PM Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8.30 pm tonight, the government has announced, but the subject of his address has not yet been disclosed Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8:30 p.m. tonight. The announcement comes a day after Opposition parties blocked the Women
To date, 22 installments of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme have been released. The 22nd installment of this scheme was deposited into farmers’ bank accounts on March 13, 2026, and farmers are now awaiting the 23rd installment, which is expected to be deposited into their bank
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that political parties opposing the women's reservation bill will face consequences. He urged Union ministers to highlight the opposition's stance as anti-women to the public. The bill did not secure the required majority in the Lok Sabha
The Iranian military on Saturday said that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again, AFP reported. Iran’s central military command said that, in response to the naval blockade of its ports imposed by the United States, the strategic waterway was again “under strict management and control of
Meetings platform Zoom has partnered with Sam Altman's human ID verification company World to verify that the participants in meetings are actual humans and not AI-generated avatars. The new integration, dubbed World ID Deep Face, is aimed at combating the rising threat of deepfakes and AI-driven
US-returned techie says salary in India feels more like ‘pocket money’An Indian woman who spent several years working in the US, before moving back to India, has opened up about how the shift changed her perspective and priorities Updated on: Apr 19
Around seven lakh new voters have been added to West Bengal electoral rolls ahead of the assembly elections, with the Election Commission yet to disclose the age or gender break-up of this additional electorate, officials said on Saturday. Around 3
Weekly Panchang for April 19-25, 2025: Auspicious & Inauspicious MuhuratsWeekly Panchang for April 19-25, 2025, to determine the auspicious & inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the planetary positions. Published on: Apr 19
Year in Review: India’s tech sector saw major policy shifts, deep-tech push in 2025
The year 2025 marked an ambitious journey towards technology-driven economic growth with policy initiatives tapping sunrise sectors and building capabilities across research, artificial intelligence (AI), data, and cybersecurity.
Here's all that happened in the tech world:
Budget signalled pivot to research and innovation
The government operationalised the research, development, and innovation (RDI) scheme with an initial Rs 20,000 crore allocation to the Department of Science and Technology. The RDI Fund, formally launched in November, is designed to bridge the gap in private sector R&D spending in India.
The government also expanded the PM Research Fellowship, adding 10,000 fellowships for advanced technology research in IITs and IISc over the next five years. A separate Rs 100-crore allocation for the National Geospatial Mission aims to strengthen foundational mapping infrastructure, benefiting space-tech and UAV startups.
The space budget received a modest increase, rising to Rs 13,416 crore, reinforcing the government's long-term space technology ambitions. As part of the allocation, the space department received a capital allocation of Rs 6,103.63 crore and a revenue allocation of Rs 7,312.57 crore.
Semiconductor mission gains momentum
India's semiconductor plans made headway in August, when the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) cleared 10 chip and display units for subsidies under the Rs 76,000 crore Semicon India Programme. Approvals included projects from Kaynes Semicon, HCL-Foxconn, SiCSem, CDIL, Crystal Matrix's MicroLED fab with Lumens Co, and Tarq Semiconductors, among others.
Also Read: Government set to clear next set of chip proposals under Semicon Mission
With funds under the first phase nearly exhausted, ISM 2.0 is expected to expand incentives to areas such as compound semiconductors, advanced packaging, display fabs, capital equipment, and fabless design. Industry bodies have urged the government to double the outlay to $20 billion to attract large-scale investments. India's semiconductor market is projected to reach $100–110 billion by 2030.
Also Read: Chips fall in place for India: Ten approved semicon units across nation, projects underway
Supercomputing mission enters new phase
The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) continued its rollout of indigenous systems, deploying 37 supercomputers totalling 39 petaflops across research institutions. Ten additional installations, powered by India's homegrown Rudra servers, are scheduled for completion by March 2026, per NSM mission director Hemant Darbari.
NSM 1.0 targets 90 petaflops of capacity by 2026. Under NSM 2.0, the roadmap for India's first exascale system—featuring indigenous CPUs, GPUs, and AI accelerators—has been drafted, marking a push to build advanced compute capabilities domestically, according to India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) chief executive Amitesh Kumar Sinha.
Also Read:Electronics and chip firms take a liking to new states entering fray
Data protection
The government notified the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, on November 14 after laying out the draft rules in January. The law established the all-powerful Data Protection Board of India (DPBI), armed with powers to impose penalties ranging from Rs 10,000 to a hefty Rs 250 crore.
The rules gave users the right to seek data deletion and required companies to erase personal data after a year, with prior notice. Additionally, organisations must report data breaches to the Board within 72 hours and notify users at the earliest.
Moreover, processing children's data now requires verifiable parental consent, and targeted ads for those under 18 have been banned.
Also Read: Editors Guild highlights gaps in DPDP Rules, seeks clarity for media safeguards
Experts ET spoke with said the law will push companies toward more rigorous governance of AI systems and increase investments in privacy automation—estimated at Rs 10,000 crore over three years.
Meanwhile, a report by consulting firm EY India noted that the new data protection law is expected to attract investments of about Rs 10,000 crore over the next three years as businesses allocate more resources toward privacy automation and services to comply with the norms.
Also Read: From age checks to ad limits: Experts outline impact of DPDP Rules on gaming
AI-enabled deepfakes
The IT ministry's draft amendments to the IT Rules, released in October, sought to curb AI-generated deepfakes through mandatory labelling. The proposals require visual deepfakes to carry markers on at least 10% of the display area and audio content to include disclaimers for the first 10% of the duration.
Industry bodies, including the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), flagged the guidelines as overly expansive and challenging to implement, arguing they would impose heavy compliance burdens without guaranteeing meaningful mitigation.
ITI represents global giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI, and IAMAI has members like Google, Meta, and Microsoft. The rules are currently undergoing further consultations.
Cybersecurity sees heightened scrutiny
Cybersecurity has been a major focus this year in line with digital threats becoming rampant. The Ministry of Communications' directive requiring smartphone makers to preinstall the government's Sanchar Saathi app sparked strong reactions from industry and privacy groups, prompting the government to roll back the order.
Cryptocurrency exchanges and virtual digital asset intermediaries were asked to undergo mandatory cybersecurity audits. For this, they would have to hire a security auditor empanelled with the MeitY-controlled Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). This is now a mandatory requirement for the registration of virtual digital asset (VDA) service providers with the country's anti-money laundering agency, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
The same month, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience Framework (CSCRF), which are graded compliance norms, to ease the burden on smaller intermediaries. Experts, however, cautioned that challenges remain, particularly for smaller and mid-sized firms.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs strengthened national cybercrime coordination by operationalising the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C). Meanwhile, industry continued to grapple with a severe talent shortage, with a 30-50% skill gap for specialised cybersecurity roles, per a report by ET.
Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: Turnaround in India-Canada ties marked by optimism Iraqis vote in parliamentary election marked by tight security and major political boycott What To Do If Your Income Tax Return Is Marked Defective– Find Out Chinese man saves woman trapped for 30 hours after spotting pillow marked ‘110’ Over 58 lakh names marked for deletion Guinea-Bissau’s President seeks second term in close race marked by tensions Extremely ambitious and illogical Why young Indians are not interested in the prime minister’s ambitious internship scheme Ambitious scheme to spur next-gen battery manufacturing in India stumbles
There were chants of "we want our Chelsea back" during a protest march before kick-off - then the chorus spread to the stands during the second half of the defeat by Manchester United. The frustration from supporters is understandable, given Chelsea have now lost their past four Premier League
3 hours ago
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticizes Mamata Banerjee's role in voter list issues. He states the Congress will contest all assembly seats alone this time. Chowdhury believes the political landscape has changed. The party aims to establish its presence in every polling booth
3 hours ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the passing of former Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Punj, remembering him as a prolific writer, thinker, and public intellectual who significantly contributed to strengthening the BJP. Punj's impactful writings and parliamentary interventions, rich in facts and theory
3 hours ago
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Union government of conspiring to weaken democracy and alter the federal structure of the country by attempting to bring in a bill to amend the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act and redraw the boundaries of electoral constituencies
3 hours ago
Delhi airport alert: Weather conditions in the National Capital have changed again, and they are negatively affecting air travel operations. IndiGo, an airline based in India and one of India’s largest airlines, has released a detailed travel advisory
3 hours ago
The two centres of this crisis are the 24-mile Strait of Hormuz south of Iran and 7,000 miles away in the White House. This week was the unique opportunity for the rest of the world to make its economic case to US President Donald Trump's administration directly at the Spring meeting of the
3 hours ago
HDFC Bank Q4 Results: HDFC Bank reported a steady performance for the quarter and full year ended March 31, 2026. The bank’s standalone net profit for FY26 rose to Rs 19.12 billion, marking a 10.9% increase compared to the previous year.HDFC Bank Q4 Results: HDFC Bank reported a steady
3 hours ago
PIB fact-checks influencer CA Sarthak Ahuja's video about income tax clearance certificate for travel abroadUnder Section 230 [of the Income Tax Act, 1961], tax clearance certificates are not mandatory for everyone, says PIB Updated on: Apr 18
3 hours ago
The sacred Char Dham Yatra has taken a step forward as offline registration officially commenced, allowing thousands of devotees to prepare for one of India’s most significant pilgrimages. With the yatra set to begin on April 19 on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya
3 hours ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that Opposition parties stood against the women’s reservation bill for their “selfish political interests”, and that they insulted the framers of the Constitution by doing so. Modi made the statement a day after the Union government’s bill to
3 hours ago
Jannik Sinner faced early season setbacks but has since achieved remarkable success. He has captured three consecutive ATP Masters 1000 titles and regained the world number one ranking. Sinner's improved serve and baseline game present challenges for rivals
3 hours ago
Indian nurse in Germany gifts sister iPhone 16 with first salary: ‘My first salary was hers’An Indian woman in Germany fulfilled a promise with her first salary. Published on: Apr 19, 2026 7:56 AM IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Share via Copy link An Indian nurse working in Germany has struck an
3 hours ago
Sumit Antil's complaint prompts quick action: PCI sacks Dronacharya awardee Naval Singh after Neeraj Chopra backs claimsThe Paralympic Committee of India has dismissed coach Naval Singh amid allegations of harassment by champion Sumit Antil. Published on: Apr 19
3 hours ago
‘Conspiracy defeated’: Priyanka Gandhi calls women’s bill failure a win for ConstitutionPriyanka Gandhi hailed Opposition unity and said, “It was a victory for the Constitution, the country and the unity of the opposition." Updated on: Apr 19
3 hours ago
Iran says it is closing the Strait of Hormuz again to commercial vessels and that any ship that approaches it will be targeted. The closure came as reports emerged of vessels in or near the strait, including a tanker, were targeted by Tehran on Saturday
3 hours ago
A 36-year-old man in Florida died by suicide after weeks of extensive interaction with an artificial intelligence chatbot, a case that is now at the centre of a lawsuit against Google and a wider debate on AI safety. Jonathan Gavalas, described by his family as stable and without a history of
3 hours ago
India's G20 satellite for climate and pollution study is set for a 2027 launch. ISRO is leading this initiative. The nation also aims for a human mission to the moon by 2040. This will place India alongside leading space-faring countries. ISRO is also developing a titanium vessel for the
3 hours ago
Iran had reopened the crucial waterway on Friday after a ceasefire agreement was reached in Lebanon, but Trump said the US blockade around Iranian ports would remain. Iran’s military command on Saturday said the control of the Strait of Hormuz has “returned to its previous state” because of
3 hours ago
Japan has unveiled a new name for days that reach 40C (104F) or above, after the country experienced its hottest summer on record last year. The term - kokushobi - has been translated as "cruelly hot", "brutally hot" or "severely hot" day by Japanese and international media
3 hours ago
Which method do you typically choose to check the balance in your Employee Provident Fund (EPF) account? For many, the answer would be to visit the official EPFO website, where they enter their UAN, password, and Captcha to access their details. However
3 hours ago
‘Defeated bill to defend idea of India’: Rahul Gandhi as Oppn blocks women's quota bill in Lok SabhaClaiming that the Opposition blocked the move, Gandhi said, “Every state should have a voice and be free to express its language and protect its traditions.” Updated on: Apr 19
3 hours ago
Bajaj Chetak is a city-focused electric scooter offered in multiple variants with 2.5 kWh to 3.5 kWh battery options. It comes with 113-153 km range, practical features and funky colours. The Bajaj Chetak range is structured around multiple variants, battery options as well as feature levels
3 hours ago
Progress had been made in negotiations with the United States to end the war, Iran's parliamentary speaker said on Saturday night, but added the sides were still far from an agreement. "We are still far from the final discussion," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also one of Iran's negotiators
3 hours ago
On the afternoon of April 13, as factory workers staged protests across Noida, Uttar Pradesh, to demand better wages, two young professionals saw a striking sight on the street opposite the firm where they work. “It was lunch time and I was on the balcony of my firm’s office
3 hours ago
Opposition leaders have strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent national address. They labeled it politically motivated and a breach of democratic conventions, especially given ongoing state elections. Leaders suggested the speech should be counted as a BJP campaign expense due to
3 hours ago
April 18 Birthday Horoscope: Here's what the tarot cards have in store for youIf your birthday falls on April 18, here’s what your year ahead looks like, as per Tarot. Updated on: Apr 18, 2026 11:08 AM IST By Kishori Sud Share via Copy link If you were born on April 18
1 days ago
United States President Donald Trump said that he may not extend the tentative ceasefire with Iran if negotiations fail to produce an agreement by Wednesday, CNN reported. Trump also said that Washington would obtain Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium one way or another
1 days ago
