Archives February 2026

New Delhi, Feb 18th: Udaan, a large-scale Artificial Intelligence education initiative powered by Sunstone, has equipped over 10,000 students from Classes 11 and 12 with early, practical exposure to AI and emerging technologies. The initiative was conducted across three campuses in North India, bringing school students into real college learning environments and helping them experience how future skills are applied in practice.

The sessions were hosted at HiTech Institute of Engineering & Technology, Ghaziabad; IITM Murthal, Sonipat; and the Institute of Technology & Management (ITM), Dehradun. Students experienced campus life firsthand while gaining exposure to AI tools and real-world applications that are shaping modern careers.

With Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforming how students learn, work, and build careers, Udaan was designed to address a growing gap in early exposure to industry-relevant skills. The initiative reached students across academic streams, school boards including CBSE and State Boards, and both government and private institutions. By introducing AI at the school level, the programme aims to build awareness, confidence, and readiness for a technology-driven future.

Commenting on the initiative, Ankur Jain, Co-Founder and CBO, Sunstone, said, “AI is no longer a future skill. It is a present necessity. Through Udaan, we wanted students from every background to understand how AI can shape their learning journeys and future careers.”

During the programme, students participated in a structured learning experience that included interactive workshops on AI tools, hands-on lab sessions, and short assessments designed to reinforce practical understanding. They also received certificates of participation and gained insight into how AI tools are used by college students to enhance productivity, research, and problem-solving.

The initiative witnessed strong participation across regions. At HiTech Institute of Engineering & Technology, Ghaziabad, 3,200 students from 48 schools across Ghaziabad, Hapur, and nearby areas attended the sessions, with particularly strong engagement during hands-on lab exercises. IITM Murthal, Sonipat hosted 2,500 students from 40 schools, where practical demonstrations helped students understand real-world applications of AI beyond textbooks. At ITM Dehradun, 2,300 students from 37 schools participated, creating awareness around technology-driven learning and AI-enabled problem solving.

As part of Udaan, a Faculty Development Programme on Artificial Intelligence in Education was also conducted to ensure educators remain equipped to guide students in a technology-enabled learning environment. The sessions were led by experienced trainers and industry professionals who shared practical insights on AI tools, classroom integration, and evolving skill requirements in the digital era.

More than 100 school teachers participated in the programme, gaining hands-on exposure to AI-driven teaching approaches and modern learning tools. By strengthening educator capability alongside student learning, Udaan aims to create long-term impact and support the development of a future-ready education ecosystem.

Egypt, Cairo, Feb 18 – ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation and a leading provider of enterprise IT management solutions, today added new causal intelligence and autonomous AI capabilities in Site24x7, its full-stack observability platform. These enhancements transform how enterprises handle outages, shifting from firefighting to autonomous resilience. By drastically reducing mean time to recovery (MTTR) and ensuring service-level agreement (SLA) compliance, Site24x7 helps IT teams safeguard the customer experience and retain trust.

Modern IT environments are increasingly fragmented across hybrid clouds, microservices, and dynamic networks, generating massive volumes of telemetry and predictive anomaly signals every second. When an incident occurs, this complexity turns troubleshooting into a needle-in-a-haystack search, often leading to prolonged downtime. IT teams struggle to correlate anomaly signals and events across these layers, delaying the critical fix to restore normalcy, jeopardizing brand reputation.

“Hybrid and cloud-native architectures have made IT operations highly interconnected, while IT managers are under constant pressure to resolve incidents quickly amid growing complexity,” said Srinivasa Raghavan, director of product management at ManageEngine. “By combining predictive anomaly detection, intelligent event correlation, service dependency context, and AI-driven causal insights, Site24x7 cuts through alert noise to show not just what is broken, but what caused it and what it impacts, helping teams identify the true fault faster and significantly reduce MTTR while minimizing service disruption.”

“Triaging and resolving incidents in hybrid environments with growing infrastructure complexity can quickly become a nightmare, especially when SLA commitments are on the line,” said Pravir Kumar Sinha, IT leader at Synechron, a global IT services company and one of the early customers to access the feature. “With Site24x7 AIOps , we’re able to filter out nearly 90% of alert noise, pinpoint issues faster, and accelerate resolution. This helps us achieve stronger SLA adherence, reduce MTTR, and ultimately deliver reliable digital experience for customers.”

The introduction of autonomous AI in Site24x7 represent a practical step toward more autonomous IT operations by analyzing observability data, reducing cognitive overload, and turning insights into clear, actionable guidance. “With MCP providing the control and governance layer, we ensure this intelligence is applied securely and within enterprise guardrails. This empowers IT leaders move toward agentic workflows with confidence, stay ahead of the AI adoption curve, and strengthen the resilience of their critical digital services,” said Raghavan.

Key capabilities include:

• Domain-aware causal correlation with predictive anomaly detection: Detects anomalies and correlates related signals across applications, infrastructure, and networks into a single, context-rich problem—so teams can quickly understand what is connected and where to start.
• Customizable AI Agents with governed, task-driven automation: Enables customers to create and tailor AI Agents, set approved guardrails using solution documents, and assign tasks that guide agents from analysis to guided action—making response workflows more consistent across teams.
• MCP-enabled agentic foundation for customers: MCP provides the enabling layer for customers to build and operationalize agentic use cases on top of observability data—standardizing how agents access data, follow approved guidance, and execute tasks within enterprise-ready controls and auditability.
• Orchestrated remediation with Qntrl: Co-ordinates downstream actions through structured workflows and repeatable runbooks, powered by Zoho’s workflow and orchestration platform Qntrl, with approvals and traceability built in to support controlled automation.

These AIOps capabilities are now available for all users in Professional and Enterprise plans.

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Jamshedpur, Feb 18th: XLRI – Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, widely regarded as one of the finest institutions for Human Resource Management in the Asia-Pacific region, continues to reaffirm its leadership in HR education through a bold curricular innovation. Building on its rich legacy of producing HR leaders who occupy C-suite roles across national and multinational corporations—and academics who contribute to some of the world’s leading universities—XLRI’s flagship two-year HRM programme has introduced structured second-year specialisations.

Rather than resting on its formidable alumni legacy, XLRI’s HR programme has consistently evolved in response to the changing nature of work, organisations, and society. The newly introduced specialisations enable students to deepen their expertise in chosen domains such as Organisation Development, Compensation, Future of Work, Labour & Social Justice, and Employee Well-being, among others.

The first year of the HRM programme continues to provide a strong general management foundation. Students develop a comprehensive business perspective through rigorous engagement with Marketing, Operations, Finance, Strategy, and Information Systems, alongside core HR courses spanning Performance Management, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, and Employee Relations. The second year now offers a deliberate choice: depth through specialisation or breadth through a wide range of electives across HR and allied disciplines such as Strategy, Economics, and Information Systems.

Speaking on the philosophy behind the change, Dr. (Fr.) Sebastian George, SJ, Director, XLRI Jamshedpur, said: “XLRI has always believed that relevance is the true test of academic excellence. The introduction of second-year specialisations reflects our commitment to preparing HR professionals who are not only grounded in strong values and business understanding but also capable of deep expertise in emerging and complex domains of people management.”

Prof. Sanjay Patro, Dean (Academics), XLRI, highlighted the academic intent behind the redesigned structure: “The new specialisation framework gives our students meaningful choice. Some may wish to develop deep functional expertise, while others may prefer a broader, integrative perspective. Our curriculum now enables both pathways, without compromising the rigour and intellectual depth that XLRI is known for.”

Elaborating on the student experience, Prof. R. K. Premarajan, Chairperson – HRM Committee noted: “HR roles today demand both strategic clarity and domain depth. By introducing specialisations, we are allowing students to align their learning journeys with their career aspirations—whether in advanced organisation development, rewards strategy, future-of-work challenges or socially responsible HR practice.”

With this initiative, XLRI reinforces its long-standing position as a thought leader in HR education—one that continuously re-imagines curricula to stay ahead of industry realities while remaining anchored in its mission of shaping responsible and impactful leaders. 

The Great Eastern Home, India’s iconic destination for fine furniture and luxury interiors, unveils its distinguished Sofa Collection, a thoughtfully curated range that celebrates global design legacies while elevating everyday living. Rooted in artistry and heritage, the collection reflects the brand’s enduring commitment to craftsmanship, superior materials, and timeless appeal transforming the sofa from a functional necessity into a lasting statement of style and comfort.

Drawing inspiration from iconic movements and design traditions across eras, the Sofa Collection brings together a rich spectrum of styles including Italian, classical European, colonial, and contemporary interpretations. From stately Italian silhouettes with refined proportions and European classic forms rooted in heritage craftsmanship, to colonial influences marked by structure and warmth, and more relaxed transitional designs suited for modern homes, each piece is thoughtfully designed to evoke character, elegance, and a sense of history within contemporary living spaces.

True to The Great Eastern Home’s philosophy, every sofa is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using premium woods, plush upholstery, and artisanal techniques that honour time honoured traditions. With an emphasis on craftsmanship, quality materials, and timeless appeal, values long associated with The Great Eastern Home, each sofa becomes more than a seating solution it evolves into an enduring addition that enhances everyday living and grows more meaningful over time.

Designed to anchor living rooms, lounges, and intimate seating areas, the collection seamlessly balances comfort with aesthetic distinction. Whether styled as a focal point in a formal setting or as a refined accent in a relaxed interior, these sofas offer versatility without compromising on elegance, making them ideal for homes that appreciate depth, detail, and design integrity.

Located in South Mumbai’s historic Byculla precinct, The Great Eastern Home continues to be a haven for collectors, architects, designers, and discerning homeowners seeking furniture with soul. With its Sofa Collection, the brand once again reaffirms its position as a curator of timeless interiors where heritage, craftsmanship, and beauty come together to create spaces that endure.

Gurugram, Feb 18th: Baidyanath Ayurved, one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of traditional Ayurvedic medicines and wellness products in India, today announced the launch of Baidyanath Certified Organic Moringa Powder, the latest addition to its expanding superfoods portfolio. Known globally as a nutrient-rich superfood, Moringa has been introduced to meet the growing demand for holistic, plant-based nutrition and to offer consumers a simple, natural way to support everyday wellness by providing a naturally iron-rich, calcium-rich, and antioxidant-rich superfood.

Baidyanath Certified Organic Moringa Powder is made from carefully selected moringa leaves that contain plant-based nutrients including vitamins A and C, along with naturally occurring phytonutrients that support overall vitality when consumed as part of a balanced diet. It is cleaned, shade-dried, and finely milled to help preserve their natural nutrient profile. This gentle processing method helps retain the leaves’ naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while maintaining a vibrant green colour and fresh aroma, reflecting minimal processing. Each batch undergoes strict quality checks to ensure purity, hygiene, and consistency, delivering a clean-label superfood powder free from artificial additives or fillers.

Speaking during the launch, Ajay Sharma, Director, Baidyanath Ayurved, said: “With the introduction of Organic Moringa Powder, we are strengthening our superfoods portfolio with a nutrient-dense, plant-based solution that aligns with today’s preventive wellness trends. Moringa is globally recognised for its rich nutritional profile and presenting it in a convenient powdered format allows consumers to easily bridge everyday nutritional gaps. This launch reflects our continued commitment to combining heritage-backed expertise with modern nutrition needs.”

Positioned as a daily nutrition supplement rather than a condition-specific product, Baidyanath Certified Organic Moringa Powder is suitable for a wide range of consumers, including women seeking iron- and calcium-rich dietary support, vegetarians and vegans looking for plant-based superfoods, fitness enthusiasts, working professionals, and senior citizens aiming to maintain balanced nutrition. Its mild flavour and fine texture make it easy to incorporate into smoothies, protein shakes, warm water, soups, dals, sabzis, chutneys, and even roti or paratha dough, offering flexibility for both traditional and modern recipes.

Available across leading online marketplaces (such as Amazon, Flipkart, Jio-mart etc.) and select offline retail outlets, this launch further reinforces Baidyanath’s heritage-driven yet forward-looking approach to wellness. While moringa has long-standing roots in traditional natural wellness practices, its introduction as a superfood powder reflects Baidyanath’s ability to adapt classical knowledge into contemporary, easy-to-use formats. With this addition, Baidyanath continues to evolve its wellness portfolio to meet changing consumer preferences while staying rooted in its rich Ayurvedic legacy.

Baidyanath Organic Moringa Powder (200 gm) is now available at an introductory offer.

New Delhi, Feb 18 : Fertilizer major Indian Potash Limited has been recognised for its outstanding import performance at Kandla Port and Visakhapatnam Port on the occasion of International Customs Day 2026.

 IPL has been awarded ‘Top Importer’ for fiscal 2025-26 at Kandla port, Gujarat.

It has also been awarded Appreciation Certificate for one of the highest performers under ‘Importer (PSU)’ for 2025 at Visakhapatnam port, Andhra Pradesh, by the Customs Department, Government of India.

‘Top Importer’ award was presented to IPL on 15 February 2026 at the IFFCO Auditorium, Gandhidham. The award was presented by Shri Nitin Saini, Commissioner of Customs, Kandla, in the presence of the Chief Guest, Shri Narayan Joshi, Padma Shri Awardee, Kutch.

On behalf of IPL, Mr. Jatin Shah, Sales Officer, Kutch, IPL Gujarat, received the award.

IPL received Appreciation Certificate at Visakhapatnam, which acknowledges the organisation as one of the highest importers in the PSU sector. The award ceremony took place on 16 February 2026 at the Sagarmala Convention Hall, Salagramapuram.

The certificate was presented by the Chief Guest of the event, Dr. Shankhabrata Bagchi, IPS, Police Commissioner, Visakhapatnam, and was received by Ms. Aptakama Sarangi, Deputy Manager, Port Operations, on behalf of Indian Potash Limited.

These recognitions underscore IPL’s sustained commitment to operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and transparent trade practices. The awards reflect the organisation’s capability to manage large-scale import operations while adhering to the highest standards of governance and process discipline.

The twin honours further reinforce IPL’s position as a responsible and performance-driven organisation, contributing significantly to India’s agricultural supply chain and trade ecosystem.

 Commenting on the recognition, Dr. P S Gahlaut, MD, Indian Potash Limited said:

“These recognitions reflect Indian Potash Limited’s strong focus on operational excellence, compliance, and reliability across our import operations. They are a testament to the dedication of our team working at ports and logistics touchpoints across the country. We remain committed to strengthening transparent trade practices and supporting India’s agricultural supply chain.”

KIKO Milano Pure Clean Cleansing Balm Makeup Remover Balm For Face and Eyes

This Pre-Holi, prep and protect your skin with KIKO Milano’s Pure Clean Cleansing Balm a luxurious balm-to-oil formula that effortlessly melts away even waterproof makeup while keeping your skin soft and hydrated. Enriched with hyaluronic acid and nourishing oils, this non-greasy cleanser deeply purifies, leaving your skin feeling refreshed, pampered and celebration-ready. 

KIKO Milano Hydrating And Perfecting Face Base Primer – Blue

This Pre-Holi, create the perfect canvas with KIKO Milano Hydrating & Perfecting Face Base Primer – Blue, a 2-in-1 formula infused with aloe vera and shea butter for an instant boost of hydration and freshness. Lightweight and seamlessly blending, it smooths texture, blurs imperfections and delivers a natural, flawless finish without weighing the skin down. 

KIKO Milano Radiance Boost Serum Face Base – Peach

Glow bright this Pre-Holi with KIKO Milano Radiance Boost Serum Face Base – Peach, a skin-perfecting formula enriched with maca root extract that camouflages imperfections while nourishing the skin. With its fresh gel-serum texture and subtle pink hue that melts into a luminous finish, it leaves behind a refined, sophisticated glow. 

KIKO Milano New Drop Lip Balm

This Pre-Holi, keep your pout soft and celebration-ready with KIKO Milano New Drop Lip Balm, enriched with shea butter, jojoba and almond oils for long-lasting nourishment. Its creamy, lightweight formula glides on effortlessly without greasiness, while the adorable tear-drop design ensures smooth, even application every time. 

The India–France partnership should not be seen from the realm of just diplomatic engagement but from the perspective of deeper structured economic and industrial collaboration. The contours of the pact which include the all-important Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) providing fiscal design for cross-border investment also include well timed economic effects of defence manufacturing, joint ventures (JVs), and industrial capability development on Indian economy says Mr. Rajeev Juneja, President, PHDCCI.

These elements will influence capital formation, sectoral output, employment generation, a much need boost for long-term productivity growth in India, he said.

Defence Collaboration as a force Multiplier

France is a key defence partner of India, particularly through procurement and technology collaboration involving Dassault Aviation (Rafale aircraft programme), Safran (engine and propulsion systems) and Naval Group (submarine construction), he added.

In macroeconomic terms, domestic defence manufacturing affects GDP through three key channels.

1. Direct Effect – Manufacturing of aircraft components, engines, missiles, and naval platforms adds to gross value added (GVA) in manufacturing.
2. Backward supply value chain linkages – Through domestic sourcing upstream industries such as metallurgy, electronics, precision machining, and logistics stand to gain.
3. Productivity – Technology transfer improves total factor productivity in high-skill sectors.

Joint Ventures and Industrial Deepening

Joint ventures between French defence majors and Indian firms will add to India’s productive capacity through component manufacturing, engine assembly and maintenance, Avionics and missile subsystems, and Naval systems integration. The JVs will involve high-value design and systems integration, and the domestic value addition, he added.

GDP Implications

India’s defence manufacturing sector has expanded under localization policies and increased capital spending. According to official releases from the Ministry of Defence, the value of defence production crossed ₹1.2–1.3 lakh crore in recent years (FY 2022–23 onward). The impact on GDP becomes apparent through effects of Final Demand (Procurement Expenditure), Industrial Investment in plant, machinery, and R&D which not only adds to gross fixed capital formation but export potential, he added.

The much need employment focus

Defence manufacturing tends to be capital-intensive and skill-intensive, therefore, employment gains will be significant in high-skill categories. Over time, and this holds key for any developing country, skill upgrading will enhances wage levels and productivity.

The India–France relationship demonstrates how strategic alignments through targeted agreements will interact to shape industrial outcomes in both the nations in the long run said Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI.

The ultimate economic dividend will now depend on policy execution particularly domestic depth, supplier ecosystem development, and sustained innovation, he added.

Capable of handling a wide mix of materials, Seco® High Feed SP07 excels in all machining strategies and allows you to push productivity levels, particularly on complex components.

A positive cutting rake angle ensures optimal chip formation, while the stable insert design and constant lead angle deliver predictable cutting behavior, paramount for unmanned production.

Reduce the need for skilled labor

The SP07 addresses common industry challenges: frequent tool changes, unpredictable results, and high costs due to rapid wear. In one reliable solution, it simplifies tool management and reduces the need for skilled labor. Digital traceability via Data Matrix codes further streamlines operations, making the SP07 ideal for high-volume and unmanned production.

High metal removal rates in shallow depths of cut

Each insert features four cutting edges, maximizing usage and extending tool life. Even with shallow depths of cut (≤0.8 mm), the SP07 maintains high metal removal rates, ensuring manufacturers stay on track with productivity goals. The result is a significant reduction in cost per part and improved operational efficiency.

“Our customers need to boost productivity and cut costs. Seco® High Feed SP07 delivers reliable, flexible performance across materials”, says Benoît Patriarca, Product Manager Copy High Feed Milling. “The four cutting edges and digital traceability simplify processes further, even when skilled labor is limited.”

With its origins in Fagersta, Sweden and present in more than 75 countries, Seco is a leading global provider of metal cutting solutions for indexable milling, solid milling, turning, holemaking, threading and tooling systems. For nearly 100 years, Seco has driven excellence throughout the entire manufacturing journey, ensuring high-precision machining and high-quality 

New Delhi, Feb 18 : iQOO, the high-performance smartphone brand, has announced the launch of the new iQOO 15R on 24th February, positioning it as a smartphone with a perfect fit, that redefines what users can expect from a power-packed device without compromising on comfort.

Designed with young professionals in mind, the iQOO 15R features a productivity focused office kit experience, reinforcing its positioning as the Perfect Fit for modern work and everyday life. Whether it is handling emails, reviewing documents, managing video calls or multitasking across apps, the device supports a seamless workflow while on the move. With One Tap Transfer, users can quickly migrate apps, data and files across Android and iOS devices in seconds, making upgrades simple. With OriginOS 6 out of the box, the smartphone promises 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates, ensuring long term reliability and performance stability.

The iQOO 15R brings together a wide range of advanced AI features designed to simplify everyday tasks and unlock creativity. With AI Creation integrated into Notes, users can rewrite content, generate new text, summarise documents and correct grammar effortlessly. AI Captions enable real-time transcription, translation and text summarisation, while AI Screen Translation and AI Call Translation make communication seamless across languages. Powered with support for Google Gemini and AI Circle to Search, users can search, discover and interact with content more intuitively.

On the imaging front, the device offers AI Erase to remove unwanted background objects, AI Reflection Erase to eliminate mirror glare, AI Magic Move to reposition or resize elements within a photo, AI Image Expander to extend backgrounds for better framing, and AI Image Cut out to instantly extract subjects and turn them into stickers or shareable assets. AI Document Scanning further enhances productivity, making the iQOO 15R a smart companion for both work and creativity.

The iQOO 15R houses a massive 7600mAh battery with 100W FlashCharge support, yet stands out as India’s slimmest smartphone in this battery category, ensuring users experience long lasting power without added bulk. Designed to sit comfortably in hand and pocket, it delivers flagship performance in a form factor that feels natural for everyday use. At the core of the iQOO 15R is the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, delivering segment leading performance with an AnTuTu score exceeding 3.5 million. Paired with the Supercomputing Chip Q2, the device supports up to 144FPS gameplay with enhanced frame stability, 1.5K Game Super Resolution, lower latency and improved power efficiency, making it one of the most stable 144 FPS smartphones in its segment.

The iQOO 15R will be available in two colour options, Triumph Silver and Dark Knight. Continuing the brand’s commitment to Make in India, the device will be manufactured at vivo’s Greater Noida facility. To further strengthen after sales support, customers can access services across more than 670+ company owned service centres nationwide. With the iQOO 15R, iQOO reinforces its focus on delivering powerful performance in a design that fits effortlessly into everyday life, combining flagship capability, intelligent features and ergonomic comfort in one device.