News on Indian Economy
British officials indicated on 26–27 August 2026 that an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the missiles is expected to be signed soon. India is now expected to emerge as one of the largest customers for the weapon, reflecting the Army’s growing requirement for highly mobile short-range missiles capable of countering drones, helicopters and other low-altitude threats.
Founded in 2025 by Tarini Padmanabhuni, DetectifAI is building what it describes as a voice-trust layer capable of verifying who is speaking, analysing whether speech is synthetic or replayed and flagging suspicious interactions before a sensitive transaction or conversation proceeds. The startup is particularly targeting financial institutions, KYC providers, telecom networks and other organisations where voice is frequently used as part of customer verification.
Both RAPS-4 at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and MAPS-2 at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu are 220 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) operated by NPCIL. RAPS-4 entered commercial operation in December 2000, while MAPS-2 has been operating since March 1986. NPCIL’s current operating data confirms that both units remained operational during the April–July period of FY2026-27.
The existing VSHORADS is already a major technological advance over older-generation infrared-guided missiles. Developed by DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat, the fourth-generation system incorporates an uncooled Imaging Infrared seeker, miniaturised reaction-control system, integrated avionics and a dual-thrust solid-propellant motor. These technologies give the missile better target discrimination, manoeuvrability and resistance to conventional infrared countermeasures.
The compact platform has been developed around the requirement for a small, rapidly deployable aircraft capable of carrying useful tactical sensors without the logistical footprint associated with larger reconnaissance UAVs. S7 Systems says the drone offers a 20-minute flight endurance, an operational range of 2 kilometres and payload capacity of up to 300 grams, while supporting configurable sensors, communications and mission equipment.
Vajra is particularly significant because its proposed mission closely resembles the direction in which the Indian Navy itself has been moving. Rather than merely developing another remotely piloted aircraft, AvionX is attempting to build what is increasingly called a Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA — an unmanned aircraft capable of operating as part of a combat formation with crewed fighters .
The achievement marks the transition of the AK-203 programme from progressively localised production to complete indigenisation of the manufacturing supply chain, with every component and material used in the latest rifle sourced from Indian industry.
The latest push came during Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s visit to Toronto, where she urged Canadian businesses and institutional investors to view India not merely as a large consumer market but as a global platform for manufacturing, innovation and exports.
The performance has made JNPA the fastest-growing port among the world’s top 30 container ports during the period, marking a significant advance for India’s maritime infrastructure at a time when the country is investing heavily in ports, freight corridors, logistics parks and manufacturing-linked trade infrastructure.
The government has now set its sights on the next milestone — ₹50,000 crore in annual defence exports by FY2028-29 — as India attempts to move beyond import substitution and establish itself as a competitive global producer of weapons, military platforms, components and defence technologies.
