CENTRE
Iran conflict and global risks slow GCC expansion in India
Global geopolitical tensions are slowing new technology centre openings in India, with a dip in brownfield expansions due to macro uncertainty. Despite this, the overall value of India's GCC ecosystem is rising, driven by new capabilities in AI and product engineering, indicating a dual structure of insourcing and outsourcing.
Centre relaxes wheat procurement norms for Punjab to counter rain damage
The central government has eased wheat procurement rules for Punjab and Chandigarh for the Rabi Marketing Season 2026-27. This decision follows untimely rains that damaged crops. Relaxations include increased tolerance for lustre loss and shrivelled grains. Punjab officials are ensuring smooth procurement and timely payments to farmers. Opposition parties had criticized the state government for delays in seeking these relaxations.
EU denies bowing to tech lobby on data centre green impact
The European Commission denies allegations of copying industry lobbyists' proposals for data centre environmental impact rules. A probe suggests tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta influenced a decision to keep individual data centre information secret. The Commission admits using stakeholder advice but insists the core intention of respecting business secrets remains. Aggregated national data is now publicly available.
Centre forms nodal body to coordinate, develop AI governance norms
The Centre on Thursday announced the formation of the AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) to lead the country's national AI governance strategy. Set to serve as a high-level inter-ministerial body, it will coordinate the development of AI policy across central ministries and institutions.
Siemens Healthineers eyes collaboration with Karnataka on life sciences, healthtech centres of excellence: Priyank Kharge
Siemens Healthineers is exploring a collaboration with the Karnataka government to bolster upcoming centers of excellence in life sciences, healthtech, and medical products. Discussions focused on skilling, joint incubation, and partnerships to align with the state's deeptech initiatives, further strengthening the company's presence in Bengaluru.
West Bengal Assembly Elections: Congress releases 'people's chargesheet' against TMC, BJP-led Centre
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee released a “people’s chargesheet” accusing both the Trinamool Congress government and the BJP-led Centre of failing Bengal on governance, jobs, corruption and cultural issues. The party alleged “misgovernance” by the state, citing scams, recruitment irregularities, rising debt and law-and-order concerns, while also blaming the Centre for fund delays and promoting “anti-Bengal sentiment”. Congress said both parties have let the state down, accusing them of blame-shifting and deepening social and political divisions.
Hooking the future: Scientists deploys AI to track hilsa in Bengal—but fishers fear it may net more than it should
India has launched an AI-based system to help fishers locate hilsa shoals in the Bay of Bengal, using machine learning to analyse ocean conditions and generate fishing advisories aimed at improving catch efficiency. Developed by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, the tool produces digital maps of potential fishing zones and incorporates safeguards like seasonal bans and coastal buffers. While early results show promising accuracy, awareness remains low among fishers, with some raising concerns that targeted fishing using AI could lead to overfishing and ecological imbalance.
Samhi Hotels signs agreement with Ingka Centres for 162-room upscale hotel in Noida
In an exciting development for Noida, SAMHI Hotels will be leasing a chic 162-room hotel as part of Ingka Centres' innovative project. This significant expansion underscores SAMHI's commitment to enriching the Delhi NCR landscape. The hotel will be overseen by a globally recognized brand, fitting seamlessly into Ingka Centres' ambition to create a dynamic, multifunctional destination.
AI demand drives chipmaker TSMC's net profit to fresh record
Governments and tech giants are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into building new data centres that can run and train AI tools such as chatbots, image generators and agents that can execute tasks. TSMC said its net profit for the first quarter of 2026 rose a whopping 58.3% from a year ago to NT$572.5 billion ($18 billion).
Centre’s women quota, delimitation formula has my 100% support: N Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu fully backs the proposed delimitation bill and women's reservation, emphasizing the need to delink seats from population figures. He believes the Centre's formula is scientific and will lead to increased representation. Naidu also plans to incentivize larger families and launch a women-centric brand, while advocating for a socio-economic caste census.
Maine may become first US state to pause new data centres
Maine is poised to become the first US state to pause new data centre construction. Lawmakers approved a bill that requires a moratorium on large power-hungry facilities. This move comes amid growing concerns nationwide about their impact on energy bills and the environment. The bill now awaits the Governor's final approval.
AMS to expand Pune GCC; plans over 400 professionals by 2026-end
Global talent partner AMS is expanding its Pune Global Capability Centre. The centre will grow to over 400 professionals by the end of 2026. This expansion supports increasing demand from international markets. India is a leading destination for Global Capability Centres. The Pune centre will focus on client services delivery and analytics.
VFS Global expands Singapore visa services in India, opens new centres in Chandigarh and Chennai
VFS Global has expanded Singapore visa services in India by opening new Visa Application Centres in Chandigarh and Chennai. The centres will serve applicants from Punjab and Tamil Nadu for tourist, family visit, and business visas. The move aims to improve accessibility and streamline the application process, while visa decisions will remain with Singapore authorities.
Oracle shares gain 4%, extend rally after AI-driven power deal with Bloom Energy
Oracle shares extended gains after a major energy deal with Bloom Energy to secure 2.8 GW of fuel cell capacity for AI-driven data centres. The partnership highlights rising power demands from AI infrastructure and strengthens Oracle’s cloud expansion strategy.
French group Veolia aims $1.2 billion in revenue from data centres, chips by 2030
The tech sector's expansion of data centres, driven by surging demand for AI following the widespread adoption of ChatGPT, has strained power supplies and raised concerns over global grid capacity.
Centre reshuffles top bureaucracy; appoints 48 officers as joint secretaries
The Centre has announced a significant bureaucratic reshuffle. Forty-eight civil servants have been appointed to joint secretary or equivalent positions. Hardik Satishchandra Shah is now private secretary to the prime minister at the joint secretary level. Several other officers have been assigned key roles across various government departments, including agriculture, civil aviation, commerce, defence, and home affairs.
Sitharaman accuses Stalin of creating false narrative over Centre's advisory on paddy bonus
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has responded to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. She accused him of creating false narratives regarding a Centre's advisory on bonuses for wheat and paddy farmers. Sitharaman stated that Stalin misinterpreted the advisory. She highlighted that other states understood the letter's intent.
RMZ to invest USD 35bn to build digital infra, housing, commercial projects, exploring IPO
Realty firm RMZ on Monday said it plans to invest USD 35 billion over the next five years to develop data centres, AI factories, commercial assets and housing projects and is also considering launching an Initial Public Offering (IPO).
India’s data centre market to reach $22 billion by 2030
India's data centre market is set for massive growth, expected to reach 22 billion dollars by 2030. This expansion is fueled by cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Significant investments are flowing into the sector, with foreign investors leading the way. Government incentives and cost advantages are making India a prime location for data infrastructure development.
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