Technology Scientists

  In a major boost to India’s medical technology ecosystem, Bengaluru-based start-up VoxelGrids has developed the country’s first fully indigenous MRI scanner. The milestone marks a significant step towards reducing India’s heavy dependence on imported diagnostic equipment and strengthening the “Made in India” push in high-end healthcare technology. Breakthrough in Domestic Medical Imaging The 1.5-tesla MRI scanner developed by “VoxelGrids” has been deployed at the Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near “Nagpur”. The system is the outcome of a 12-year effort led by founder “Arjun Arunachalam”, aimed at designing and manufacturing MRI technology entirely within India—an area traditionally dominated by global players. Cost and Technology Advantages Unlike conventional MRI machines produced by multinational firms such as “Siemens” and “GE HealthCare”, VoxelGrids’ scanner does not use liquid helium. This innovation reduces manufacturing costs by nearly 40 per cent. The company has also...

  In a major boost to advanced research and high-performance computing in eastern India, the first Param Rudra supercomputer in Bihar has been inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology Patna. The facility marks a significant milestone under India’s National Supercomputing Mission and is expected to strengthen the region’s scientific and technological capabilities. Historic Milestone for Bihar The Param Rudra supercomputer was formally launched on Friday, making IIT-Patna the first institution or government establishment in Bihar to host such a facility. The inauguration was carried out by Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary in the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Officials described the development as a transformative step that will enable researchers to undertake complex computational work locally, reducing dependence on facilities outside the state. Role Under National Supercomputing Mission The supercomputer has been established under the N...

  As India’s flagship digital payments platform nears a decade, the success of the Unified Payments Interface is unmistakable. In November alone, it processed over 20 billion transactions, with nearly 500 million unique users — close to half of India’s addressable population. Yet, beneath these impressive aggregates lies a quieter question that will shape UPI’s next phase: who are the millions still not using it, and why? A decade of scale, but an incomplete picture UPI’s rise has been central to India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) story. From small kirana shops to large e-commerce platforms, it has reshaped everyday transactions by making real-time, low-cost digital payments ubiquitous. However, the public data available on UPI remains largely system-centric — focusing on transaction volumes, values, and technical performance indicators such as uptime and failure rates. While these metrics capture efficiency and resilience, they say little about who is being left out. The...

  Indian Railways has strengthened its   Artificial Intelligence -based safety framework to protect wildlife on railway tracks, particularly in forest and elephant corridor regions. The enhanced system aims to reduce collisions involving elephants, lions and tigers by providing advance alerts to train crews, marking a significant step in integrating technology with wildlife conservation. AI-Based Alerts for Loco Pilots Indian Railways has deployed AI-enabled cameras along vulnerable track sections to detect the presence of large animals. These systems alert loco pilots nearly 500 metres in advance, allowing sufficient time to slow down or halt trains. The initiative is designed to minimise accidents involving wildlife while ensuring safer train operations in ecologically sensitive zones. Intrusion Detection Using Distributed Acoustic System A key component of the initiative is the AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System based on a Distributed Acoustic System. This technology det...

  India’s heavy-lift launch vehicle LVM-3 is set to place a major US commercial satellite into orbit on December 24, marking another milestone in the country’s expanding role in global space commerce. The mission will be executed by NewSpace India Limited under a commercial agreement, highlighting India’s growing credibility as a launch service provider for high-mass foreign satellites. Launch Schedule and Mission Profile Indian Space Research Organisation has confirmed that the LVM3-M6 mission will lift off at 8.54 am from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The mission was initially planned for mid-December but was rescheduled to December 24 following internal readiness assessments. The launch will place the BlueBird Block-2 satellite, also referred to as BlueBird-6, into low Earth orbit. Role of NSIL and LVM-3 Vehicle NewSpace India Limited is responsible for executing the launch under a commercial contract. While the PSLV has historically been India’s workhors...

  The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has highlighted significant progress in annatto research and technology development through its constituent laboratory, the CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR–CFTRI), Mysuru. These initiatives focus on value addition, post-harvest processing, and diversified food and non-food applications of annatto, a natural colourant crop with growing industrial relevance. Grant-in-Aid Projects and Institutional Support CSIR–CFTRI undertook four Grant-in-Aid projects related to annatto research and development. Of these, three projects received funding from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries , while one was supported by the Department of Biotechnology . In addition, the institute is a participant in the CSIR Mission Mode project “Bioresource Conservation & Prospection (CSIR-BioCap)”, which aims to develop Vitamin-E enriched annatto oil for food, cosmetic, and allied applications. Post-Harvest Technologie...

  1. What is the new model — Credit Assessment Model (CAM) The government has introduced a new digital-first Credit Assessment Model (CAM) aimed at streamlining loan appraisal for small businesses — particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).CAM is designed to provide automated, data-driven credit evaluation that relies on digitally verifiable data rather than traditional subjective or collateral-based assessments.  2. How CAM works — Data-driven, digital footprints and automation The assessment uses a variety of digital footprints/data sources — such as PAN authentication, GST data, bank statements (via account-aggregator), ITR uploads, bureau credit data, mobile/email verification, and other API-enabled verifications. The process is automated: loan applications can be submitted online, without heavy paperwork or repeated branch visits. For both existing clients of a bank (“Existing-to-Bank” / ETB) and new clients (“New-to-Bank” / NTB), the model provides o...

  1. What is the AI Pilot & Why It Matters The “AI Pilot To Improve Local Monsoon Onset Forecasting” is an initiative launched by the government (in 2025) with the aim to generate localized monsoon-onset forecasts for farmers, ahead of the Kharif season. Traditional forecasts by India Meteorological Department (IMD) typically provide long-range or regional forecasts; finer, local-level onset forecasts have historically been hard to achieve. The AI pilot promises more precise, actionable information — giving farmers lead time to plan sowing, land preparation, and resource use, reducing risk of crop failure.  2. How the AI Model Works — Data & Technologies The pilot uses a blended AI model that integrates multiple advanced systems: NeuralGCM (from Google), ECMWF-AIFS (from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts), and 125 years of historical IMD rainfall data. By combining modern ML-based global forecasting models with long-term historical data, the ...