India is set to bring the Global South firmly into the global artificial intelligence conversation as New Delhi hosts the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 from February 16 to 20. The five-day event positions India as a key global voice advocating AI for development, inclusion, and public good. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the summit is anchored in three guiding “Sutras”: People, Planet, and Progress, reflecting India’s cooperative and human-centric approach to AI. Major venues across the capital, led by Bharat Mandapam and Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, will host over two lakh pa
In a major boost to India’s startup ecosystem, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of the Startup India Fund of Funds 2.0 with a total corpus of ₹10,000 crore to mobilise venture capital for startups across the country. The scheme aims to accelerate India’s next phase of entrepreneurial growth by unlocking long-term domestic capital, strengthening the venture capital landscape, and supporting innovation-led businesses. Launched under the Startup India initiative, FoF 2.0 builds on nearly a decade of ecosystem development. Since 2016, India’s
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth led a high-level Indian delegation to the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 8–9. He joined international dignitaries at the opening ceremony and inaugurated the first-ever India Pavilion at the event, showcasing India’s defence manufacturing capabilities through Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and private companies. The RRM also visited exhibition areas of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and the Saudi Ministry of Defence to review their latest indigenous technological developments. During th
India is making rapid strides towards establishing its own space station while simultaneously advancing the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission, according to ISRO Programme Director Imtiyaz Ahmed. Speaking on Monday, February 9th, 2026, Ahmed said nearly 80 satellites are currently under development, which will play a vital role in scientific research, disaster management, internal security, navigation, and relaying critical signals for the Gaganyaan mission back to Earth. Addressing IANS in Samastipur during the golden jubilee celebrations of India’s first indigenous satellite, Aryabhat
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan has said that following the historic success of Chandrayaan-3, India has significantly accelerated its space missions, with preparations underway for the ambitious Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 projects. Addressing the fifth convocation ceremony of D. Y. Patil International University in Pune, Narayanan highlighted India’s growing momentum in space science and technology. He said India is now implementing a comprehensive and forward-looking space programme that includes advanced research missions, with a special focus on f
Four-and-a-half years after a cryogenic upper stage anomaly led to the failure of the GSLV-F10 mission and the loss of Gisat-1 (EOS-03), ISRO is preparing to launch its replacement, Gisat-1A or EOS-05. The 2.2-tonne class satellite is designed to provide near-real-time images of large regions at frequent intervals, similar to its predecessor. While primarily a civilian satellite, it is expected to significantly aid India’s armed forces by enabling more effective operational planning through continuous, cloud-free observation of the subcontinent. EOS-05 will generate valuable data for agr
Thailand has been appointed chair of the United Nations’ Scientific and Technical Subcommittee for 2026, marking a significant milestone in the country’s growing role in global space governance. The appointment was confirmed on February 2 at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna under the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS), the world’s principal forum for guiding international cooperation on space activities. Dr Pakorn Apaphant, executive director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), will serve as chair of the STSC, pr
Qatar participated in the World Customs Organization’s Technology Conference and Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, held under the theme “Customs Agility in a Complex World: Securing and Facilitating Trade through Innovation.” The Qatari delegation was headed by Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal, President of the General Authority of Customs. The conference featured in-depth discussions on key issues, including strategies to secure borders, enhance the safety of international trade, and facilitate trade flows through advanced digital systems. Participants also reviewed challenges facing customs risk
NASA is preparing for its historic Artemis II mission, which will mark the first crewed flight of the Artemis programme and the first time humans orbit the Moon since the Apollo missions more than five decades ago. The mission represents a major step in NASA’s long-term goal of establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and eventually enabling crewed missions to Mars. Artemis II will carry four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by NASA’s powerful Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Unlike Artemis I, which was an uncrewed test flight, Artemis II will test all major
India has become the first country in the world to develop genome-edited rice varieties, marking a major milestone in agricultural science and innovation. The breakthrough was announced on April 4, 2025, in New Delhi by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who described it as a historic step toward higher farm productivity, climate resilience, and water conservation. Developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the two varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla)andPusa DST Rice 1, have been created using CRISPR-Cas genome-editing technology, wh