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 But the laws of physics, engineering and economics have not been repealed.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

Under SASEC, Bangladesh to boost capacities of land ports to increase trade with neighbours

To increase trade with its neighbouring countries at a sub-regional level, Bangladesh will upgrade three land ports--Akhaura, Sonamasjid and Tamabil-- to international standards, according to a plan made by Bangladesh Land Port Authority

HCL America accused of wage discrimination, law violation

The US Department of Labor has been asked to investigate claims that HCL America, a subsidiary of India’s third-largest IT outsourcing firm generating 63% of its $11 billion in revenue in the United States, systematically violated the law by paying its H-1B workers much less than its US employees with similar skills and doing the same work

World Bank approves USD 3.51M grant for Bhutan for climate resilience and better public service delivery

Bhutan and the World Bank have signed a USD 3.51 million grant financing agreement to improve risk-informed decision making and development planning in targeted sectors, leading to better public service delivery

Bhutan to expand agricultural export market

Bhutan, which currently exports all of its farm produce to India and neighboring countries, has been making efforts to expand export markets for its agricultural produce

India's Adani Group to develop 1,000 MW wind power project in Sri Lanka's Mannar

India’s Adani Group, owned by Ahmedabad-based business tycoon Gautam Adani, is to develop a 1,000 MW wind power project in Mannar in Sri Lanka, valued at over $ 1 billion

Pakistan receives $3 bn bailout from Saudi Arabia

The State Bank of Pakistan has received a much-awaited $3 billion deposit from the Saudi Fund for Development

Maldives seeks long term loans from Bangladesh, as Dhaka's economic profile rises steadily

The Maldives has sought a long-term loan from Bangladesh, as the two South Asian countries try to enhance bilateral ties, with a flurry of high-level visits taking place in the last few weeks, ahead of the upcoming visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina later this month

Afghanistan's GDP likely to shrink by 20%; Taliban says women's participation in workforce will be expanded after UNDP censure

The value of Afghanistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is forecast to likely contract further by several billions, as per a UN body report

Bangladesh's exports jump 31 percent; remittances down by 25 percent in November

Bangladesh saw growth of almost 31 percent in its exports, touching $4 billion in November while remittances fell by almost 25 percent—1.55 billion, down by almost $52 million—in comparison to the same period last year

Samsung starts producing mobile phones in Pakistan

Samsung, the South Korean electronics and white goods major, has started production in Pakistan, lifting hopes of the authorities and the industry that this would cut down the import bill of the country in the months to come, local media said

Pakistan imports hit $8.01 billion in November; records all-time high trade deficit $5.1 billion

Pakistans recorded a whopping $5.1 billion trade deficit in November—the highest for a single month—as imports continued their surge, touching around $8 billion, an increase of about 94 percent in comparison to the same month last year

Sri Lanka in talks with Elon Musk’s SpaceX over internet service

Sri Lanka is in talks with US billionaire Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX over its satellite internet division Starlink, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) announced

US-based digital transformation firm set to expand presence in India; more IT recruitments from India expected from global firms

A California-based digital transformation solutions company has announced the expansion of the workforce at its Bengaluru center to over 6000 employees

Under Taliban, Afghan economy has all but collapsed, thousands of businesses shut down; middle class has vanished

In August this year, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, ignoring the warning from the international community against the forceful seizure of power

Parag Agarwal joins array of Indian-origin tech leaders in the US corporate world

Twitter has appointed Indian American Parag Aggarwal, who has pledged to “reshape the future of public conversation,” as its CEO succeeding Jack Dorsey, the embattled social media company announced on Monday