Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, the founders of Skyroot Aerospace, and congratulated them for the Vikram-1 mission success, describing the interaction as an engaging discussion on India's growing private space ecosystem. On X, the Prime Minister said the success of Vikram-1 featured prominently in the conversation, alongside discussions on the company's journey and plans. "A great interaction with Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka of Skyroot Aerospace. The success of Vikram-1 naturally featured prominently in our discussion, with many
A group of students from Khalifa University has developed an AI-based startup called Hartum Compliance to simplify cybersecurity compliance for organisations using artificial intelligence and automation. The platform was founded in 2025 and is currently preparing to launch pilot projects with early partners. It is supported by Cyber E71, a startup ecosystem backed by the UAE Cyber Security Council, and is focused on helping organisations improve their cybersecurity compliance requirements. The platform is designed to reduce the amount of manual work involved in compliance by guiding org
A team of five BTech students from Dumka Engineering College in Jharkhand developed an autonomous water cleaning robot to clean the Shiv Ganga pond at Basukinath Dham during the Shravani Mela, which begins on July 3. 'Nautes Revival Bot is an Autonomous Water Cleaning Robot', designed as a final-year engineering project and is now set for real-world deployment. A live demonstration of the robot is scheduled to take place before it begins regular operations during the annual pilgrimage. The project was developed over five months to provide an efficient solution for cleaning pollute
NASA's NISAR satellite has captured an unusual radar image revealing a frozen landscape beneath Antarctica's ice that resembles a hummingbird with outstretched wings. The striking formation is not a naturally carved shape but the result of a mountain disrupting the slow movement of glacial ice. The image is centred on Nunatak Zaterjesshyjsja, a rocky mountain peak in East Antarctica that rises above the surrounding ice. While the mountain remains stationary, the glacier flows around it, creating distinctive cracks, stress patterns and shifting ice formations that together resemble a hummin
A 16-year-old student from Ontario, Canada, has developed an AI-powered robotic sea turtle capable of swimming autonomously, maintaining a preset depth and detecting microplastics in lakes and oceans. The innovation earned Evan Budz the $50,000 Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations at the 2026 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The idea was inspired by a snapping turtle Budz observed during a family camping trip in Ontario. After spending nearly 4,000 hours designing and refining the project, he created a robotic turtle equipped with a
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) received marketing authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Ottava robotic surgical system, marking the company's entry into the fast-growing market for robotic-assisted soft-tissue surgery. The approval is a significant milestone for J&J's medical technology business as it seeks to compete with Intuitive Surgical, whose da Vinci platform dominates the robotic surgery market. Medtronic's Hugo surgical robot also received regulatory approval last year. The FDA has authorised Ottava for several upper-abdominal general surgery
Representatives from 29 countries have signed an agreement in Shanghai to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), a new international body focused on promoting the responsible and safe development of artificial intelligence technologies. The agreement was signed during a ceremony attended by representatives of member nations and international organisations, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The organisation will be headquartered in Shanghai and is intended to enhance global cooperation on AI governance and development. The founding m
China has developed approximately 120,000 high-quality datasets as part of a broader effort to strengthen its digital infrastructure and accelerate the development of artificial intelligence across research, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors. According to the National Data Administration, the country had accumulated more than 547 times the total digital data resources held by the National Library of China by the end of June. The volume of high-quality datasets exceeded 1,565 petabytes, an increase of 60% compared to the first quarter of 2026. The datasets are designed to support app
Apple reclaimed its position as the world's most valuable publicly traded company on Friday, overtaking Nvidia as investors increasingly favoured firms expected to generate long-term revenue from artificial intelligence. Apple's market valuation rose to approximately $4.88 trillion, while Nvidia's market capitalisation slipped to about $4.86 trillion after its shares fell 3.5%. Apple had previously held the top spot before being surpassed by the AI chipmaker earlier this year. The shift reflects changing investor sentiment as markets increasingly reward companies seen as capable of mone
Indian Railways has introduced its first indigenous hydrogen-powered train, marking a significant milestone in the country's transition towards cleaner and more sustainable rail transportation. Developed under the Hydrogen for Heritage initiative, the train uses hydrogen fuel cell technology to generate electricity, producing water and heat as by-products. Indian Railways said the project is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen-powered rail transport while reducing emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. The train will initially operate on the Jind-Sonipat section in Ha