 gross orders and 50 net orders last year, taking its backlog to more than 160 aircraft, while revenues held steady at about $1.2 billion