Bengaluru, Apr 06:  Sericulture farmers rely on soil conditions, weather patterns, and timing of intervention to sustain yield and quality. Most decisions at the farm level are still based on observation rather than real-time data. This affects consistency, input efficiency, and income stability, and reflects a broader challenge in adopting technology at the last mile of agriculture.

GITAM Deemed to be University, in association with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), is developing an IoT–based sericulture model to address this gap. The system integrates in-field soil sensors, a micro-weather station, and a cloud-based data layer that translates field inputs into actionable farm decisions.

The work is part of a DST-funded research project titled “Information and Technology Assisted Silk Cocoon Farming for the Upliftment of the Socio-economic status of Backward Community Rural mass,” led by Prof. Mohan K G with Dr. Dayanand Lal N and Prof. I. Jeena Jacob from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, GITAM Bengaluru.

This effort builds on GITAM’s broader translational research approach seen in earlier DST-supported livelihood programmes in Araku and solar drying interventions in Alamanda, where scientific systems have been applied to improve farm productivity and rural incomes.

As part of this ongoing research, GITAM conducted a two-day field engagement at its Bengaluru campus with mulberry farmers from the Bengaluru Rural district. The objective was to assess whether these systems can be understood and used by farmers without a technical background.

External inputs were provided by Prof. Manjunath Gowda from Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, and C.M. Lakshman, Deputy Director, Department of Sericulture, Government of Karnataka.

Farmers were introduced to how soil and weather data can inform decisions on irrigation, nutrient application, and crop management. Field demonstrations at GITAM’s experimental farm showed how sensor-based systems operate in real conditions and how data can be interpreted for day-to-day farm use. Sessions also covered mulberry crop management, disease control, and access to government schemes, linking technology adoption with existing agricultural practices.

Prof. Mohan K G, DRC Chair and Lead Coordinator, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, GITAM University, said, “We have developed and tested this system in controlled environments. The next step is to validate whether it is usable and valuable at the farm level. Direct interaction with farmers helps us refine the system for practical use.”

The next phase of the project will focus on simplifying system interfaces, reducing deployment costs, and piloting adoption across farms to assess the impact on productivity and input efficiency.

GITAM’s work in this area reflects its focus on translational research, where engineering systems are developed and tested in real-world conditions to address sectoral challenges. In agriculture, this approach aims to improve productivity, reduce inefficiencies, and support income stability for farming communities.

New Delhi: On National Maritime Day, India reflects on its rich maritime heritage and the vital role played by the country’s maritime sector in driving economic growth, trade, and connectivity. From ports and shipping to logistics and marine industries, the dedication of countless professionals has been instrumental in strengthening India’s position on the global maritime map.

On National Maritime Day, we recall India’s maritime heritage and the invaluable contribution of all those associated with this sector. Their dedication strengthens our economy, trade and connectivity.

We will continue to harness the immense potential of our maritime sector for… pic.twitter.com/b9Uae4alCs

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2026

Officials emphasized that the maritime sector is not only central to trade and commerce but also crucial for strategic and infrastructural development. By leveraging India’s extensive coastline, modern ports, and shipping capabilities, the nation continues to unlock opportunities for sustainable growth and enhanced connectivity.

As India celebrates this day, authorities reaffirm their commitment to further developing the maritime ecosystem, promoting innovation, and harnessing the sector’s immense potential to secure a prosperous future for the country.

Singapore, Bengaluru, India Apr 06: Wipro Limited, a leading AI-powered technology services and consulting company today announced that it has secured a multi‑year strategic transformation deal with Olam Group. 

Olam Group is a leading US$ 50+ Billion food and agri‑business headquartered in Singapore, employing nearly 40,000 people, and majority owned by Temasek Holdings.

The 8-year engagement with Olam Group is expected to exceed US$ 1 Billion in contract value, with a committed spend of US$ 800 Million. 

As part of the engagement, Wipro will deliver end‑to‑end transformation services to Olam Group through a consulting‑led and AI‑powered approach. The engagement will draw on Wipro’s industry expertise, partnerships with leading technology providers, and Wipro Intelligence™, its unified suite of AI‑powered platforms, solutions, and transformative offerings. Together, these capabilities will strengthen Olam Group’s core operations and support the creation of a sustainable competitive advantage. 

Building on this foundation, Wipro will deploy its capabilities across Olam Group’s ‘farm‑to‑fork’ value chain, delivering industry‑specific solutions that align with the Group’s business priorities. This will focus on areas such as farming, forecasting, trading, supply chain operations, and customer engagement, with the goal of improving operational effectiveness, strengthening resilience, and supporting long‑term growth at scale. 

Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Olam Group, said: “We are pleased to partner with Wipro on our transformation journey. Wipro’s scale, consulting‑led approach, innovation investments, and Wipro Intelligence™ position it well to advance Olam Group’s mission‑critical programmes and drive scalable outcomes. As Olam Group accelerates its journey towards being more agile, future‑ready, and in line with our priorities under the Re-organisation Plan to sharpen focus on core businesses and maximise shareholder value, we are bringing together the strengths of Mindsprint with Wipro. Mindsprint’s deep expertise in the food and agri–business industry, combined with Wipro’s global capabilities, creates powerful synergies for growth and end‑to‑end transformation across the value chain.” 

“Wipro’s strategic engagement with Olam Group is an important step in expanding our farm‑to‑fork capabilities and scaling the impact of Wipro Intelligence™ across the food and agri‑business industry,” said Srini Pallia, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Wipro Limited. “I welcome the leadership team and employees of Mindsprint who will become a part of the Wipro family. By bringing Mindsprint’s deep domain expertise and IP-led solutions, together with Wipro’s consulting-led and AI-powered capabilities, we aim to unlock growth opportunities, catalyze innovation, and drive market‑ready transformation for Olam Group and our global clients across the industry.” 

Under the terms of the acquisition of Mindsprint by Wipro, Mindsprint will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Wipro, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions. This is expected to close at quarter ending Q1 FY27 (end of June 2026). 

Primarily based in India, Mindsprint employs over 3,200 professionals and has been an enabler of Olam Group‘s digital transformation journey. It brings deep domain expertise in the food and agri–business sector, alongside strong capabilities in supply chain transformation, digital platforms, and proprietary IP‑led solutions such as Farmsprint® for plantation management, Procuresprint® for agentic AI-enabled procurement transformation, SprintAP™ for payables transformation, Salessprint™ for sales operations, and the Tradesprint® Commodity Trading and Risk Management platform. 

New Delhi: The Bharat Tribes Fest 2026 concluded successfully in Delhi, attracting large crowds and generating sales exceeding ₹4.5 crore. The festival celebrated India’s vibrant tribal culture, showcasing a wide variety of traditional crafts, textiles, artwork, and organic products.

The event provided tribal artisans with a unique platform to reach wider audiences, share their heritage, and boost their livelihoods. Visitors had the opportunity to engage directly with craftsmen, learn about their art forms, and purchase authentic products, supporting both cultural preservation and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Organizers highlighted that the strong turnout and robust sales reflect growing interest in India’s indigenous arts and crafts, and underline the festival’s role in promoting tribal innovation and economic empowerment.

Nizamabad, April 6: PPS Motors, part of one of India’s largest automobile retail conglomerates today launched the all-new Renault Duster in Nizamabad, with turbo petrol prices starting at INR 10.49 Lakh (ex-showroom) and dispatches now underway nationwide. Renault India, built the new Duster on the advanced Renault Group Modular Platform (RGMP), with a clear focus on structural robustness, efficiency and future-readiness. Its true SUV proportions, best in segment approach and departure angles and high ground clearance reinforce off-road credibility while supporting everyday usability. The new duster was launched at PPS Motors’ showroom at Bardipur Road, Dichpally (Mandal) in Nizamabad.

Commenting on the launch, Rajiv Sanghvi, Managing Director, PPS Motors Pvt. Ltd. said,

“Renault’s new Duster is one of the most awaited SUV launches this year, building on the original Duster’s legacy of redefining the segment with performance and practicality. The new Duster builds on this legacy with best-in-segment capabilities, advanced Google Automotive Services, and cutting-edge display features, making it highly compelling for SUV enthusiasts. With encouraging pre-bookings of new Duster already, PPS Renault is confident of further strengthening its position in the segment.”

The new Renault Duster combines strong performance with best ride and handling, engineered and tested specifically for Indian driving conditions. The Turbo TCe 160 delivers 163 PS and 280 Nm, paired with either a 6-speed wet-clutch DCT calibrated for Indian conditions or a 6-speed manual transmission. Vehicle dynamics have been validated by IDIADA across ride, handling, steering and braking performance, with the chassis tuned for stability, comfort and confidence across varied Indian road surfaces.

The new Duster is offered in five trims: Authentic, Evolution, Techno, Techno+ and Iconic. Key highlights include full LED lighting, OpenR Link multimedia with Google built-in, panoramic sunroof and electric powered tailgate, ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control, 17 ADAS features, and a 360-degree camera. Renault is also introducing flexible subscription options alongside a 7-year Renault Forever warranty for customers adhering to scheduled maintenance at authorised Renault service centres.

The E-Tech Strong Hybrid combines a 1.8-litre engine with a 1.4 kWh battery, enabling up to 80% EV driving in city conditions while balancing efficiency with performance. In major metro markets, nearly 40% of customers opted for the hybrid during pre-bookings, and Renault confirmed that planned hybrid capacity for 2026 is already fully allocated, with bookings set to reopen ahead of deliveries around Diwali.

New Delhi: In a move aimed at bridging the gap between science and policymaking, the Government of India has introduced a new programme to train scientists in governance under its flagship Mission Karmayogi initiative.

The programme is designed to equip scientists and technical experts with a better understanding of how government systems function, enabling them to contribute more effectively to policy design and implementation. By bringing scientific expertise closer to the decision-making process, the government hopes to strengthen evidence-based policymaking.

Mission Karmayogi, which focuses on capacity building among civil servants, is now being expanded to include professionals from scientific fields. The initiative will provide structured training on governance practices, public administration, and policy frameworks.

Officials say the programme will help scientists align their research and innovations with national priorities while also improving coordination between technical institutions and government departments.

The move is expected to enhance the role of science in governance, ensuring that policies are more informed, practical, and responsive to emerging challenges.

New Delhi: India is stepping up efforts to expand the production of biosimilar insulin and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, aiming to improve access to affordable diabetes care across developing nations.

With the burden of diabetes rising sharply in many low- and middle-income countries, often referred to as the Global South, there is growing demand for cost-effective treatment options. India, known for its strong pharmaceutical manufacturing base, is positioning itself to meet this need.

Government-backed initiatives and industry participation are expected to drive the scale-up of biosimilar insulin production, making life-saving treatment more accessible and affordable. At the same time, efforts are underway to boost domestic manufacturing of CGM devices, which help patients track blood sugar levels in real time and manage their condition more effectively.

Experts believe that strengthening local manufacturing will not only reduce dependency on imports but also enable India to emerge as a key supplier of diabetes care solutions to other developing countries.

The move aligns with India’s broader push to enhance healthcare accessibility and support partner nations facing similar public health challenges. As global demand continues to grow, India’s role in supplying affordable insulin and advanced monitoring technologies is likely to become increasingly important.

New Delhi: India’s major ports have outperformed expectations in the financial year 2025–26, reflecting strong growth in cargo movement and improved operational efficiency.

Data released by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways shows that the country’s 12 major ports handled a total of 915.17 million tonnes of cargo during the year—surpassing the target of 904 million tonnes. This marks a growth of 7.06% compared to 2024–25, signaling a positive trend in maritime trade.

Deendayal Port led the chart with the highest cargo handling of 160.11 million tonnes. Paradip Port followed closely with 156.45 million tonnes, while Jawaharlal Nehru Port handled 102.01 million tonnes, maintaining its position as a key hub for container traffic.

Among other major ports, Visakhapatnam handled 91.16 million tonnes and Kolkata recorded 70.87 million tonnes. Ports such as Chennai, Kamarajar (Ennore), New Mangalore, Cochin, V.O. Chidambaranar, and Mormugao also contributed significantly to the overall cargo volume.

In terms of growth, Mormugao Port emerged as the fastest-growing, registering an impressive 15.91% increase in cargo handling. Kolkata Dock System followed with 14.28% growth, while Jawaharlal Nehru Port recorded a rise of 10.74%. Paradip Port also posted a steady growth of 4.02%.

The strong performance highlights the increasing capacity and efficiency of India’s port sector. With continued focus on infrastructure upgrades and streamlined logistics, the country’s ports are set to play an even bigger role in driving trade and economic growth.