Kautilya

Southwest Airlines Opens First Global Innovation Centre Outside the US in Hyderabad

The Hyderabad centre is important because it is far more than a routine support office. Reuters reported that Southwest plans to expand the facility to about 1,000 employees over the next few years, with an immediate focus on platform engineering, cloud engineering and network engineering. The company is also expected to build capabilities in data science and machine learning as the centre grows.

Dharma Raja: Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma, the King Who Turned Travancore into a Fortress of Dharma

His reign is remembered first for firmness. Hyder Ali’s expansion into Malabar created panic among Kerala’s old ruling houses. The Mysorean military machine was large, mobile and aggressive. Malabar’s political order began to collapse under pressure. Travancore, however, stood behind its northern defensive belt, diplomatic caution and military preparedness. Dharma Raja refused to behave like a frightened vassal

Indian School Students Head to Japan Under Sakura Science Programme 2026

The visit will take place from 24 May to 30 May 2026. The Indian delegation includes 56 school students and four supervisors. The students will participate in the programme along with young participants from Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, making it a wider international learning exchange focused on science, exposure and cultural understanding.

India Keeps SCO Engagement Active as Jaishankar Meets Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev

According to the report, Jaishankar and Yermekbayev discussed the SCO’s initiatives and activities as well as key regional and global issues. The wording is brief, but the context is important. The SCO has become one of the central multilateral platforms connecting South Asia, Central Asia, Russia, China and the wider Eurasian region. For India, such engagement matters because Central Asia remains important for energy security, trade routes, counter-terrorism cooperation and long-term connectivity planning.

From Positive Outlook to Rating Upgrade: How S&P’s India View Marked a Turning Point in the Economy

The News On AIR report noted that S&P had kept India’s outlook stable since 26 September 2014, making the 2024 shift significant after nearly a decade. The agency cited policy stability, deepening reforms, high infrastructure investment, cautious fiscal management and a stronger monetary policy framework as reasons that could support a higher rating over the next 24 months.

MUNTRA: DRDO’s Robotic Tracked Vehicle Family and India’s Move Toward Unmanned Ground Warfare

The project began as CVRDE’s effort to convert BMP-II class tracked amphibious vehicles into tele-operated and autonomous platforms. According to DRDO’s Technology Focus account, CVRDE took up the “Conversion of BMP-II into Tele-operated and Autonomous Vehicle” project in 2007, later naming it MUNTRA. The programme developed technologies such as drive-by-wire control, tele-operation, perception systems, robotic manipulators, autonomous navigation, multi-sensor fusion, payload tele-operation, power management and software integration.

Piyush Goyal’s Canada Visit Signals Fresh Momentum in India–Canada Trade Ties

The visit comes at a sensitive but promising moment. India and Canada have gone through a difficult diplomatic phase in recent years, and trade negotiations had slowed during that period. The renewed CEPA push indicates that both sides are now trying to rebuild economic confidence through structured engagement, sectoral cooperation and high-level political signalling. Reuters reported that Goyal will lead a delegation of about 150 Indian industry leaders and hold meetings with Canadian ministers, business leaders and industry groups in Ottawa and Toronto.

Shirdi Enters India’s Defence Map as Rajnath Singh Opens NIBE Manufacturing Facility

The most important part of the project is its ammunition manufacturing capability. Reports say the Shirdi facility includes an artillery shells plant with an annual production capacity of around five lakh shells. The unit is expected to produce 155 mm and 120 mm artillery shell hardware, tank ammunition and related systems. In a world where the Ukraine war and other modern conflicts have shown the centrality of high-volume ammunition production, such a facility has direct strategic relevance for India.

Ladakh’s Geothermal Leap: ONGC Pact Extension Pushes India’s First Hot-Rock Power Project Forward

The project is located in Puga Valley, a high-altitude geothermal field in Ladakh’s Changthang region, at over 14,000 feet. Unlike solar or wind power, geothermal energy does not depend on sunlight, cloud cover or wind speed. It taps heat stored beneath the Earth’s surface and converts it into usable energy through hot fluids and steam. For Ladakh, where winter conditions are severe and energy logistics are difficult, this makes geothermal power especially valuable. It can provide a steadier renewable-energy source while reducing dependence on transported fossil fuels.