Category: Business & Economy

** Dhruva Space signs commercial launch deal

Dhruva Space Private Limited has signed a commercial launch services agreement with public sector NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), for an in-orbit demonstration of various technologies developed by it.

The agreement is the first step to facilitate future integration and launch services by Dhruva Space using DSOD Deployers on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

The agreement between NSIL and Dhruva Space will enable the qualification of the products in space environment and increase potential to serve customers globally, according to a press release by Dhruva.  

Dhruva Space is a full-stack space engineering solutions provider based in Hyderabad, and in Graz, Austria, while NewSpace is a public sector undertaking under the Department of Space.

** A robot to help surgeon during laparoscopy launched

It can hold the laparoscopic camera and provide tremor-free images

The British Deputy High Commission in Chennai on Thursday unveiled Freehand Robot, first of its kind laparoscopic surgical equipment. Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian inaugurated the equipment.

“Tamil Nadu has always been ready to adapt and use advanced technology in the field of medicine. We are happy to launch the Freehand Robot here, and encourage doctors to be trained to use the equipment as well,” Mr. Subramanian said. 

The robot, which acts as a laparoscopic camera holder providing tremor-free images and the option of performing solo surgery without the need for a camera-holding assistant, has been developed by Freehand, a healthcare solutions company based in the U.K. The equipment is being introduced to Tamil Nadu as a part of the #TamilNaduFirst Initiative. 

** Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opens R&D facility for stealth jet in Bengaluru

A seven-storeyed, 1.3 lakh sqft Flight Control System (FCS) complex for research and development of the public sector HAL’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) has been built in just 45 days. 

The construction started on February 1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday inaugurated the facility, housed at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), alongside Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

** Indian-American Dr Ashish Jha to take over as US President’s COVID-19 Response Coordinator

Biden’s statement announcing Jha’s appointment praised him as one of the leading public health experts in America and “a well-known figure to many Americans from his wise and calming public presence.

” Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.”..And as we enter a new moment in the pandemic – executing on my National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan and managing the ongoing risks from COVID – Dr Jha is the perfect person for the job,” Biden said.

** Wayanad Seed Fest begins today

The Wayanad Seed Fest, a community event to assess the seed diversity in Wayanad district, will be held at Puthurvayal here on Friday and Saturday.

The festival, being organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in association with Seed Care, an organisation of traditional rice farmers in the district, will take place at the Community Agro-Biodiversity Centre of the foundation.

Kerala

** India extends billion dollar credit line to Sri Lanka

Assistance comes after $ 1.4 billion support since January 2022

India on Thursday extended a $1 billion credit facility to Sri Lanka to assist the island nation through its worst foreign exchange crisis and enable it to procure food, medicines and other essential items. 

An agreement to this effect was signed between the State Bank of India and the Government of Sri Lanka on Thursday, during a visit of the country’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to New Delhi. 

** DRDO constructs multi-storey building in 45 days; to house R&D facilities for AMCA project

India’s premier defence research institute DRDO has built a multi-storey facility for flight control system at Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru in record 45 days using in-house technology, officials said on March 17.

The seven-storey building, with a plinth area of 1.3 lakh square feet, will house research and development facilities for the development of a fifth-generation medium weight deep penetration fighter jet for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

“The DRDO has completed the construction of a multi-storey infrastructure for flight control system at ADE Bengaluru with hybrid technology consisting of conventional, pre-engineered and precast methodology in record 45 days,” said one of the officials.

** Cochin Shipyard to build Beagle class dredger for DCI

It consolidates the nation’s ‘Make in India’ mission, says Union Minister

The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) signed a ship building agreement with the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in New Delhi on Thursday.

As per the agreement, the Cochin Shipyard would build the first-of-its-kind Beagle-12 trailing suction hopper dredger of 12,000 cubic-metre capacity for the DCI.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush; Shripad Naik, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways; Marten Vande Berg, Ambassador of Netherlands; and Sanjeev Ranjan, Secretary, Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

** India’s solar capacity: Milestones and challenges

How far has India progressed on its goal to achieve 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030? What are some of the obstacles that the domestic solar industry faces?

The story so far: India added a record 10 Gigawatt (GW) of solar energy to its cumulative installed capacity in 2021. This has been the highest 12-month capacity addition, recording nearly a 200% year-on-year growth.

India has now surpassed 50 GW of cumulative installed solar capacity, as on 28 February 2022. This is a milestone in India’s journey towards generating 500 GW from renewable energy by 2030, of which 300 GW is expected to come from solar power.

India’s capacity additions rank the country fifth in solar power deployment, contributing nearly 6.5% to the global cumulative capacity of 709.68 GW.

***

** Bafta 2022 honours Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar

Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar were remembered as “singer” and “actor”, respectively, in the in-memoriam section of the Bafta film awards held on Sunday night at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

When Lata died on February 7, The Guardian called her “the nightingale of Bollywood”.

After Dilip Kumar passed away, aged 98, on July 7, 2021, The Times, London, described him as “Bollywood’s answer to Marlon Brando” and “a towering figure in Hindi cinema and a meticulously dedicated method actor”.