A vintage streetcar beside a driverless car on the Embarcadero, San Francisco / Photo by Surbhi Guha.

South Asian Talent Almost Everywhere; Missing is an AI Invention from the Region the World Depends on

The ambition exists across the region. Young Indian companies are building rocket engines and computer chips, products India has long bought from abroad. Pakistan sent a delegation to Silicon Valley to show what its technology industry can do

Where Is India's Apple? A Nation's Strategic Independence is Directly Proportional to its Economic Independence

A country can only be as independent in its diplomacy as it is in its economy. A nation that imports its phones, its chips and much of its energy, will always have less room to manoeuvre than one that makes what the world needs.

China's Open-Source AI Initiative and the Limits of BRICS Consensus

The difference between Xi's New Delhi proposal and the language of the declaration illustrates the distinction between China's ambitions for AI cooperation and the level of agreement achieved among BRICS members. The declaration did not reject China's AI diplomacy; it simply did not explicitly endorse the proposed open-source community.

AI on the Battlefield: The Mirage of Unlimited Capability

The AI revolution may indeed change warfare. But the laws of physics, engineering and economics have not been repealed. AI may be extraordinarily powerful in the data centre. The real challenge is carrying that capability to the battlefield.

More on AI, Tech and Innovation

Xiaomi's Mi 11X series registers record Rs 300 crore sales in 45 days in India

Xiaomi India, the Indian subsidiary of the Chinese internet and smartphone major, has announced that its Mi 11X series of devices has witnessed a record sales worth over Rs 300 crore in just 45 days of its launch

Meril’s self-use Covid 19 rapid antigen test gets approval in India

Global medtech company Meril, based in Vapi, Gujarat, on Thursday announced its self-use Rapid Antigen Test for Covid 19, CoviFind, has received approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

Making 'every effort' to comply: Twitter writes to Indian government on new digital rules

Social media giant Twitter has written to the Indian government that it is making "every effort" to implement the new digital rules and it has appointed Indian officers residing in the country as required and informed that an update on compliance will be provided shortly

Oxfam joins Microsoft to support health services in nine Covid-hit states in India

Oxfam India and Microsoft have joined hands to help strengthen the healthcare ecosystem to address the challenges that have come up with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India and also to prepare for a possible third wave

India designed and manufactured high-purity oxygen concentrator being supplied to Indian hospitals

An indigenously designed oxygen concentrator, which ensures high-purity oxygen supply, is now out in the market

Mango export boom: 16 varieties exported to Bahrain from West Bengal, Bihar

In a major boost to mango exports from the eastern region, as many as 16 varieties of mangoes - including three GI certified Khirsapati and Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) - are being exported to Bahrain commencing Wednesday

Swedish firms invited to invest in India's defence corridors

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has invited Swedish firms to invest in defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, saying that they can benefit from the unique incentives being offered by the state governments and the availability of a highly skilled workforce in India

Nokia, CG Net to provide high-speed broadband in Kathmandu

Nokia has announced that CG NET will deploy its Gigabit Passive Optical Networking (GPON) solution as part of an extensive Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) rollout across the Kathmandu Valley

Groundnuts exported to Nepal from West Bengal

Opening a window of possibilities of boosting groundnut exports from India's eastern region, a consignment of 24 metric tonnes (MT) of groundnuts was exported to Nepal from West Bengal state

Hyatt Regency Hotel in Mumbai shuts down due to lack of funds

The Hyatt Regency, one of Mumbai's top 5-star hotels, will shut operations "until further notice" due to constrained finances as the hotel authorities said they have no money to pay salaries

Future of Saudi investment on Pakistani refinery in doubt

The future of Saudi investment in a refinery in Pakistan remains uncertain amid the widening chasm between Riyadh and Islamabad

US threatens tariff war against India in retaliation against digital tax

The US tariff war against India has been reinvigorated by President Joe Biden threatening to increase import duties on a range of imports -- from prawns and Basmati to furniture and jewellery -- in retaliation for New Delhi imposing digital services tax (DS) on tech giants

Digital compliance: Indian government sends ultimatum to Twitter

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Saturday shot a letter to Twitter and asked it to share compliance details with the new intermediary guidelines

Serum Institute gets preliminary approval to make Sputnik V vaccine

Serum Institute of India (SII) has got preliminary permission from the country's drugs regulator to make the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, reports said

Sri Lanka: Your best post-vaccination rejuvenation destination

A mesmerising Indian Ocean sunset in Galle, snorkelling in the watersport coastal getaway Bentota, trekking to the palace ruins of  Sigiriya rock or watching elephant herd shower in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka packs a world of experiences