The company is developing three model variants: Sarvam-Large for advanced reasoning and generation, Sarvam-Small for real-time interactive applications, and Sarvam-Edge for compact on-device tasks, said one of the the company’s two co-founders.

The government has selected Bengaluru-based start-up Sarvam to build the country’s first indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM) amid waves made by China’s low cost model DeepSeek. The start-up, chosen from among 67 applicants, will receive support from the government in terms of compute resources to build the model from scratch.

Sarvam is the first start-up to get approved for sops under India’s ambitious Rs 10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission to build a model, with the government currently assessing hundreds of other proposals. Sarvam said its model will be capable of reasoning, designed for voice, and fluent in Indian languages, and it will be ready for population-scale deployment.

A senior official said in terms of government support, the company will receive access to 4,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) for six months for the company to build and train its model. The model is not expected to be open-sourced, but will be fine-tuned particularly for Indian languages. The GPUs will be provided to Sarvam by companies separately selected by the government to set up AI data centres in India.

“This (Sarvam’s) model will have 70 billion parameters and many innovations in programming as well as engineering. With these innovations, a 70 billion parameter (model) can compete with some of the best in the world,” said IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

As part of Sarvam’s LLM proposal, the company is developing three model variants: Sarvam-Large for advanced reasoning and generation, Sarvam-Small for real-time interactive applications, and Sarvam-Edge for compact on-device tasks, said Pratyush Kumar, one of the the company’s two co-founders.

The development comes amid the meteoric rise of DeepSeek, a low-cost foundational model from China, which shook up the AI industry. DeepSeek’s entry into the AI space – touted for being open source, its accuracy and claims that it has been built at a fraction of the cost as its US competitors – sent Nvidia’s stock on a downward spiral, since its R1 model was trained on inferior GPUs compared with the likes of OpenAI.

Sarvam’s model will be built, deployed, and optimised in India, using local infrastructure and developed by a new generation of Indian talent. This initiative aims to promote strategic autonomy, accelerate domestic innovation, and secure India’s leadership in AI for the long term, the company said in a press statement.

Vivek Raghavan, also a co-founder of Sarvam, said, “This is a crucial step toward building critical national AI infrastructure. Our goal is to build multi-modal, multi-scale foundation models from scratch. When we do, a universe of applications unfolds. For citizens, this means interacting with AI that feels familiar, not foreign. For enterprises, this means unlocking intelligence without sending their data beyond borders”.

Earlier this year, the government had also selected 10 companies to supply 18,693 GPUs — high-end chips needed to develop machine learning tools — that can go into developing a foundational model. This is more than the initial aim of the IndiaAI Mission, under which the government was looking to procure 10,000 GPUs.

The companies empaneled to provide the GPU services include Jio Platforms, the Hiranandani Group-backed Yotta, Tata Communications, E2E Networks, NxtGen Datacenter, CMS Computers, Ctrls Datacenters, Locuz Enterprise Solutions, Orient Technologies, and Vensysco Technologies.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

Kasturirangan, a celebrated space scientist who also served as member of Rajya Sabha and a member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, passed away in Bengaluru on Friday morning. He was 84, and ailing for the last two years due to age-related complications.

Chandrayaan-3 was scheduled to make its landing on the Moon on August 23, 2023. A day earlier, The Indian Express had reached out to K Kasturirangan, the charismatic former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), seeking an interview to mark the occasion. Having suffered a heart attack a month ago, and not in the best of health, Kasturirangan was reluctant, and sent a message that the best he would be able to do would be to send a few lines of written responses.

But a day later, just ahead of the landing, he indicated that he would like to talk, and appeared on a video call from his Bengaluru home where he was recovering.

“I have not been keeping well, and did not want to do interviews. But you have asked a very interesting question about Vikram Sarabhai, and I wanted to talk about this. After all, I am amongst the last few remaining who is proud to have known and worked closely with Sarabhai,” Kasturirangan said, and went on to have a conversation that went on for more than half an hour.

Kasturirangan, a celebrated space scientist who also served as member of Rajya Sabha and a member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, passed away in Bengaluru on Friday morning . He was 84, and ailing for the last two years due to age-related complications. His condition had deteriorated last month, and he had been under palliative care at home.

The question that had aroused his interest on the Moon-landing day related to Sarabhai, widely considered the father of India’s space programme, and a man he admired deeply. Former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, in his tribute, wrote that Kasturirangan would often tell him how profoundly he had been impacted personally and professionally by Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan, another space stalwart.

Sarabhai also happened to be the teacher under whom Kasturirangan completed his PhD, in cosmic X-rays, at the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad.

Sarabhai, while talking about the role of space programme in a developing country like India way back in 1968, had famously remarked that he did not have the “fantasy” of India competing with other advanced nations in the exploration of Moon, other planets, or manned missions, and would much rather see ISRO working for the benefit of common people, and help in providing solutions to the country’s problems.

When asked if ISRO was finally diverging from Sarabhai’s vision now that it not only had a full-fledged exploration programme but was also planning to send humans into space, Kasturirangan had said, “I am glad you asked this. And this is important to understand the role that India’s space programme plays. It is true that Sarabhai saw space technologies as a tool to fulfil India’s developmental requirements. He was of the view that in a developing country like India, space technology could ensure optimal utilisation and management of the limited resources. He used to forcefully argue that timely, accurate and precise information about our critical resources was essential. We had primitive communication systems at the time. We needed massive improvements in education and health systems. We needed good information in meteorology which could predict rains so that we could plan our agricultural activities.

With his passionate advocacy, he managed to convince the government to invest in space technology. And thus, India became the only country — probably Japan was another — to start a space programme with an entirely peaceful approach to uses of space technology, and focussed totally on developmental needs,” Kasturirangan had said.

“Sarabhai unfortunately died in 1971 but all his successors at ISRO, Prof MGK Menon, Satish Dhawan and U R Rao, continued to work on his vision. ISRO built capabilities in remote sensing, communication, broadcasting, meteorology, earth observation, satellite technologies. By the time U R Rao left office (in 1994), much of Sarabhai’s vision had already been realised,” he said, arguing that the logical next step in carrying forward Sarabhai’s legacy was to utilise the capabilities built in the previous three decades. The foray into space exploration thus was an obvious choice.

“India’s space programme is still serving the country, and its people. In many more ways now, because of our enhanced capabilities,” he said.

Kasturirangan himself had a pivotal role to play in the transformation of ISRO into a formidable space exploration agency competing with the best in the world. It was during his nearly decade-long leadership of the organisation (1994-2003) that the Moon mission was conceived, and the first conversations on a possible human spaceflight were laid on the table.

In the book ‘Space and Beyond’, Kasturirangan revealed that in the proposal put forward to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he and his colleagues had named the lunar programme as ‘Somayaan’. It was Vajpayee who changed it to ‘Chandrayaan’ since he considered it more apt. Kasturirangan has also written that at the Indian Science Congress event in 2003, Vajpayee had asked him about the possibility of sending humans into space. He had told Vajpayee that it was possible but would take some time.

Kasturirangan guided ISRO during a rather tumultuous period. This was the time when India faced tight international controls on technology, which became worse after the 1998 nuclear tests. India had been denied the crucial cryogenic technology without which a well-developed space programme could not be built. It was during Kasturirangan’s time that ISRO embarked on self-reliance and indigenisation, which delayed the programmes a bit but eventually paid off handsomely in creating in-house capabilities. Kasturirangan also had to deal with the infamous spy scandal case, one of the worst crises that ISRO has faced.

After his retirement from ISRO, where he served for more than three-and-a-half decades, Kasturirangan was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the Vajpayee government in 2003. After that stint was over, the Manmohan Singh government appointed him as a member of the Planning Commission in 2009 where he served till the change of government in 2014.

He headed two committees whose reports have led to major policy changes. His report on the ecology of the Western Ghats, essentially a review of an earlier report by a committee headed by environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, is the basis on which human activities in specific areas of the Western Ghats are sought to be regulated. Kasturirangan also headed the committee that recommended the New Education Policy.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

SAMHI will primarily use the sale proceeds to reduce its debt, and a small portion allocated to cover transaction expenses.

Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, is acquiring a 35% stake in three subsidiaries of SAMHI Hotels — Courtyard & Fairfield by Marriott (Bengaluru ORR), Hyatt Regency Pune and the recently acquired Trinity Hotel in Whitefield, Bengaluru– for an investment of Rs 752 crore. The total enterprise value of these three subsidiaries stands at Rs 2,200 crore.

SAMHI will be mainly utilising the sale proceeds for paying off its debts. “Rs 603 crore from the deal will be used upfront to reduce the debt across the company’s portfolio and a small amount will be used towards deal expenses,” the company said.

The balance, Rs 149 crore, will be used over next two years to part fund the capital expenditure for the Westin Tribute Portfolio Bengaluru Whitefield dual branded hotel. 

SAMHI expects a Rs 580 crore reduction in debt and a 15-20% upward impact on profit after tax on account of this transaction. “The transaction follows our stated strategy of capital recycling and will lead to significant reduction in debt and partnership with a global investor of GIC’s stature for funding further growth. Net Debt-to-EBITDA at closing < 3.5X; accelerated path to < 3.0X in the next 12 months without compromising on growth,”  stated the company. 

The company also said the partnership will be incubated with five of SAMHI’s hotels with more than 1,000 rooms (the seed assets) valued at Rs 2,200 crore.

The hotels include the Hyatt Regency Pune, with 301 rooms (and upcoming 22 apartments), the Courtyard by Marriott – Bengaluru, ORR with 176 rooms, the Fairfield by Marriott – Bengaluru, ORR with 160 rooms, the Trinity Hotel – Bengaluru, Whitefield with 142 rooms which will be converted as part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio and an under development 220 rooms Westin Hotel, which is being added to the existing Trinity Hotel in Bengaluru.

“We are pleased to announce this transformational partnership with GIC. We have a strong track record in the hotel sector in India and GIC brings unparalleled institutional capabilities for us to benefit from. In addition to helping us strengthen our balance sheet, this partnership gives us tremendous firepower to grow our portfolio,” said SAMHI Hotels MD and CEO Ashish Jakhanwala, in a media release on Thursday.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

The UK-based software company plans to open two new offices in India — a 15,000 square foot facility in Chennai and a 25,000 square foot site in Pune, aiming to scale its presence in this market, which it described as a key hub for digital talent.

London-based software development and IT outsourcing company Ciklum said on Tuesday it will double its engineering workforce in India and open two new offices, as part of a broader push to expand its global operations.

The company plans to open a 15,000 square foot facility in Chennai and a 25,000 square foot site in Pune, aiming to scale its presence in India, which it described as a key hub for digital talent.

“We’re making a significant investment in India—doubling our engineering talent and expanding across Chennai, Pune, and other tech hub, ” the company’s chief executive officer Raj Radhakrishnan told reporters.

Ciklum, which employs more than 4,000 people globally, reported annual revenues of over $225 million. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region contributes about 80% of its revenue, while the United States accounts for 20%. Radhakrishnan said it expects US revenue to double as part of its strategic growth plans. Ciklum partners with firms including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Amazon Web Services, offering AI-led solutions to clients in banking, retail, technology, and healthcare sectors.

The company said it is expanding its AI capabilities to deliver faster, more personalised services, and has launched an innovation lab in partnership with SRM Easwari Engineering College in Chennai. The initiative, called Lumina, will focus on research in artificial intelligence and edge computing.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

EGMO, an annual mathematics competition, was held last week from April 11 to 17, with at least 50 countries participating in the competition.

India won two Silver and two Bronze medals at the 14th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) 2025 in Prishtina, Kosovo, achieving a milestone at the global level. The win is significant as India’s all-girls team secured 12th place overall at EGMO.

Sanjana Chacko (16) from Kerala and Shreya Mundhada (15) from Mumbai won silver medals, whereas Saee Patil (18) from Pune, Maharashtra and Shreya Gupta Ray (18) from Kolkata won the bronze medal. The four-member team was led by Dr. Mrudul Thatte from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). 

EGMO, an annual mathematics competition, was held last week from April 11 to 17, with at least 50 countries participating in the competition. The competition has been designed for high school girls passionate about maths, encouraging young females to become scientists and boosting the number of girls in International Olympiad movement (IMO) teams.

“Such competition inspires girls and builds confidence that they can compete with the world. It took India three decades to be at this point, so this achievement is significant and important that girls can do equally well in maths,” said Arnab Bhattacharya, a Central Director of Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE). 

HBCSE- TIFR identifies and nurtures students for participation in international Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Mathematics. HBCSE-TIFR comes under the purview of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. 

“We attribute this success to the dedicated efforts of past medallists, as well as the structured training provided through the EGMO Training Camp (EGMOTC) by HBCSE and continuous support provided by the National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM) and DAE for this Olympiad Program,” said HBCSE spokesperson Sumana Amin. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

During the period of the state mourning, the national flag will be flown at half mast throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment.

The government on Monday (April 21, 2025) announced a three-day state mourning as a mark of respect on the passing away of Pope Francis.

In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said, “His Holiness Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See passed away on April 21. As a mark of respect, three-day state mourning shall be observed throughout India.”

Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Monday. He was 88.

As per the schedule, two days’ state mourning will be on April 22 (Tuesday) and April 23 (Wednesday). Besides, one day’s state mourning will be on the day of the funeral, the statement said.

Regional leaders mourn Pope

During the period of the state mourning, the national flag will be flown at half mast throughout India on all buildings where the national flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment, it added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Comprehensive portfolio of advanced weapons under a tech transfer agreement with Caracal to be manufactured at the facility in Hyderabad .

Caracal, a small arms manufacturer based in the United Arab Emirates, inaugurated a manufacturing facility in collaboration with ICOMM Tele, a group company of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures group (MEIL), in Hyderabad on Monday.  

The development comes shortly after the visit of the UAE Crown Price as well as the country’s Defence Minister to India earlier this month. Caracal had in the past competed in a tender to supply its CAR-816 rifles to the Indian Army but eventually lost out to SIG Sauer of the U.S.

Located at ICOMM’s integrated engineering facility, it will serve as a local manufacturing hub for a comprehensive portfolio of advanced weapons under a technology transfer agreement with Caracal, which is an entity of the technology and defence group EDGE.

The agreement is a milestone in UAE–India defence collaboration and a boost to the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, MEIL said in a release. Weapons to be manufactured at the facility include CAR 816 close-quarters battle rifles, CAR 817 assault rifles, lightweight CSR 338 bolt-action sniper rifles, lightweight CSR 308 bolt-action sniper rifles, CSR 50 bolt-action anti-materiel sniper rifles, modern CMP9 submachine guns and Caracal EF and Caracal F GEN II combat pistols.

These next-generation weapons will serve the critical needs of Indian armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), special forces, State police forces, and the Special Protection Group (SPG). They will also cater to global export requirements of Caracal. It will also support Caracal’s international programmes, strengthening India’s role as a trusted global defence production hub, MEIL said.

“With Caracal by our side as a trusted and visionary partner, we are building more than world-class weapons. We are building a bold, self-reliant India. This is our salute to every soldier and promise to deliver quality that protects, empowers and inspires,” said ICOMM Tele managing director Sumanth Paturu.

The launch of the ICOMM Caracal small arms complex is “a milestone in our efforts to support the Indian market and defence industry. As the first small arms technology transfer from the UAE to India, the factory further highlights our commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative,” said Caracal CEO Hamad Alameri.

“With successful technical qualification by two special forces units and strong progress in Army trials, we are proud to deepen our role in India’s defence ecosystem. ICOMM has proven to be a highly capable and reliable partner,” he said.

After the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines through the Fast Track Procurement (FTP) route in January 2018, SIG Sauer’s SIG-716 and Caracal CAR-816 rifles were evaluated and the later was declared the lowest bidder. However, the tender was eventually cancelled and the Army procured and inducted 72,400 SIG-716 rifles from SIG Sauer under a ₹700-crore contract signed in February 2019.

The imports were meant to be a stop-gap arrangement till the larger requirement was met by the bulk licence manufacture of the Russian AK-203 assault rifles. However, with that delayed, the Ministry of Defence signed a repeat order for 73,000 SIG716 rifles in June 2024 and deliveries are expected to completed by end-2025.

As reported by The Hindu earlier, Caracal said in a statement that despite uncertainty over the deal, it would go ahead with investment in India and will fully manufacture the carbines in the country. “Caracal has already identified the required land, facility and local partners to be able to commence production immediately. Over 20% of the components fitted on the CAR 816 are already made in India,” the company had said in a statement then.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Aadit Palicha, CEO of Zepto, praised the strong talent base in India, counting it as a major advantage in his entrepreneurial journey. 

Aadit Palicha has nothing but praise for Indian talent. The Mumbai-based CEO of Zepto recently sat down for a conversation with his counterpart at Y Combinator, where he delved into everything from his startup’s beginnings to the transforming quick commerce space in India. When Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan asked him about the unique advantages and challenges of building a startup in India, Palicha highlighted the country’s talent pool, counting it as a big advantage in his entrepreneurial journey.

Zepto was launched by Stanford computer science dropouts Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra in 2021. What began as an idea in a WhatsApp group is today one of India’s most popular grocery delivery apps that has over 3,000 corporate employees.

Benefits of building in India

Talking about the benefit of building a startup in India, Palicha said: “I think the advantage is that the talent is incredible. I initially didn’t realise this deeply, but you know we interviewed American engineers – and they’re exceptional – but we said hey, the guys that we have here are as good.”

“I think a lot of people underestimate that. That’s why you know a lot of great internet startups set up offices in Bangalore and hire people there,” the Zepto co-founder told Tan on YC’s How To Build The Future podcast.

He acknowledged that it would have been unlikely for him to recruit the same level of talent in San Francisco as he had been able to in India.

“So the big advantage is you just have such an incredible talent base. And although it’s very competitive, it’s still a lot less competitive to get such high quality talent than it would be sitting in San Francisco,” said Palicha.

As one of India’s fastest growing startups, can Zepto be called a success? Not according to its CEO.

“No, absolutely not. Not even close to it,” Palicha told Y Combinator’s Garry Tan when asked if Zepto is a success. “I think we’ve got couple of decades before we can realistically say that we’ve won.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)