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 But the laws of physics, engineering and economics have not been repealed.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

Pakistan asks World Bank to restructure $200 loan

Pakistan has asked the World Bank to finalize its restructuring plan for the $200 million loan which the lender had approved last year for the locust emergency and food security project

Airbnb to support 20,000 Afghan refugees with free accommodation

Airbnb, a San Francisco-based company that operates an online marketplace for lodging, primarily homestays for vacation rentals

Maldives signs deal with India's Afcons for India-funded mega infrastructure project

The Maldives has on Thursday signed a deal with an Indian company for the Greater Male Connectivity Project, the archipelago’s biggest infra project so far costing around $500 million, giving a major boost to connectivity around capital Male

India’s Adani Group to start work on Sri Lanka’s West Container Terminal port by yearend

India’s Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) will begin construction work on the West Container Terminal (WCT) at Sri Lanka’s Colombo port by yearend, media reports say

Undid a past mistake on corporate taxation, took bold decisions on reforms: PM Modi

The Indian government's move to end retrospective tax signified the undoing of a mistake in made in the past, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the annual meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry or CII

Nepal’s flower industry withers amid pandemic

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the flower industry in Nepal was worth over $20 million

Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine gets India’s approval - a day after EUA

In a significant step towards boosting its vaccine arsenal, India has given emergency use authorization (EUA) to US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson's single-dose Covid-19 vaccine in the country

realme to export Make in India smartphones to Nepal

Smartphone maker realme said it will export Make in India smartphones to Nepal from the ongoing third quarter

As China ties sour, ex-Australian PM Tony Abbott to visit India to advance trade relationship

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott will visit India this month to progress the Indo-Australian economic and trade relationship under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

Bangladesh receives USD 20 bn investment proposals for its first planned industrial city

Bangladesh has received investment proposals worth around USD 20.13 billion from 153 investors, including those from China and Japan, for its first planned industrial city which it wants to develop as a world-class business and industrial center

Serum Institute of India to work with industry body CII to spread vaccination in small towns, rural areas

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has entered into an agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination in small towns and rural areas in partnership with industry and healthcare providers

India and US to sponsor forum to boost Indo-Pacific business cooperation

As part of their growing Indo-Pacific strategic cooperation, India and the United States are sponsoring a virtual meeting of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF) to promote government and business cooperation across the region where China is increasingly playing an assertive role

Etihad discontinues flights from India to UAE "till further notice"

Etihad Airways has discontinued flights from India to the UAE till further notice, a spokesperson of the airline said

Sri Lanka a challenging place to do business: US

In a sharp and somewhat unusual criticism of the investment climate in Sri Lanka, the US said the country was a challenging place to do business, marking public sector corruption and an unpredictable economic policy environment as significant challenges for American firms

India to top Maldives’ tourist arrivals by yearend: Maldivian tourism minister

India is expected to be the Maldives’ top contributor of tourists by the yearend, said Maldives Tourism Minister Abdullah Shahid, despite the recent drastic drop in the number of tourists from India due to the Covid-19 restrictions