Jaishankar said ties between India, Suriname has expanded into a “robust, multifaceted engagement” covering infrastructure, trade, training and cultural links.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said India sees Suriname “not as a distant partner” but as “family”, as the two countries mark 50 years of diplomatic relations.

Writing in the Times of Suriname newspaper ahead of his visit to the country on Wednesday (May 6, 2026), Mr. Jaishankar said ties had expanded into a “robust, multifaceted engagement” covering infrastructure, trade, training and cultural links.

He said India and Suriname had strengthened cooperation through high-level exchanges, including a visit by former Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi to India in 2023 for a gathering of the Indian diaspora, followed by a visit to Suriname by Indian President Droupadi Murmu later that year.

Jaishankar said several projects in Suriname were completed through Indian Lines of Credit, including a 161 KV electrical transmission line from the industrial port city of Paranam to capital city Paramaribo, water pumping stations, construction machinery, power infrastructure upgrades and the supply and maintenance of three Chetak helicopters.

India has also supplied 425 metric tonnes of food items worth $10 million to Suriname last year to help with its food security, he wrote.

The Minister said India-backed grant projects in Suriname included flood warning systems, a stadium and community initiatives linked to education, sport and technical training.

Mr. Jaishankar also said he would attend the commissioning of a passion fruit processing and packaging unit funded by an Indian grant. “This will empower local farmers and build Suriname’s self-reliance through value-added industry,” he wrote.

At the international level, Mr. Jaishankar said India and Suriname shared similar positions on issues including reform of the United Nations Security Council.

He also highlighted Suriname’s participation in India-backed initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the International Big Cat Alliance.

Despite the geographical distance between the two countries, Mr. Jaishankar said they remained connected through a shared history dating back to the arrival of Indians aboard the ship Lalla Rookh in 1873.

He said the community has become an integral part of Suriname’s society while preserving cultural traditions including Sarnami Hindustani language, Baithak music and festivals such as Diwali and Phagwa.

“Suriname has also played an important role in promoting Hindi language globally,” he wrote, noting that the country hosted the World Hindi Conference in Paramaribo in 2003.

“In Suriname, India does not see a distant partner; India sees family,” Mr. Jaishankar wrote.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The US ambassador said this is what a “true win looks like for the American economy”, adding that the details would be revealed soon.

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Tuesday signalled “massive new investments” from India into America, referring to it as “largest we’ve ever seen.

“BIG NEWS coming! Massive new investments from India are flowing into the United States at the 2026 #SelectUSASummit – the largest we’ve ever seen,” Gor said in a post on X.

The US ambassador said this is what a “true win looks like for the American economy”, adding that the details would be revealed soon. Select USA is flagship investment summit organised by the US commerce department.

This comes weeks after the US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy to South and Central Asia had highlighted the goal of taking the US-India trade to to USD 500 billion by 2030. US President Donald Trump had also said earlier this year that under the framework of the India-US interim trade deal, New Delhi had agreed to purchase $500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, metals, coal and technology products for the next five years.

Gor’s meeting with AMCHAM, expanding India-US trade

Gor met with the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) last month in New Delhi, and talked about advancing trade and investment ties.

“Great discussion with @AmchamIndia Board to advance U.S.-India trade and investment ties. We are focused on a clear goal: taking U.S.-India trade to USD 500 billion by 2030. American companies operating in India are driving US exports, expanding trade, attracting investment, and reinforcing the strength of our partnership,” he said in a post on X.

He also highlighted the strength of India-US ties as he completed 100 days as the envoy to India, and also spoke about achievements between New Delhi and Washington – ranging from advancing a trade deal to India joining the Pax Silica initiative.

Gor on India-US critical minerals cooperation

Gor had, during the India Today Conclave 2026 in March, said India and US were close to signing a critical minerals agreement soon. This came days after the bilateral trade agreement framework was worked out between both countries.

In lieu of this, India and US last month agreed to further their cooperation under Pax Silica and broader economic and technology engagements, including in AI and critical minerals, PTI news agency reported.

The topic was discussed during a meeting between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and US under-secretary of state for economic affairs Jacob S Helberg. India formally joined Pax Silica on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in February.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

The centre will be developed with a total planned investment of USD 7.5 million, including a greenfield investment of USD 4.5 million from IITM Global.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras Global Research Foundation has announced the establishment of its first centre in the United States, expanding India’s deep-tech innovation footprint into global ecosystems.

The announcement of the centre at Menlo Park in California, which was launched on April 24, was made at the SelectUSA Investment Summit at National Harbour in Maryland near here on Tuesday.

“The Menlo Park centre, enabled through our partnership with CA Startups, is a strategic anchor for IITM Global’s US operations,” Thirumalai Madhavnarayan, CEO of the IIT Madras Global Research Foundation, told PTI.

“With a focused investment approach, we aim to build a platform that accelerates deep-tech ventures from lab to global markets, while also attracting global innovation into India,” he said.

The centre will be developed with a total planned investment of USD 7.5 million, including a greenfield investment of USD 4.5 million from IITM Global, Narayan said.

Strategically located near Silicon Valley, the IITM Centre is envisioned as a launchpad for Indian deep-tech startups to access global capital, markets, mentorship, and partnerships.

The Menlo Park centre will focus on advancing deep-tech research and commercialisation, while also serving as a hub for startup incubation and global market access.

It aims to strengthen industry–academia partnerships and enable venture engagement to support the scale-up of high-potential innovations.

The IITM Global also announced plans to establish a second centre on the US East Coast, further strengthening its presence across key innovation corridors.

The East Coast centre will complement these efforts by connecting with leading policy, financial, and academic ecosystems, creating a more comprehensive US presence.

The IIT-Madras Global delegation comprising founders of the IIT-M incubated deep-tech start-ups met Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

“Had an insightful conversation with Thirumalai Madhavnarayan, Head of IITM Global, and the brilliant founders of five IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech startups — Atri AI, Zerowatt, Satori XR, Greenvironment, and @ePlaneCompany — on the sidelines of the #SelectUSASummit,” Kwatra said in a post on X.

“Truly inspired by the impressive work these young tech leaders showcased. We spoke about exciting new opportunities in India and the US tech ecosystem. The future of India-US innovation collaboration is bright,” Kwatra said.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The alert system was sent across the network of all telecom operators across the country on Saturday, except in poll-bound States.

Mobile phones across the country went abuzz after Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the cell broadcast alert system on Saturday that will warn citizens about emergency and natural disasters in their area.

The Department of Telecom had already alerted citizens about the trial run of the service on April 29 to avoid panic, with an appeal to ignore any alerts they receive.

The test message read: “Extremely Severe Alert. India launched Cell Broadcast using indigenous technology, for instant disaster alerting service for its citizens. Alert citizens, safe nation. No action is required by the public upon receipt of this message. This is a test message- Government of India”.

The alert system was sent across the network of all telecom operators across the country, except in poll-bound States.

What is a cell broadcast test?

In contrast to standard text messages, cell broadcasts can reach all mobile phones within a designated geographical area, providing extensive and rapid coverage without putting excessive strain on telecom networks. This system has been particularly used by government agencies to deliver warnings and important updates to the public. To enhance the effectiveness of alert distribution in urgent situations—such as tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and human-made emergencies like gas leaks or chemical hazards—Cell Broadcast (CB) technology has been implemented alongside SMS.

What is NDMA test cell broadcast?

It is a test message sent by the NDMA in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India.

NDMA has successfully operationalised the Integrated Alert System (SACHET), created by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), which is the leading research and development centre under the Department of Telecommunications.

The system is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) as recommended by the UN body International Telecommunication Union. It is currently operational across all 36 States and Union Territories of India and delivers disaster and emergency-related alerts via SMS to mobile users within geo-targeted areas.

Cell Broadcast (CB) technology has been introduced alongside SMS, enabling alerts to be transmitted to all mobile devices within a defined geographic area simultaneously, ensuring near-real-time delivery.

‘Indigenous technology’

“Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, today launched the Cell Broadcast Alert System, developed indigenously by C-DOT in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the guidance of Home Minister Amit Shah,” an official statement said.

Through this system, critical information related to disasters, emergencies, and public safety will be transmitted directly and instantly to citizens’ mobile phones, the statement said.

What if you didn’t receive the alert?

These “test messages” will only be delivered to mobile devices that have Cell Broadcast test channels enabled.

Users can toggle these alerts on or off by navigating to: Settings → Safety and emergency → Wireless emergency alerts → Test alerts. During the testing process, recipients may receive several messages to verify the proper operation of the entire mobile network infrastructure.

With PTI inputs

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

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Mission Drishti is the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, integrating electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform, according to the company.

Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye’s Mission Drishti satellite was launched on Sunday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from California.

Mission Drishti is the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, integrating electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform, according to the company.

While EO sensors capture high-resolution images during sunlight and clear skies, SAR sensors provide all-weather and all-time images, using radar pulses.

In a statement, Suyash Singh, founder and CEO of GalaxEye, said, “With the satellite (Mission Drishti) now successfully in orbit, our immediate focus is on completing its commissioning. As we move through this phase, we are already witnessing strong global interest in the differentiated datasets enabled by our OptoSAR payload.” The satellite will help address long-standing limitations of conventional systems and enable more reliable and consistent data acquisition across diverse environmental conditions, the company said.

As a dual-use Earth observation satellite, the mission will support use cases across defence, agriculture, disaster management, maritime monitoring, and infrastructure planning.

The satellite is also expected to complement India’s broader initiatives, including the 29 active Earth Observation satellites outlined in ISRO’s recent annual report.

The launch came after five years of indigenous research and development, and extensive environmental testing and performance validation of the Mission Drishti.

In a statement, Lt Gen AK Bhatt (Retd), director general of Indian Space Association (ISpA), said, “GalaxEye has achieved what only a few global players have, which is seamlessly combining optical and SAR capabilities on a single platform to enable persistent, all-weather intelligence.” What stands out is not just the technology, but its broader impact on how downstream applications will increasingly define value in the space economy, particularly in Earth observation, where timely, decision-grade insights are critical,” he added.

ISpA is the premier industry association of space and satellite companies in the country.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh also took note of the Mission Drishti launch, saying the development marked a significant milestone in India’s space journey.

In a post on X, the minister said, “The successful launch of the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, and the largest privately-built satellite in the country, reflects the immense potential of our young innovators driving nation-building.” GalaxEye aims to scale up Mission Drishti to a constellation of 10 satellites by 2030, developing a robust and sovereign Earth observation infrastructure for India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the launch of the world’s first OptoSAR satellite Mission Drishti by GalaxEye, calling it a testament to the youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building.

Bengaluru-based space start-up GalaxEye’s Mission Drishti satellite was launched on Sunday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from California.

“Mission Drishti by GalaxEye marks a major achievement in our space journey. The successful launch of the world’s first OptoSAR satellite and the largest privately-built satellite in India is a testament to our youth’s passion for innovation and nation-building,” Modi said in a post on X.

The prime minister also congratulated the founders and the entire GalaxEye team, extending his best wishes.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The proud mother said Ishank, who swam the 29-km Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka, achieved the feat after months of rigorous training lasting seven to eight hours daily.

Seven-year-old Ishank Singh from Ranchi has achieved a remarkable feat by swimming across the 29-km stretch of the Palk Strait.

Ishank completed the challenging route from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu on April 30, finishing the swim in around 9 hours and 50 minutes. He began his journey at 4 am and reached the shore by 1:50 pm.

The strait separates Tamil Nadu in India from Sri Lanka’s Jaffna region and connects the Bay of Bengal with the Gulf of Mannar.

Ishank has been declared by the Universal Records Forum as the ‘Youngest and Fastest Palk Strait Swimmer’ and and ‘2026 OWSAT World Record’ by the Open Water Swimming Academy, Theni.

A Class 3 student of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamli- the alma mater of cricketer MS Dhoni- Ishank spent seven to eight hours in the water daily in the lead-up to this achievement.

After returning to Ranchi on Friday evening, Ishank’s mother Manisha told PTI, “He used to train in pools across Ranchi, but for the last six months, he shifted to open-water practice at Dhurwa Dam to prepare specifically for the Palk Strait.”

Ishank underwent rigorous training under his coach, Aman Kumar Jaiswal, and Bajrang Kumar.

“We first noticed his unusual stamina during a summer camp,” Jaiswal told PTI, adding, “With support from his parents, we began training him for this goal. The result is there for everyone to see.”

He added that the previous record was held by Tamil Nadu’s Jay Jaswanth.

The young swimmer has also received immense praise from Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who called this triumph ‘a remarkable example of discipline and unwavering dedication’.

And for the young achiever, the milestone marks just the beginning.

“I want to keep improving and achieve more. My dream is to complete a two-way swim across the Palk Strait,” Ishank said.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

During the test, two missiles were fired in quick succession from a Sea King helicopter off the Odisha coast over the Bay of Bengal from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.

 India’s indigenous maritime strike programme achieved a major milestone on Wednesday as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully carried out the maiden salvo launch of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range (NASM-SR).

Two missiles were fired in quick succession from a Sea King helicopter off the Odisha coast over the Bay of Bengal from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.

The trial marked the first salvo launch of an advanced indigenous air-launched anti-ship missile system and validated a capability considered critical for real-world naval strike operations.

In a statement, the government said all test objectives were fully met, with performance data captured through radar, electro-optical systems and telemetry.

It added that “along with proving the salvo launch capability, the missiles demonstrated the waterline hit capability,” a strike profile designed to target a ship’s hull at or near the waterline to maximise flooding, structural damage and mission-kill potential.

The NASM-SR is India’s first indigenous helicopter-launched anti-ship missile and has been developed as a replacement for the ageing British-origin Sea Eagle missile currently used by naval Sea King helicopters.

The system is also planned for future integration with the MH-60R Seahawk and HAL Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platforms.

The missile is powered by a solid-propellant system with an ejectable booster and long-burn sustainer, giving it a strike range of around 55 km with subsonic sea-skimming capability.

It includes several indigenously developed advanced systems such as an Imaging infra-red seeker, fibre-optic gyroscope-based inertial navigation system, radio altimeter, integrated avionics, electro-mechanical actuators, jet vane control and a high-bandwidth two-way data link that allows lock-on-after-launch and in-flight retargeting.

The missile has been developed primarly by Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat in collaboration with DRDO’s Defence Research and Development Laboratory, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory in Hyderabad and Pune, the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory in Chandigarh and ITR Chandipur.

Under the Development-cum-Production Partner model, Adani Defence and Aerospace is the main manufacturing partner, supported by micro, small and medium enterprises, start-ups and Indian industry vendors supplying subsystems and components.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

International partnerships provide foundational content, including rare Urdu texts, for the Wikisource platform to reach this milestone.

The Punjabi Wikimedians User Group has launched an Urdu Wikisource, a free, open source, global digital library for Urdu literature. The group has also urged the Punjab government to ease copyright restrictions, which continue to hamper access to regional languages in the digital domain.

“The launch of Urdu Wikisource marks a turning point for the preservation of South Asian literary history,” Satdeep Gill, manager, content enablement, Wikimedia Foundation, said.

International partnerships provided the foundational content for the platform to reach this milestone, he said. “Rekhta Foundation, the Urdu literary repository, jump-started the project by sharing 10 rare Urdu texts, ensuring the platform launched with high-quality, culturally significant material. The British Library shared seven rare historical texts that were digitised as part of the ‘Two Centuries of Indian Print’ project [2016-2022], bridging the gap between the physical archives in London and digital accessibility for users in South Asia. These texts include Alif Layla, a book of Arabic fables, and a 19th century version of Padmavat, Malik Mohammad Jayasi’s Awadhi poem,” Mr. Gill said.

“Wikisource is unique in the digital ecosystem. Unlike simple image archives, it utilises community-driven transcription to convert scanned documents into digitally searchable text. This makes it an invaluable complementary tool for the Urdu language, allowing researchers and students to search for specific phrases within centuries-old books for the first time,” he said.

The Punjabi Wikimedians User Group is the first Indian language community that became affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation in 2015.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)