<img src="https://api-discussion.policharcha.com/1706789416650" alt="FM Sitharaman allocates ₹1 lakh crore for research & innovation in a push for self-reliance" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her interim budget speech on Thursday, unveiled a groundbreaking initiative, allocating a ₹1 lakh crore corpus for long-term financing in research and innovation. The interest-free loan spanning 50 years is dedicated to promoting advancements in sunrise domains, encompassing crucial areas like defence technology.
While the specifics of the scheme's allocation under various ministries for Research and Development (R&amp;D) projects will be revealed later, it is perceived as a response to the longstanding demand for increased funding in critical defence sectors.
This includes the development and manufacturing of marine and air platform engines within India, along with the creation of next-generation weapon systems, especially in a period of escalating global insecurities.
As per FM Sitharaman's Lok Sabha speech, the ₹1 lakh crore corpus aims to provide long-term financing or refinancing with extended tenors and low or zero interest rates. The initiative is expected to incentivise significant research and innovation in sunrise domains by encouraging greater participation from the private sector.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed optimism about the interim budget, stating, "This is an encouraging budget....We are fully confident that we will achieve the target of becoming a developed nation by 2047."
In the 2023-24 defence budget, the Centre earmarked a capital outlay of ₹12,850 crores for R&amp;D, reflecting a 7.2 percent increase over the previous year's ₹11,981.81 crores. The overall outlay for the Defence Ministry stood at ₹5.9 lakh crore, constituting over 13 percent of the total expenditure of the Union government.
Despite being the third-largest defence spender globally after the USA and China in 2021, India's budgetary allocations for defence have often fallen short of the expectations of the armed forces. The armed forces, grappling with the prospect of a two-front war with adversarial neighbours, have long sought increased financial support to meet their strategic requirements.

FM Sitharaman allocates ₹1 lakh crore for research & innovation in a push for self-reliance

<img src="https://api-discussion.policharcha.com/1714391423921" alt="India leads global AI adoption, NetApp report reveals" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>

NetApp, a prominent intelligent data infrastructure company, recently unveiled a report shedding light on the global landscape of AI adoption, revealing a notable division between front-running nations and those trailing behind in embracing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
The report, crafted in collaboration with Savanta, provides valuable insights into the progress, challenges, and readiness levels related to AI adoption across various countries. It underscores the pivotal role of a unified data infrastructure in driving successful AI initiatives.
Leading countries in AI adoption and innovation, such as India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are showcased as frontrunners, while Spain, Australia, and Germany are identified as slower in adopting AI advancements.
Based on a survey of over 1,300 executives spanning ten countries, the report reveals that approximately 60% of companies in AI-leading nations have active AI projects or are in pilot stages. In contrast, only 36% of companies in AI-lagging countries have embarked on similar AI initiatives.
Notably, the report outlines differences in AI approach between leaders and laggards, with 67% of companies in leading countries boasting hybrid IT environments, while lagging countries like Japan lag significantly at 24%.
AI leaders also report tangible benefits, including increased production rates by 50%, 46% automation of routine tasks, and a 45% enhancement in customer experience.
Gabie Boko, Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp, remarked on the transformative impact of AI, stating that data-ready enterprises with intelligent data infrastructures are poised to excel in the AI-driven era.
The report urges AI-lagging countries to expedite their AI adoption efforts to stay competitive, noting that 42% of companies in such countries have optimised their IT environments for AI. Germany and Spain show notable progress, with 67% and 59% of companies respectively optimising their IT environments for AI.
Pravjit Tiwana, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Cloud Storage at NetApp, said that the crucial role of data quality in AI success, as evidenced by both AI leaders and laggards.
While AI adoption faces challenges like IT costs and data security, the report shows that these hurdles are unlikely to impede AI's progress significantly.
In conclusion, the report underscores the critical role of AI in driving economic growth and innovation globally. Nations embracing AI proactively stand to gain substantial advantages across various sectors, whereas slower adopters risk falling behind in the race for technological supremacy and its associated benefits.

India leads global AI adoption, NetApp report reveals

<img src="https://api-discussion.policharcha.com/1713440585192" alt="Technology Trifecta – U.S., South Korea, and India Forge Strategic Alliance in the Indo-Pacific" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar convened their 10th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Seoul, marking a significant milestone in bilateral relations after nearly six years.
This meeting was swiftly followed by a trilateral technology dialogue involving the United States, South Korea, and India, focusing on collaborative opportunities in cutting-edge fields like semiconductors, biotechnology, space, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum technology.
These developments underscore a deepening strategic alliance between South Korea and India in the Indo-Pacific era. The momentum gained from these interactions signals a shift towards expanding their bilateral cooperation beyond the existing special strategic partnership, paving the way for a long-term alliance spanning the next five decades and beyond.
The bilateral summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2023 G-20 meeting further solidified this partnership, particularly in advanced manufacturing sectors like electric vehicles. Recognising the importance of collaboration in critical technological domains among nations sharing common values, both leaders committed to enhancing supply chain cooperation, especially in emerging sectors such as IT and electronics.
Amidst the current geopolitical landscape, the Indo-Pacific region necessitates minilateral frameworks involving like-minded countries to address mutual concerns and pursue common objectives. The establishment of the trilateral technology dialogue stemmed from the inaugural South Korea-U.S.
Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies Dialogue held in Seoul in December 2023. Notably, recent advancements also expanded the scope of the India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), covering areas like biotechnology, key minerals, rare earths processing methods, digital connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and innovative materials.
Central to this evolving partnership are shared values, including a commitment to democracy and upholding the rules-based international order. The "defining partnership" between the United States and India reflects this dedication, with the U.S. actively supporting India's ascent as a major global power and viewing India as a crucial ally in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The participation of both nations in the Quad framework underscores the broader necessity for engaging in minilaterals and trilaterals, underscoring the region's security imperatives.
In 2022, South Korea unveiled its new Indo-Pacific policy, signalling its ambition to emerge as a "Global Pivotal State" and collaborate with like-minded nations in the region to bolster peace and stability. Recognising South Korea's status as a prominent economic powerhouse in Asia, India is keen on expanding cooperation across various domains such as critical and emerging technologies, semiconductors, green hydrogen, human resource mobility, nuclear collaboration, and supply chain resilience.
While India plays a pivotal role in upholding the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, South Korea maintains a cautious stance regarding China's response to initiatives like the Quad, despite not being a member. The Quad's focus on infrastructure development, climate action, pandemic management, and technological advancements aligns with Seoul's strategic priorities, hinting at potential areas of collaboration among the United States, India, and South Korea.
India's democratic framework and shared interests in critical technologies make it a valuable partner for the South Korea-U.S. alliance. India's expanding domestic market, aspirations in semiconductor innovation, and its partnership with South Korea based on democratic principles further enhance this strategic alignment.
In a recent development in New Delhi, the United States and South Korea solidified their partnership through the formalisation of cooperation between their international development agencies, USAID and KOICA, aiming to address global development challenges collectively. This memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlines collaborative efforts in areas such as women's economic empowerment, disaster resilience, digital literacy, and fostering trilateral cooperation with the Indian government. The alliance seeks to stimulate innovative collaborations, bolster local trade, and provide digital and entrepreneurial resources to support grassroots development.
The establishment of a new communication mechanism between the U.S., South Korea, and India signifies one of the early diplomatic agreements on technology cooperation by New Delhi. India's participation in the Quad's technological collaborations, including initiatives related to 5G and 6G, further amplifies its engagement in shaping the global tech landscape.
The trilateral technology dialogue holds substantial economic implications, potentially transforming manufacturing dynamics and driving employment growth across these nations. This alliance is poised to stimulate innovation hubs, enhance exports, and attract investments, contributing to advancements in global technology markets.
Moreover, the collaborative efforts in technology could serve as a counterbalance to China's technological dominance, particularly in areas like 5G and artificial intelligence, exerting a notable influence on the global tech competition.
To counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific, nations like the United States, South Korea, and India are increasingly turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a critical component of their defence and security strategies. Collaborative efforts in AI innovation and data-sharing are seen as essential steps to address concerns about China's growing military capabilities among these partners.
While trilateral cooperation on critical technologies is a positive move for India and South Korea's bilateral ties, it's just one piece of the puzzle. Strengthening strategic trust and evolving into true strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific requires a broader range of cooperative platforms based on mutual interests.
One such area ripe for deeper collaboration is the defence industry. The successful export and local production of K-9 self-propelled howitzers from South Korea to India serve as a positive example. Now, expanding this cooperation to include maritime weapon platforms could significantly enhance their defence capabilities.
Moreover, with the rise of maritime threats like terrorism, piracy, and illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean, leveraging existing regional multilateral platforms and considering joint bilateral exercises can greatly improve maritime security and awareness. This collaboration is not only crucial for India, a key security provider in the Indian Ocean, but also beneficial for South Korea's strategic interests as it relies heavily on sea lines of communication.
The trilateral dialogue between India, the U.S., and South Korea is pivotal in ensuring equitable technology-sharing without compromising India's policy independence. This dialogue should also focus on responsible AI use in surveillance and intelligence sharing, emphasising common data protection standards, cybersecurity enhancement, and supply chain resilience to maximise the benefits of this technology partnership.
By fortifying their alliance and aligning their interests, these three nations can effectively protect their interests and uphold the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region, ushering in a new era of strategic cooperation and technological advancement.

Technology Trifecta – U.S., South Korea, and India Forge Strategic Alliance in the Indo-Pacific

<img src="https://api-discussion.policharcha.com/1712829746190" alt="Apple issues global alerts on Pegasus spyware, including to users in India" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>

Tech giant Apple has recently issued a series of alerts to users in 91 countries, including India, warning them about the risks posed by 'mercenary spyware' like the infamous Pegasus malware, which has been at the centre of controversy in recent times.
These new notifications, also sent to users in India, are part of Apple's proactive measures to caution users about potential threats to their privacy and data security.
Back in October 2023, Apple had sent a similar alert to political figures across different parties in India, including Shashi Tharoor from the Congress, Raghav Chadha from the Aam Aadmi Party, and Mahua Moitra from the Trinamool Congress. The alert raised concerns about a "potential state-sponsored spyware attack" targeting their iPhones.
This heightened alert comes in the wake of ongoing scrutiny regarding the Pegasus software developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group. In 2021, the Supreme Court had formed a committee of technical experts to investigate allegations of unauthorised surveillance using Pegasus.
In August 2022, the committee appointed by the Supreme Court reported that while no evidence of the spyware was found in 29 mobile phones examined, malware was discovered in five of them.
Apple's recent notification highlights findings from public reports and research by civil society organisations, tech firms, and journalists. These findings suggest that individually targeted attacks of significant cost and complexity, often associated with state actors and private companies like NSO Group, continue to pose a global threat.
Since 2021, Apple has been actively sending out threat notifications multiple times a year as it detects these attacks. So far, the company has alerted users in over 150 countries.
The tech giant emphasises the seriousness of mercenary spyware attacks, labelling them as some of the most advanced digital threats today due to their extreme cost, sophistication, and global reach. However, Apple refrains from attributing these attacks to specific entities or regions.
In addition to issuing alerts, Apple advises users to update their devices with the latest security patches and exercise caution when dealing with suspicious links or messages. They also recommend enabling Lockdown Mode as an extra layer of protection.

Apple issues global alerts on Pegasus spyware, including to users in India

<img src="https://api-discussion.policharcha.com/1709381960727" alt="Google faces government backlash over removal of Indian apps from Play Store; parties called for meeting" style="float:none;height: auto;width: auto"/>

The government has taken a firm stance against Google's recent removal of certain apps from its Play Store, stating that the delisting of Indian apps is unacceptable.
IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw conveyed this sentiment in an interview with PTI, and talked about the pivotal role of the startup ecosystem in the Indian economy, asserting that their fate cannot be subject to the decisions of major tech companies.
Vaishnaw's remarks come in the wake of Google's action on Friday to remove several apps, including popular matrimony apps, from its Play Store in India amidst a dispute over service fee payments. This move sparked outcry from affected apps and prominent startup founders.
Expressing grave concern over the issue, Vaishnaw stated, "India is very clear, our policy is very clear...our startups will get the protection that they need." The government is poised to address the matter directly by convening meetings with Google and the affected app developers in the coming week to seek resolution.
"I have already called Google...I have already called the app developers who have been delisted, we will be meeting them next week. This cannot be permitted… This kind of delisting cannot be permitted," affirmed Vaishnaw.
Stating India's remarkable achievement in nurturing a robust startup ecosystem, with over one lakh startups and more than 100 unicorns emerging within a decade, the minister stressed the imperative to harness the energy of youth and entrepreneurs fully. He underscored that such critical matters cannot be left at the mercy of big tech policies.
"I will be telling Google...Our entrepreneurial energy...startups, look at the whole startup India programme, 10 years back we had practically nothing and today we have more than 1,00,000 startups, more than 100 unicorns...this is something...the energy of our youth, the energy of our entrepreneurs, energy of our talented people that has to be channelised fully well, it cannot be left to the policies of any big tech," Vaishnaw said.
Google announced on Friday that it had taken action against ten companies in India, including several well-established ones, for evading fees despite benefiting from the platform and Play Store. Consequently, the tech giant proceeded to delist several apps from its platform.
While Google did not disclose the names of the companies involved, searches on the Play Store from Android phones failed to yield results for matrimonial apps such as Shaadi, Matrimony.com, and Bharat Matrimony. Additionally, Balaji Telefilms' Altt (formerly ALTBalaji), audio platform Kuku FM, dating service Quack Quack, and Truly Madly also vanished from the Play Store.
The contentious issue stems from Google's imposition of a fee ranging from 11 to 26 percent on in-app payments, following an order from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to scrap the previous system, which charged between 15 to 30 percent.
Google proceeded with the removal of apps that failed to pay the fee after the Supreme Court declined to grant interim relief to the companies behind these apps in their legal battle against the tech giant's app marketplace fee.
Reacting to the development, Bharat Matrimony founder Murugavel Janakiraman characterised the move as a "dark day" for the internet in India, while Kuku FM Co-founder Vinod Kumar Meena criticised Google's actions, likening them to those of a "monopoly." Quack Quack Founder Ravi Mittal expressed the company's intention to comply with the rules to regain access to the marketplace.
Previously, Google had issued notices of Play Store violations to Matrimony.com, the operator of BharatMatrimony, and Info Edge, which operates a similar app called Jeevansathi.
In a related development, Info Edge (India) Ltd disclosed on Saturday that its mobile apps, including naukri.com, 99acres.com, and shiksha.com, had been removed from the Google Play Store.
"Indian companies will comply - for now. But what India needs is an App Store/ Play Store that is a part of Digital Public Infrastructure - like UPI and ONDC. The response needs to be strategic," Info Edge founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani had said in a post on Friday on X (formerly Twitter) tagging Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and his office.
IAMAI - an industry association that represents some of the largest Indian startups as well as international firms - condemned the removal of apps and had urged Google to reinstate delisted apps.
In its blogpost, Google had said 10 Indian companies had chosen for an extended period of time not to pay for the "immense value they receive on Google Play".
"For years, no court or regulator has denied Google Play's right to charge," it said, adding that the Supreme Court on February 9 also "refused to interfere" with its right to do so.
Google asserted that allowing a small group of developers to get differential treatment from the vast majority of developers who are paying their fair share creates an uneven playing field putting all other apps and games at a competitive disadvantage.
"After giving these developers more than three years to prepare, including three weeks after the Supreme Court's order, we are taking necessary steps to ensure our policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem, as we do for any form of policy violation globally," Google said.
In the blogpost, Google had said that enforcement of the policy, when necessary, can include removal of non-compliant apps from Google Play. Google, however, added that existing users will be able to continue to access the apps without interruption and that it continues "to offer our support to help developers get into compliance."
Developers, it said, are welcome to resubmit their apps to be listed on Play by selecting one of the three billing options as part of its payment policy.
"Today, we have over 2,00,000 Indian developers using Google Play who adhere to our policies, helping us ensure we have a safe platform; however, for an extended period of time, 10 companies, including many well-established ones, have chosen to not pay for the immense value they receive on Google Play by securing interim protections from the court," Google had said.

Google faces government backlash over removal of Indian apps from Play Store; parties called for meeting

After the grand success of Chandrayaan missions and Aditya L1 project, India is ready to take Indian astronauts into the space for the first time on an Indian platform.

I just hope everything goes well....
what are your views?

Big hopes from Gaganyaan Mission

<div>ISRO Chandrayaan 3 Moon Landing Updates: Isro’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 made a historic soft landing on the Moon on Wednesday. This made India only the fourth nation to land a rover on the lunar surface and also the first ever country to land a rover near the Moon's South Pole. Meanwhile, the Pragyan rover ramped down from the Vikram lander and is moving on the Moon's surface, where it will conduct scientific experiments for 14 days. Stay with Indiatoday.in for the latest updates on Chandrayaan-3’s landing</div><div> </div><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DLA_64yz8Ss" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

FM Sitharaman allocates ₹1 lakh crore for research & innovation in a push for self-reliance

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