September 27, 2026

Kautilya

Defense Make in India

DRDO Advances 300-Km Extended Long-Range Guided Rocket for Indigenous Deep-Strike Capability

Development responsibility for the longer-range Pinaka family centres on DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), supported by laboratories specialising in propulsion, guidance and missile electronics. The broader programme brings together ARDE, the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat, creating an almost entirely Indian development chain for the weapon.

By Kautilya / August 24, 2026
Defense Diplomacy

US Ambassador Visits Tata-Lockheed C-130J Facility as India’s Aerospace Manufacturing Role Expands

The industrial relationship is also moving beyond the production of aircraft structures. Tata Advanced Systems and Lockheed Martin broke ground in Bengaluru in December 2025 on a new defence Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility for the C-130 family. The facility is intended initially to strengthen in-country support for the Indian Air Force’s Super Hercules fleet, with the potential to support other C-130 operators in the region and internationally.

By Kautilya / August 24, 2026
Economy

India’s Kharif Sowing Area Reaches 1,056.7 Lakh Hectares; Pulses Gain as Rice Acreage Declines

Rice remains the country’s largest kharif crop by area, with sowing reported across 405.10 lakh hectares, down from 418.29 lakh hectares a year earlier. This represents a decline of 13.19 lakh hectares. Karnataka recorded the largest reduction in rice acreage at 3.09 lakh hectares, followed by Telangana at 2.45 lakh hectares, Jharkhand at 1.88 lakh hectares, Madhya Pradesh at 1.75 lakh hectares and Odisha at 1.63 lakh hectares. Assam, however, reported an increase of 2.80 lakh hectares in rice coverage.

By Kautilya / August 24, 2026
Defense Make in India

BEL and Esri India Join Forces to Expand GeoAI and Location Intelligence for Defence

BEL and Esri India Technologies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 3, 2026, to jointly pursue opportunities involving Geographic Information Systems (GIS), location intelligence and GeoAI. A major focus of the agreement is supporting rapid or “surge” deployment of geospatial solutions for BEL and India’s defence services when operational requirements demand faster availability.

By Kautilya / August 24, 2026
Art and Culture Heritage

India Begins National Push to Preserve Tribal Languages and Digitally Transform Tribal Museums

India’s tribal communities preserve several hundred languages and dialects, many of which remain unwritten or have limited presence in formal education. As transmission between generations weakens, the disappearance of these languages could also result in the loss of traditional knowledge relating to ecology, agriculture, medicinal practices, oral history and community customs. The conclave therefore aims to create a broader national framework for documenting and revitalising vulnerable languages with direct participation from tribal communities.

By Kautilya / August 24, 2026