May 10, 2026

Kautilya

Economy

Industry Pushes Smartphone PLI 2.0 as India Targets US$130 Billion Annual Output by FY31

The pitch for a new scheme comes after the first smartphone PLI delivered results well above its original targets. The Ministry of Electronics and IT said on April 1, 2026 that the PLI scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing (LSEM) had achieved ₹17,519 crore in investment against a target of ₹7,000 crore, ₹11,01,813 crore in production against a target of ₹8,12,550 crore, and ₹6,20,974 crore in exports against a target of ₹4,87,530 crore by February 2026.

By Kautilya / April 16, 2026
Economy Infrastructure

Infra Spend Tops ₹12 Lakh Crore as PM Opens Delhi–Dehradun Corridor

The broader budget data supports the scale of that expansion. The Union Budget’s Budget at a Glance for 2026–27 pegs total capital expenditure at ₹12,21,821 crore, up from a revised estimate of ₹10,95,755 crore in 2025–26. Separately, the Economic Survey 2025–26 noted that the Centre’s capital outlay had already risen from ₹5.92 lakh crore in FY22 to a budgeted ₹11.21 lakh crore for FY26, and argued that infrastructure spending carries a medium-term multiplier of roughly 2.5 to 3.5 times GDP.

By Kautilya / April 16, 2026
Diplomacy

Putin to Visit India for BRICS Summit, Kremlin Confirms

The visit is significant for two reasons. First, it underlines the importance Moscow attaches to BRICS as a platform for coordination among major emerging economies. Second, it would mark Putin’s second trip to India in less than a year, after his December 4–5, 2025 state visit for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit in New Delhi.

By Kautilya / April 15, 2026
Defense

HAL, GE Move Closer to Fighter Jet Engine Co-Production in India

The F414 programme has been a strategic priority for both sides since June 2023, when GE Aerospace signed an MoU with HAL during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US. At the time, both governments described the initiative as a landmark step that would enable unprecedented transfer of US jet-engine technology to India. The project was later reaffirmed in the India-US joint statement and again during the fifth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, where both sides welcomed progress toward manufacturing the engines in India.

By Kautilya / April 15, 2026
Economy Infrastructure

India’s Data Centre Market Seen Doubling to US$ 22 Billion by 2030

The report said the industry attracted an estimated US$ 13–15 billion in investments between 2020 and 2024, with foreign institutional investors contributing nearly 80% of total capital inflows. That trend is expected to continue, with announced projects worth US$ 60–70 billion lined up over the next five years, largely led by hyperscalers and joint ventures seeking to expand capacity in India.

By Kautilya / April 15, 2026
Health Intervention

Mission Poshan 2.0 Deepens India’s Push for Nutrition Security, Early Childhood Care and Digital Monitoring

A major pillar of the programme is digital monitoring. The Poshan Tracker platform, launched on March 1, 2021, now enables near real-time tracking of service delivery across the country. As of March 2026, it was monitoring nearly 14.03 lakh Anganwadi Centres and about 8.95 crore eligible beneficiaries, including pregnant women, lactating mothers, children up to six years of age and adolescent girls.

By Kautilya / April 15, 2026
Research Vidya

ANRF Unveils AI Outreach Push, Mission-Mode Programmes to Translate Research into Public Impact

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, SARAL AI is being designed to convert technical research into podcasts, short videos, posters, business briefs, presentations and social media content in 18 Indian languages. The idea is to bridge the gap between laboratories and the public by presenting scientific outcomes in simpler formats that citizens can understand and use.

By Kautilya / April 15, 2026
Economy

LIC Launches ‘MyLIC’ and ‘Super Sales Saathi’ Apps to Expand Digital Insurance Services

The initiative comes as LIC continues to deepen its digital push across India’s vast insurance market. With more than 260 million policies and one of the widest insurance footprints in the country, LIC is positioning its digital platforms as a key part of improving service efficiency, expanding reach, and staying competitive in an evolving life insurance landscape.

By Kautilya / April 15, 2026