18, Jun 2026
FSSAI Directs Food Businesses to Use Corrosion-Free Knives to Prevent Food Contamination
June 18: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an advisory to all food businesses across the country, instructing them to ensure the use of corrosion-free, food-grade knives and blades in all food handling and packaging operations.
Representational image
The regulator has emphasized that tools used in food preparation must be safe, hygienic, and free from rust or corrosion, as deteriorated equipment can increase the risk of food contamination and compromise consumer health.
FSSAI has directed food business operators to regularly inspect kitchen tools and replace any damaged or unsafe equipment without delay. The advisory is aimed at strengthening hygiene standards and ensuring compliance with food safety regulations across restaurants, food processing units, and other food service establishments.
The move is part of ongoing efforts by the food safety authority to improve public health protection and reinforce safe food handling practices nationwide.
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- By Neel Achary
18, Jun 2026
Wood Mackenzie: Orbital Data Centres Cost Three Times More Than Terrestrial Alternatives as Global Power Demand Heads for 3,700 TWh
LONDON/HOUSTON/SINGAPORE, June 18: The next generation of AI agents could consume between 10,000 and 40,000 times more computing power per task than today’s chatbots. That pressure is pushing some of the world’s largest technology companies to consider putting their data centres in space. A new report from Wood Mackenzie finds they face a significant cost problem to get there.
Global data centre power demand stands at 460 TWh in 2026, equivalent to half of Japan’s total power generation. Wood Mackenzie forecasts that figure will reach 1,280 TWh by 2030 and 3,700 TWh by 2040, a 703% increase from current levels, growing at 16% per year. The United States and China together account for 78% of the global planned data centre pipeline.
On the ground, that pipeline is running into real constraints. Grid connections in the United States can take up to seven years. Gas turbine equipment faces long wait times through 2030. In dry regions, cooling systems are competing for limited water supplies. Construction costs are rising from higher labour and material costs. These bottlenecks, Wood Mackenzie concludes, are driving serious exploration of orbital data centres.
The economics are not yet close.
A hypothetical 1 GW orbital data centre would cost an estimated US$170 billion, more than three times the equivalent terrestrial facility, with launch and satellite costs accounting for approximately 60% of that total. To bring orbital costs to parity with terrestrial alternatives would require a 70% reduction. That is achievable, the report notes, only if the historical trend of exponential cost declines in space launch continues.
There is reason to think it might. Global orbital launch attempts reached 324 in 2025, a 25% increase over 2024, with commercial operators conducting 70% of those attempts. Launch costs have already fallen approximately 90% with current-generation reusable rockets compared to their expendable predecessors. A record 4,517 satellites were deployed into orbit in 2025, 58% more than the previous year, with 87% owned by private entities.
SpaceX and xAI have announced ambitious plans to put 100 GW of orbital computing capacity into space annually, a figure ten times the combined announced pipeline of every other orbital data centre developer in the world. Non-US companies account for less than 0.5 GW of total planned orbital capacity, reflecting how concentrated this emerging sector is among US-based firms. Despite the higher costs, launch activities across the top five companies are expected to begin accelerating between 2027 and 2028.
Space launch costs have seen exponential cost declines of over 90%
Source: Wood Mackenzie
Spending on terrestrial capacity has not slowed in the meantime. Anthropic recently committed US$ 45 billion over three years to SpaceX for access to its 300 MW Colossus 1 terrestrial data centre, deploying 220,000 Nvidia GPUs. Wood Mackenzie forecasts US$ 9 trillion in cumulative capital expenditure between 2026 and 2040 to build approximately 395 GW of new terrestrial data centre capacity under its base case.
“The constraints on terrestrial data centres are genuine, and they are not going away quickly,” said Robert Liew, Research Director at Wood Mackenzie. “But putting a data centre in orbit still costs at least three times as much as building one on the ground. That gap does not close without sustained and dramatic progress on launch costs. We forecast US$ 9 trillion of terrestrial data centre investment between now and 2040. That is where capital goes first. Orbital data centres are a serious long-term proposition, but right now they remain a bet on the cost curve.”
Wood Mackenzie’s base case energy transition outlook does not include large-scale orbital data centres. No gigawatt-scale orbital or terrestrial facility currently exists. The report concludes that terrestrial build-out will be driven by necessity, while orbital data centres remain, for now, a technology preference.
18, Jun 2026
Introducing Adobe Brand Visibility: A Unified Solution for the AI Search Era
India, June 18 : Adobe , the global technology that unleashes creativity, productivity and customer experiences through innovative tools and platforms – announced Adobe Brand Visibility, a new solution for businesses to ensure their brand is visible, trusted and chosen across AI surfaces. The new offering is part of Adobe CX Enterprise, a new end-to-end agentic AI system that simplifies how businesses manage their entire customer lifecycle, from acquiring and engaging prospects to driving conversion and lasting loyalty.
Adobe Brand Visibility will enable businesses to succeed in the latest battleground for consumer attention, where audiences are embracing AI-powered chat services and browsers to discover and evaluate product offerings. New data from Adobe highlights the substantial growth in this channel, where AI traffic to U.S. retail sites have surged 1,324% between October 2024 and May 2026. In the travel sector, AI traffic is up 2,215% in the same period.
“In a world where customers often interact with an AI tool before ever reaching a business’s website, visibility is everything now,” said Anil Chakravarthy, President, Customer Experience Orchestration Business, Adobe. “Adobe has helped brands navigate and get chosen in every wave of marketing transformation, and Adobe Brand Visibility now provides a comprehensive solution for teams to expand their company’s influence across AI surfaces. Following the close of our Semrush acquisition, we moved quickly to integrate its capabilities, and early customer demand has exceeded expectations.”
Adobe Brand Visibility is a comprehensive solution for Generative Engine Optimization that combines the industry-leading capabilities of Adobe LLM Optimizer with Semrush’s AI Optimization. Consider a travel brand seeing consumers embrace AI tools for trip planning and competitors being recommended by ChatGPT. With Adobe Brand Visibility- drawing on nearly 300 million real-world AI search prompts – teams can see exactly which prompts they are winning or losing. Combined with Adobe’s first-party signals from owned channels, marketers gain a complete picture of how their brand appears across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity AI, from mention frequency and audience reach to competitive share-of-voice and content gaps. AI agents then surface prioritized recommendations, and updates can then be deployed in minutes, with impact measured directly in the tool. Teams can then connect every GEO action to bookings, pipeline and revenue via integrations to Adobe’s analytics solutions – all in a single workflow.
Adobe Brand Visibility provides businesses with:
- Visibility insights powered by Semrush data: Adobe Brand Visibility offers a comprehensive overview of a brand’s presence across AI surfaces by incorporating Semrush data directly, including how often the business was mentioned and who the audience is (number of times individuals looked at an LLM response that contained the brand), along with information on top performing topics and prompts.
- Prompt strategy: Teams can understand the topics and prompts that are gaining traction across AI surfaces, pinpointing any adjacent areas that a brand should be optimizing for (before competitors capture share of voice) with a full view into which brands are already capturing visibility across those topics.
- Competitive brand comparison: Marketers can easily compare their brand against competitors, to see where they earn citations, how often the brand is mentioned and drive historical comparisons of mentions.
- Auto-optimization: Adobe Brand Visibility surfaces prioritized recommendations and enables teams to act on them immediately, deploying optimizations in minutes. Updates reach AI agents at the edge, so LLMs can access the latest version of brand narratives, while changes to owned content simultaneously improve the experience for human visitors. Every optimization is then tied to measurable business outcomes.
- SEO intelligence: SEO fundamentals play an important role in AI search visibility. Adobe Brand Visibility leverages Semrush’s unmatched SEO corpus – 28.5 billion keywords and 43 trillion backlinks built over 17 years – to reveal exactly where a brand’s existing search authority should be driving AI citations and which content investments will close that gap across both channels simultaneously.
Adobe Brand Visibility can be leveraged as a standalone application or as a native integration with Adobe Experience Manager (an agentic content and asset management system) to ensure brands can optimize for both human and AI audiences across their entire content foundation – from web experiences and campaign content to digital assets and commerce catalogs. Adobe’s suite of brand visibility solutions works as a continuous operating model: Brands can sense how they appear across AI-driven discovery surfaces, generate content and experiences grounded in brand context, reach both human audiences and AI systems from a shared foundation, and continuously learn from every interaction to improve performance – all part of an experience flywheel. Powered by AI agent and human collaboration, Adobe’s brand visibility solutions build advantages that strengthen with every cycle.
18, Jun 2026
Power Demand in India Expected to Rise Up to 7 pc in FY27
New Delhi, June 18: India’s electricity demand is projected to grow by up to 7% in the financial year 2026–27, supported by robust economic activity, industrial expansion, and rising household consumption, according to a recent industry report.
The anticipated growth reflects increasing energy requirements across manufacturing, infrastructure development, and the services sector, alongside continued urbanization and electrification trends across the country.
The report highlights that sustained economic momentum, coupled with rising adoption of electric appliances, digital infrastructure, and mobility electrification, is expected to further drive power consumption in the coming years.
Experts note that India’s power sector is undergoing a structural transformation, with growing emphasis on renewable energy integration, grid modernization, and capacity expansion to meet future demand efficiently and sustainably.
The projected demand growth underscores the need for continued investment in generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure to ensure reliable and affordable electricity supply for all consumer segments.
Industry observers believe that managing this demand surge while maintaining sustainability goals will be a key priority for policymakers and energy providers in the years ahead.
18, Jun 2026
Brompton processing powers LAMDA’s professional-grade virtual production studio
June 18: Brompton Technology’s Tessera LED processing platform is at the core of a state-of-the-art virtual production studio at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA), one of the world’s most respected drama training institutions. Supplied and integrated by Universal Pixels, the installation forms part of a significant strategic investment by LAMDA in emerging screen technologies, and is already reshaping how the school trains the next generation of creative professionals.
The studio is centred around a 7m wide by 3.5m high LED volume of AOTO RM 2.3 panels on a gently curved structure using 2.5° panel increments, and driven by a Brompton 4K Tessera SX40 LED processor alongside two Tessera XD 10G data distribution units. Running in conjunction with Unreal Engine, the volume renders real-time environments ranging from photorealistic exteriors to fully abstract sci-fi worlds. It sits alongside a dedicated 30-camera Vicon motion capture volume with a sprung floor, a combination that places LAMDA’s facility among the most technically advanced of any drama school in the UK.
Rather than treating the technology as an add-on, LAMDA has made the LED volume a genuine academic priority. It features across the school’s full range of programmes, from its Foundation in Stage and Screen (CertHE) and BA Professional Acting through to MA/MFA courses in Classical Acting, Musical Theatre, and Professional Acting. The new studio serves as a shared space where acting, directing, and production & technical arts students work together, mirroring real-world virtual production practice.
The choice of Brompton processing was a considered one. Head of Innovation Bethany McShepherd is clear that LAMDA’s students deserve nothing less than the tools they will encounter in the industry. “LAMDA’s graduates are the future of the creative industries,” she says. “Investing in their careers with the very best technology and the very best training is what matters most to our institution.”
With LED volumes now standard on high-end film and TV productions, from prestige streaming drama to commercials, students working inside LAMDA’s volume engage with the same workflows, technical language, and environmental demands they will meet on professional sets, long before they graduate.
Charles Douglas, Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing with Emerging Technologies and Head of Screen & Audio Training, sees the potential as transformative. “This technology opens the door to XR or mixed reality, to new ways of making films, and to extending the physical stage and the spaces in which we work,” he says. “Using it in practice is one thing, but it’s also an invitation to reimagine the frame of what we do. That’s an important departmental mandate for us, to catalyse a new chapter of performance and storytelling.”
Brompton’s API has also become an integral part of how students are taught to work on set. Through an integration with BitFocus Companion, test patterns can be triggered via a Steam Deck, enabling students to quickly identify hardware or cabling issues and move efficiently through the troubleshooting process. The reliability and colour consistency of the Tessera platform, meanwhile, give LAMDA the confidence to use the volume not just for student projects, but for professional-grade output: the system supports graduate films, commercial digital assets, and collaborative research productions with equal consistency.
That professional reach is already evident in the work produced. A short film made in partnership with Media Trust, funded by The Crucible Foundation and based on stories from Prison Reading Groups, was shot entirely within the volume and features actor Ralph Ineson. The space has also played a central role in the LAMDA x Lyric Future Technicians Programme, a widening participation initiative delivered with the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, through which a cohort of young people from West London recently got hands-on experience with professional filmmaking infrastructure. For many, this was their first encounter with this level of technology. For Assistant Professor of Screen Acting, Gary Pillai, the purpose of all of it is straightforward: “Our remit now is to understand that and make sure our graduates are really able to walk into the profession, and the screen acting element of the industry, straight away.”
“We were proud to work with LAMDA on this project, supplying the technology that gives students hands-on access to professional production workflows used throughout the film and TV industry,” adds Dan Edmonds, Film & TV at Universal Pixels. “Facilities like this play an important role in bridging the gap between education and industry, helping students gain practical experience with the tools they’ll use throughout their careers.”
Beyond the technical specification, LAMDA’s relationship with Brompton reflects something deeper. The school’s strategy is built around a ‘Partnership First’ principle, and Head of Marketing & Communications, Stephen Court, describes Brompton as a direct expression of that approach. “Brompton Technology is a prime example of a partner who shares our values of being inquisitive, innovative, and inspiring,” he says.
The scalability and forward compatibility of Brompton’s platform mean the investment is built to evolve alongside both the curriculum and the wider industry. “It’s not just about servicing the industry with skilled talent,” Douglas concludes. “It’s about actively working with innovative productions at LAMDA to move both training and practice forward.”
The volume has been operational for just over a year. On the strength of its first 12 months, it is clear this is only the beginning.
18, Jun 2026
Advanced Seed Coating Tech Enhances Agricultural Output Significantly
New Delhi, June 18: A new generation of smart seed coating technology is delivering significant improvements in agricultural productivity, with crop yields increasing by up to 30% in field applications, according to recent findings.
The advanced seed treatment involves coating seeds with precision-formulated materials designed to enhance germination rates, improve nutrient uptake, and strengthen resistance to environmental stressors such as drought, pests, and soil variability.
Agricultural experts highlight that the technology supports more efficient resource utilization by reducing dependency on excessive fertilizers and irrigation, while improving overall crop health and consistency. This makes it particularly valuable in regions facing climate variability and soil degradation challenges.
The innovation is expected to benefit farmers by increasing productivity per hectare and lowering input costs, thereby contributing to improved farm incomes and more sustainable agricultural practices.
Industry observers note that such precision agriculture solutions are becoming increasingly important as the sector looks to balance food security needs with environmental sustainability goals.
With successful early adoption, smart seed coating technology is positioned to play a key role in the next phase of agricultural modernization, supporting higher yields and more resilient farming systems.
18, Jun 2026
Sensex, Nifty Advance on Strong Buying in PSU Banks and Healthcare Shares
Mumbai, June 18: India’s benchmark equity indices closed higher on the back of robust buying in public sector banking, healthcare, and realty stocks, reflecting continued investor confidence in key sectors of the economy.
The BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty ended the session in positive territory, supported by broad-based gains across several sectors. Public sector banks emerged as major contributors to the rally, while healthcare and real estate stocks also witnessed strong investor interest.
Market participants remained encouraged by sector-specific growth prospects, resilient domestic economic indicators, and expectations of sustained corporate earnings performance. The positive momentum helped offset cautious sentiment stemming from mixed global market trends.
Analysts noted that buying activity in banking stocks reflected optimism around credit growth and financial sector stability, while healthcare shares benefited from favorable industry fundamentals. Realty stocks also gained ground amid expectations of continued demand and infrastructure-led growth.
The day’s performance underscores the resilience of India’s equity markets, with investors continuing to focus on sectors that are expected to benefit from economic expansion and policy support.
Market observers will continue to monitor domestic macroeconomic developments, corporate earnings, and global economic trends for further direction in the coming sessions.
18, Jun 2026
Talents for Tech to Bring Free AI Skills Training to Thousands Across Central and Eastern Europe Through Google.org Support and Local NGOs
Vilnius, Lithuania,June 18: Talents For Tech, an organization set to empower careers through mentorship programs and career guidance, announced it will lead a major regional AI upskilling initiative supported by Google.org as part of AI Works for Europe and the AI Opportunity Fund. With more than $2.7 million (€2.3 million) in funding, the program will help thousands of people across Central and Eastern Europe build practical AI skills and prepare for the future of work.
Through this initiative, Talents For Tech will train at least 11,000 people across seven countries: Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Poland. The program focuses on expanding what people can do with AI, equipping workers in fast-changing fields: routine administrative, clerical, and cognitive roles, such as customer service, call centre operations, sales support roles, basic finance and accounting (e.g. bookkeeping, payroll), logistics coordination, junior marketing positions, and others.
As AI reshapes workplaces across CEE, the skills needed to use it effectively require more than knowing how to write a prompt. According to IPSOS research, workers need a broad mix of capabilities to truly benefit from AI, from data analysis and cybersecurity to change management and responsible AI use. Most employers, particularly smaller ones, simply don’t have the resources to train their entire workforce adequately.
The Digital Coalition report on AI challenges in CEE supports that by highlighting a lack of competence as one of the key barriers to AI adoption across the region.
Generative AI could boost CEE’s annual GDP by €90-100 billion if widespread adoption is achieved.
As AI transforms workplaces across Europe, many workers still lack access to the training needed to adapt. Talents For Tech was selected to lead this regional effort because of its mission to create inclusive pathways into the digital economy and ensure that technological progress benefits more people.
“This initiative is not only about learning new tools. It is about helping people stay competitive, improving economic resilience, and making sure the benefits of AI are shared across the region,” said Jarune Preiksaite, CEO of Talents For Tech.
“At the moment, too many people risk being left behind simply because they have not had the opportunity to learn. With Google.org’s support, we can now open practical and accessible pathways for thousands of people across Central and Eastern Europe to build confidence with AI and use it in their careers.”
The learning program will be built around practical, Google’s real-world application of AI tools, delivered through Coursera, and backed by a supportive community and networking opportunities across countries.
“AI is not just changing the nature of work; it is redefining what it means to be workforce-ready. By equipping our workforce with practical AI skills today, we aren’t just filling current job openings—we are unlocking a massive wave of economic productivity and ensuring that no worker is left behind in the digital economy,” said Liza Ateh, Head of Google.org EMEA.
Talents For Tech will coordinate the initiative across all participating markets, managing strategic direction, shared communications, and central infrastructure. Local partner organizations in each country will support learner outreach, recruitment, and delivery tailored to local workforce needs.
The program will run until January 31, 2028, and is designed to create a lasting impact by improving employability, supporting career transitions, and strengthening digital inclusion.
By working with trusted local partners under one regional framework, Talents For Tech aims to create a scalable model for AI workforce development across Europe.
18, Jun 2026
The Spring Startup Surge: March overtakes January as Britain’s Most Popular Month to Start a Business, New Data Reveals
June 18: New analysis of more than 29,000 virtual office and registered address subscriptions has revealed that Britain experiences an annual spring startup surge. March has now overtaken January as the most popular month to start a business. The research was undertaken by Hoxton Mix, a virtual office and registered address solutions provider based in London.
March generated 2,908 signups, making it the busiest month of the year consecutively, compared to December, the lowest performing month, with just 1,879 signups. In total, March has 55% more registered subscribers than the year’s quietest month. This suggests that founders are bucking the “New Year, New Me” trend, choosing not to launch their businesses immediately after the festive period. Instead, they’re spending the first few months planning and validating ideas before officially launching in the Spring months.
Following behind March (2,908 signups), May is the second most popular month with 2,738 subscriptions and April is third with 2,678 in total. Launching in spring lets founders make the most of the new tax year starting in April, providing a natural milestone for founders who have invested in financial planning and efficiency. Finally, March, April and May often bring improved market conditions due to consumer purchase activity and better trading conditions before the peak summer months.
Here are the most popular months to start a business in the UK:
|
Month |
Season |
Signups |
|
March |
Spring |
2,908 |
|
May |
Spring |
2,738 |
|
April |
Spring |
2,687 |
|
January |
Winter |
2,630 |
|
February |
Winter |
2,461 |
|
July |
Summer |
2,372 |
Chris Sees, Hoxton Mix’ CEO comments:
“Many people assume that January is likely the most popular month to start a business because it’s tied to New Year’s resolutions and a fresh career start. However, Hoxton Mix virtual office and registered address data suggests otherwise. Instead, entrepreneurs are typically spending the first few months of the year planning and preparing, then by March those plans convert into business launches creating a clear spring startup surge across the UK. The strong performance of March, April and May suggests founders feel more confident launching when the New Year is underway, at the start of the new tax year and when market conditions are picking up.”
Knowledge-led sectors dominate virtual office and registered address demand, with Information and Communication and Professional Services combining for 17,180 signups, equating to almost 60% of all signups recorded. Specifically, Information and Communication is the UK’s largest startup sector, generating 8,965 signups. This is almost 9% more than Professional, Scientific & Technical businesses (8,215).
March emerged as the UK’s most popular month overall for starting a business, however, the data reveals significant differences across sectors. Information, communication and professional services businesses are most likely to launch in early spring (March), whilst construction and administrative businesses were most likely to launch later in May, and real estate companies in August.
While there is no single “perfect time” to launch a business, Hoxton Mix’s insights reveal clear patterns in how today’s entrepreneurs approach virtual offices and registered addresses, highlighting broader trends in company formation and business creation. Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit remains strong and spring has become the season when many founders choose to turn their plans into reality.
18, Jun 2026
Olympic Champion Neeraj Chopra Ready for Diamond League Season Opener
New Delhi, June 18: Indian javelin sensation Neeraj Chopra is set to return to Diamond League action, confirming his participation in the season opener after finalizing his decision a week ago.
The Olympic and world champion expressed his readiness to compete against some of the world’s leading athletes as he begins another important season on the international athletics circuit. His return marks a significant moment for Indian athletics fans, who will be closely following his performance in the prestigious competition series.
Chopra’s participation in the season opener is expected to provide valuable competitive exposure as he builds momentum for major global events scheduled later in the year. Known for his consistency and ability to perform on the biggest stages, he remains one of the most prominent figures in international javelin throw.
The Diamond League serves as a key platform for elite track and field athletes, offering high-level competition and an opportunity to gauge form against world-class opponents. Chopra’s return is anticipated to generate considerable interest among athletics enthusiasts both in India and abroad.
As he embarks on the new season, expectations remain high for the Indian star, whose achievements have played a pivotal role in elevating the profile of athletics across the country.
