News on Indian Economy
Designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, Nipun was delivered to the Navy on July 30 after completing extensive outfitting and sea trials. Its induction marks another important step in India’s effort to develop specialised naval platforms domestically.
The company has focused particularly on green chemical propulsion as an alternative to conventional toxic satellite propellants. Its propulsion systems are designed to support orbital manoeuvring, station-keeping, collision avoidance, controlled deorbiting and future orbital servicing missions.
Goyal outlined the scale of India’s trade strategy while addressing business representatives during his visit to Japan on August 24, 2026. He is leading India’s largest-ever business delegation to Japan, comprising more than 200 representatives from sectors including manufacturing, semiconductors, automotive, steel, clean energy, financial services, healthcare and startups. The four-day visit covers Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka and is intended to deepen investment, technology and industrial cooperation between the two economies.
The requirement has been issued by DRDO’s High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) in Pune, the organisation’s specialist centre for high-energy materials. The tender calls for the “Development of software for numerical simulation of response of HE charges and encased HE charges under thermal and shock effects” .
The more immediate programme is QRSAM, now formally identified by DRDO as Anant Shastra. The system has already received Acceptance of Necessity for induction, and BEL has indicated that the remaining major step before the expected order is approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security. During its July 2026 investor interaction, BEL said all activities and inputs required from its side had been completed and that it was awaiting CCS clearance. Management continued to guide for the order during the first half of the current financial year, with September mentioned as the expected outer timeline.
Under the partnership, Central Command will share operational problem statements with T-Hub, which will identify and shortlist startups capable of developing relevant solutions. Selected companies will then work with Army stakeholders to refine their technologies, test them against practical requirements and incorporate feedback from personnel who could eventually use the systems in the field.
The contract covers the manufacture of aero-engine rings, casings, lock plates and other critical engine structures. Production will be distributed across Sigma’s manufacturing facilities in India and the United Kingdom, creating a dual-source manufacturing arrangement for Rolls-Royce and giving Sigma a larger role in supplying high-value components for international aerospace programmes.
The move will allow domestic companies to take DRDO-developed missile systems from the development stage into industrial-scale production, subject to applicable certification, qualification and regulatory requirements. It is intended to increase the participation of private industry, MSMEs and specialised technology partners across India’s defence manufacturing supply chain.
The vessel is equipped with an integrated machinery control system and will operate with a complement of six officers and 35 sailors. It has been designed for a wide range of missions, including Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance, fisheries protection, coastal patrols, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy operations, as well as search-and-rescue duties.
The significance of ShauryAstra lies primarily in its technological mandate. Apollo says the new company has been created specifically to undertake the research, design and development of complete weapon systems, long-range systems, unmanned platforms and allied defence technologies for the Indian Armed Forces. Its focus will include operational problems for which mature indigenous solutions are not yet available, as well as future battlefield requirements that may emerge over the coming years.
