8, Apr 2026
Odisha’s New Budget Sets Path for Growth and Better Connectivity
The Odisha government has taken a new step to help people better understand the state budget. Speaking at the launch of the awareness program “Ame Janiba, Ama Budget” (Let Us Understand Our Budget), Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that a budget is not just about numbers—it is about the dreams and development of every citizen.
ବଜେଟ କେବଳ ଆୟ-ବ୍ୟୟର ତାଲିକା ନୁହେଁ, ବରଂ ଏହା ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ସମଗ୍ର ଉନ୍ନତି ସହ ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ନାଗରିକଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱପ୍ନ ପୂରଣର ଏକ ସୁଦୃଢ଼ ରୋଡମ୍ୟାପ୍ ବୋଲି ରାଜ୍ୟସ୍ତରୀୟ ବଜେଟ ସଚେତନତା କର୍ମଶାଳା ‘ଆମେ ଜାଣିବା, ଆମ ବଜେଟ’ ଅବସରରେ ମାନ୍ୟବର ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ ମୋହନ ଚରଣ ମାଝୀ କହିଛନ୍ତି ।
ରାଜ୍ୟସ୍ତରୀୟ ବଜେଟ ସଚେତନତା କର୍ମଶାଳା:-
— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) April 7, 2026
To make the budget more accessible, awareness workshops will be held from April 1 to April 14 across the state, reaching even the Panchayat level. The goal is to explain the budget in simple language so that common people can understand how government plans impact their daily lives.
The Chief Minister highlighted that this year’s budget is 7% higher than last year, showing a strong focus on growth and development. He also shared that the 2026–27 budget aims to make Odisha a key logistics and connectivity hub in eastern India.
The initiative reflects the government’s effort to build a more transparent and people-friendly system, where citizens are informed and involved in the development process.
Through this campaign, the government hopes to bring the budget closer to the people and ensure that its benefits reach every corner of the state.
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- By Neel Achary
8, Apr 2026
Plumelet by Victoria Fomina, now available from Histria Books
Apr 08: Histria Books is pleased to announce the release of Plumelet by Victoria Fomina. This story is published by Histria Kids, an imprint of Histria Books dedicated to outstanding works for children that both educate and entertain.
Princess Plumelet is a spoiled royal who thinks nothing of ruining a guest’s dinner with a fistful of hot pepper. But when the victim turns out to be a shape-shifting enforcer from the Ministry of Proper Behavior, Plumelet is cursed and swept away to a monochromatic tower made of antennas and mathematical spirals.
Victoria Fomina’s picture book Plumelet takes the familiar framework of a bratty child learning her lesson and injects it with wild architectural surrealism. It is a visually arresting dreamscape where punishment means navigating mirrored corridors, negotiating personal space with a giant floating mouth, and confronting flocks of weeping eyes. Fomina’s collage art blends classical folklore with satellites, surveillance cameras, and sharp modern humor. It offers a wonderfully bizarre, edgy alternative for families tired of standard fables and ready for something weirder and infinitely more stylish.
Praise for Plumelet:
“In this fascinating picture book Victoria creates a new universe, infinite and colorful, inhabited by surprising characters, sometimes a little frightening, sometimes funny – that’s what children usually like enormously.”– Anastasia Arkhipova, ex-vice President of The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY)
Victoria Fominais an internationally acclaimed artist and illustrator of more than fifty books. Born on the Black Sea coast among ancient ruins, she brings a rich historical aesthetic to projects ranging from classic fairy tales to composer biographies. She collaborates with top global clients like Penguin Random House, Vogue, and What on Earth Publishing with His Majesty King Charles III. Her award-winning artwork has been featured in eighty exhibitions across seventeen countries.
Plumelet by Victoria Fomina, 44 pp., ISBN (Hardcover) 978-1-59211-664-5, ISBN (Paperback) 978-1-59211-664-5, is available at HistriaBooks.com and from all major book retailers. This title is also available in Hardcover and as an eBook. Titles published under the imprints of Histria Books are distributed in the United States and Canada by Simon & Schuster and in the rest of the world through Unified Book Distribution.
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8, Apr 2026
Aroma Magic Unveils Revamped Essential Oils, Launches Peptide Potion & Vita Boost for Professionals
Timeless Ritual, Now in a New Look: Aroma Magic Relaunches Its Signature Essential Oils and Introduces Peptide Potion & Vita Boost for Salon Professionals
Bhopal, April 8: Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic, the premier aromatherapy company in India, proudly announced the relaunch of its iconic range of essential oils, now presented in an all-new, elegant avatar. Dr. Blossom Kochhar, Founder and Chairperson of Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies, while addressing a press conference in Bhopal, spoke about the essential oils and also introduced the newly launched Peptide Potion and Vita Boost kits, designed for advanced facials in salons.
“Essential oils are said to be the soul of plants—highly concentrated molecules extracted from various parts of the plants like leaves, fruits, flowers, and seeds. Our essential oils are more than just beauty or wellness products,” said Dr. Blossom Kochhar. “They have amazing abilities to calm, beautify, energize, balance, and harmonize the human mind, body, and soul.”
She also announced the launch of new facial kits for salon professionals in Bhopal and highlighted the use of the Peptide Potion kit and Vita Boost facial kit. Explaining the kits, Dr. Blossom Kochhar said, “The Peptide & Ceramide Potion Advanced Serum Mask Kit is my unique signature offering and a special creation for the salon and spa industries. Peptides help build proteins, improve skin elasticity, and boost cell regeneration, enhancing the client’s skin in just a few steps. Today, I am addressing salon professionals and introducing these kits so that they can give exceptional facials to their clients.” The Multi-Peptide & Ceramide Complex makes skin more supple by minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. It boosts hydration and supports collagen production, making it an exceptional anti-aging facial treatment.
While the look of essential oils has evolved, the soul of the product remains unchanged—100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils, crafted with love, care, and nature’s finest extractions. Fifteen oils are now available in new 10 ml packaging and include Lavender, Basil, Sandalwood, Rose, Neroli, Lemongrass, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang, and more.
8, Apr 2026
transcosmos to hire top athletes as new graduates through Athnavi, a job support program by JOC
Tokyo, Japan, Apr 08: transcosmos announced its decision to hire two new graduates—top athletes striving to win on the world stage—through Athnavi, an employment support website administered by the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC). By incorporating athletes’ challenging spirit into the corporate culture, transcosmos aims to invigorate the organization and promote diversity in the workplace.
By hiring top athletes who demonstrate a challenging spirit, persistence, and a strong will to grow, transcosmos aims to transform every employee’s mindset and further invigorate the organization. transcosmos believes that athletes’ commitment to realizing their dreams will inspire employees and, in turn, lead to the company’s growth.
Prospective employee profile
Athlete Name: Misaki Nobata Sport: Shooting/Rifle shooting
Major Results:
| – Jul 2024 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 | #12 10m Air Rifle Women |
| #25 10mn Air Rifle Mixed Team | ||
| – Oct 2024 | SAGA2024 The National Sports Festival (Oita) | #2 10mn Air Rifle Women |
| #1 10mn Air Rifle Mixed Team | ||
| – Nov 2024 | National Shooting Sports Championship (Saitama) | #1 10mn Air Rifle Women |
| – Aug 2025 | Asian Shotgun Cup (Kazakhstan) | #3 50mn Rifle 3 Positions Women |
| #2 50m Rifle 3 Positions Mixed Team | ||
| – Nov 2025 | ISSF 2025 World Championship (Egypt) | #8 50mn Rifle 3 Positions Women |
| – Jan 2026 | H&N Cup (Germany) | #2 10mn Air Rifle Women |
– As of Mar 2026: Official national record holder (score: 633.7)
Comment: To achieve my goal of winning a medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, I will continue to challenge myself along with all employees. Although there are setbacks in shooting, I will devote myself wholeheartedly, believing that my dream will come true if I do not give up and continue making sincere efforts, while always remaining grateful to everyone around me. At the same time, I also hope to continue growing as a person and as a member of society.
Athlete Name: Mako Hiraizumi Sport: Triathlon
Major Results:
| – Feb 2025 | World Triathlon Championship Series (Abu Dhabi) | #31 Elite Women, #7 Mixed Relay |
| – Feb 2025 | Asia Triathlon Cup (Putrajaya) | #2 Elite Women |
| – May 2025 | World Triathlon Championship Series (Yokohama) | #40 Elite Women |
| – Aug 2025 | Asia Triathlon Championships (Istanbul) | #6 Elite Women |
| – Oct 2025 | World Triathlon Championship Finals (Wollongong) | #15 U23 Women |
| – Oct 2025 | Triathlon Japan National Championship (Tokyo) | #3 Championship Women |
| – Nov 2025 | World Triathlon Cup (Florianopolis) | #10 Elite Women |
Comment: I am deeply grateful to transcosmos for providing an environment in which I can continue my competitive career. Going forward, I will strive for growth and results as an athlete while contributing to the company and society, always keeping in mind my responsibility as a member of society. I will do my best to give back through my performance, with constant appreciation for all those who have supported me to date.
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8, Apr 2026
ISACA Foundation Global Scholarship Program Expands to Equip Next-Gen Professionals
8, Apr 2026
Call SKY: Skyscanner Launches Fan Hotline for Cricket Match Travel Tips
India, Apr 08: Leading global travel app Skyscanner today launched ‘Hotline to SKY’, a first-of-its-kind travel helpline offering cricket fans travel tips and hacks directly from brand ambassador, Suryakumar ‘SKY’ Yadav as they plan their match-day journeys. Blending cricket fandom with travel inspiration, the campaign invites fans to call a dedicated number for simple and smart ways to plan trips around upcoming cricket matches.
About ‘Hotline to SKY’
To spark curiosity, Skyscanner has rolled out a series of billboards across high-footfall locations in Delhi and Mumbai featuring a simple yet compelling prompt. Designed for instant engagement, the campaign turns a moment of curiosity into a real-time travel planning experience.
Once dialled in, callers are greeted by the voice of SKY, who responds to common cricket-related travel questions through a series of short, conversational voice notes. From navigating last-minute travel plans and finding cost-effective options, to building extended match-day itineraries, SKY shares practical advice alongside personal insights, including how he stays composed under pressure and his match-day mindset. The experience is powered by Skyscanner’s key features and expert travel hacks, including Price Alerts and its Calendar view search, helping fans plan more efficiently and make the most of their journeys. Through this, Skyscanner brings fans closer to the game while enabling smarter, more seamless travel planning around cricket.
Inside the Cricket Travel Boom: Key Trends
Travel demand took off following the announcement of the first phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) fixtures on 11 March, with Skyscanner recording a surge in domestic flight searches through to 12 April as fans geared up for the season. In the run-up to the opening clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), searches for the weekend of 27–30 March climbed 45% YoY (year-on-year), signalling early excitement. Mumbai quickly became the top trending destination for that weekend, driven by the face-off between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Momentum continued into April, with the ever-popular rivalry between RCB and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru sparking a 56% YoY jump in searches for the weekend of 3–6 April, highlighting how fixture drops could potentially be triggering spikes in travel demand, among Indians.
Commenting on the campaign, Neel Ghose, Skyscanner Travel Trends and Destinations Expert, shared, “Cricket has always had an unmatched hold on Indian audiences, and following the game on the road is just as much a part of that passion. We’re seeing fans plan entire trips around match schedules, navigating last-minute bookings, cross-city journeys, and peak travel windows. With ‘Hotline to SKY,’ Skyscanner is simplifying this process through its features, such as Price Alerts, Whole Month, and flexible search filters, helping users make more informed decisions with greater control. And with SKY lending his voice, we’re bringing a perspective that cricket fans across India instinctively trust, combining real-time insights with guidance that’s as familiar as it is useful, so travellers can stay one step ahead.”
Sharing his experience, Suryakumar Yadav, Skyscanner Brand Ambassador, said, “Being part of ‘Hotline to SKY’ has been special for me. As cricketers, we always feel the energy of fans in the stands, but this was a chance to be part of their journey in a different way, as they travel to support the teams they love. Recording these messages made me think through real travel situations fans face, and I’m proud to be able to share helpful tips via Skyscanner’s features, tools, and hacks, that make their experience smoother. I encourage everyone to pick up the phone and dial in to the hotline to not only get some travel planning tips but also hear some of my personal takes.”
Cricket trips aren’t just about the match anymore; they’ve become mini getaways. Fans are using these moments to explore new cities, discover great local food, and soak in the buzz of match day alongside fellow supporters from all over the world. Skyscanner tapped into this shift through its ‘Pitch Perfect Journeys’ campaign last year, which revealed that while 80% of fans were excited to travel for their favourite IPL teams, more than half were turning it into a longer break, adding a few extra days to enjoy the destination.
Building on this, through the ‘Hotline to SKY’ campaign, Skyscanner continues to deepen its understanding of real traveller needs, offering meaningful support shaped by real-life experiences. By staying close to what fans encounter on their journeys, Skyscanner remains focused on making travel planning simpler, so fans can focus on what truly matters, blending the thrill of the game with the joy of discovering something new.
8, Apr 2026
TAU Systems & Lawrence Berkeley Lab Achieve Breakthrough in Laser-Powered Accelerator, Enable 8+ Hours of Continuous FEL Output
Carlsbad, California, 8 April 2026: TAU Systems, a pioneer in compact particle accelerator technology, today announced a major scientific milestone: the first-ever demonstration of reliable, continuous operation of a laser-powered accelerator (LPA)-driven free-electron laser (FEL) sustained over more than eight hours without operator intervention. The achievement, published in a new research paper, marks a pivotal step toward making ultra-bright, tunable light sources practical for real-world scientific and industrial applications.
Traditional FEL facilities rely on large, costly radio-frequency accelerators that occupy entire campuses. LPAs shrink the acceleration distance from hundreds of meters to just millimeters by harnessing powerful laser pulses to accelerate electrons in a plasma. While the physics of LPA-driven FELs has been understood for almost 50 years, LPAs have historically had lower beam quality and stability, until now. Translating this technology into a stable light source has remained one of the field’s most stubborn engineering challenges.
The TAU Systems team, in collaboration with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), achieved this breakthrough by engineering a suite of interlinking stabilisation technologies onto the Hundred Terawatt Undulator (HTU) experiment at Berkeley Lab’s BELLA Center. The result was 100 MeV electron beams delivered at 1 Hz with high consistency over a continuous ten-hour period, driving a self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) FEL operating at 420 nm (in the visible blue-ultraviolet range) for more than eight hours without any manual adjustments.
Stephen Milton, VP of Accelerator Science at TAU Systems said: “This is the moment the community has been working toward. We have shown that an LPA-driven FEL is not just a proof-of-concept experiment. It is a platform capable of delivering the stability that real scientific and industrial users demand.”
Beyond simply operating the light source autonomously, the team used the extensive dataset collected during the run to map correlations between the properties of the drive laser, plasma source, and electron beam, and the resulting FEL output. These insights are already informing the next phase of performance improvements, with residual correlations in the data indicating that further gains in stability and brightness are within reach.
“This reported level of reliability and performance of the LPA-driven FEL not only represents a great improvement toward demonstrating the potential for future light source applications,” says Finn Kohrell, a postdoctoral scholar in the BELLA Center at Berkeley Lab and lead author of the published results. “It also allows us to gather an unprecedented amount of data about the highly complex interaction between the LPA and FEL process, and to identify which parameters are most impactful for further improving the FEL performance.”
The implications extend well beyond just one laboratory. Compact LPA-driven light sources have long been envisioned as a way to democratize access to high-brightness X-ray and UV beams, which are currently only available at a handful of national synchrotron and FEL facilities worldwide. Applications include structural biology, materials science, semiconductor lithography, medical imaging, and fundamental physics research. By demonstrating autonomous, multi-hour operation, TAU Systems and Berkeley Lab have cleared a critical barrier on the path to commercially deployable compact FELs.
TAU Systems characterizes the current system as a powerful research platform for the broader LPA-driven FEL community, enabling systematic studies of accelerator-to-light-source coupling that were previously impossible without long-duration stable operation. The company expects the findings to accelerate progress across the field and inform the design of future compact light source installations.
7, Apr 2026
Airrived Named Among Only 11 Startups in Gartner’s “Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race — Startups to Watch in Agentic AI”
DUBLIN, Calif.–We are at the inflection point. After decades of building systems that assist humans, we are crossing into an era where intelligent systems act autonomously — executing decisions, orchestrating workflows, and adapting to complex environments in real time. Most companies are still laying the groundwork. Airrived has arrived.
Today, Airrived announces it has been recognized among only 11 startups globally in Gartner’s newly released report, “Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race — Startups to Watch in Agentic AI” (published March 23, 2026). Of 129 companies evaluated, Airrived is the only one purpose-built for cybersecurity and IT — the domains where stakes are highest and trust is non-negotiable.
“129 startups chasing Agentic AI. Only a few made the cut. And just one is focused on Cybersecurity and IT — Airrived. The Agentic era has AIRRIVED.”
— Anurag Gurtu, Co-founder and CEO, Airrived
A Different Kind of Foundation
While much of the market remains fixated on copilots, wrappers, and orchestration layers dressed up as intelligence, Airrived is building something categorically different: the Agentic OS — a new foundational layer for the enterprise that doesn’t just assist, but executes, adapts, governs, and scales.
The Agentic OS combines fine-tuned domain models, deep reasoning, multi-agent orchestration, and policy-driven control into a single governed infrastructure. It transforms autonomous AI from experimental capability into trusted, production-grade operation. Others are enabling AI to act. Airrived is defining how AI can be trusted to act.
At the center of this vision is AetherClaw — Airrived’s flagship security capability and the clearest expression of its mission: autonomous systems that operate across every domain of the enterprise, governed by design, and trusted by default.
“We are not building another layer on top of existing AI. We are building the operating system that makes autonomous AI safe enough to trust — and powerful enough to transform.”
— Anurag Gurtu, Co-founder and CEO, Airrived
Already in Production
Months after emerging from stealth in February 2026, Airrived is not a promise — it is a platform. The company is already deployed in production at some of the world’s most demanding enterprises:
- A Fortune 150 insurance company, running high-volume, mission-critical agentic workflows at enterprise scale.
- A global bank, with governed autonomous agents operating across regulated financial environments.
- One of the largest fast-casual restaurant chains in the world, deploying operational intelligence at scale.
- A major telecom infrastructure provider, running autonomous operations across complex, high-availability infrastructure.
These deployments are not pilots. They are proof that governed, reliable, scalable agentic intelligence is not a future capability — it is a present one.
Industry Recognition
Since emerging from stealth, Airrived has earned recognition from every major industry body in the agentic AI space: Gartner Tech Innovator in Agentic AI • Cybersecurity Excellence Award, Agentic AI Platform (highest votes) • Global InfoSec Award, Most Advanced in Agentic AI • Security Today CyberSecured Award • BIG Innovator in Agentic AI • 2026 AI Excellence Award, Business Intelligence Group.
These honors are not accolades collected at a distance. They are independent validation that Airrived is delivering what the industry has long demanded: agentic AI that enterprises can actually trust.
What Comes Next
Gartner’s report makes clear that the urgent imperative for enterprises is to move beyond single-task AI toward multiagent systems capable of orchestrating complex, cross-domain workflows at scale. The question is no longer whether agentic AI will transform the enterprise. The question is who will build the infrastructure that makes it safe to do so.
Airrived has answered that question.
7, Apr 2026
Executive Centre India Limited to Strengthen its Presence with Multi-Phase Expansion at Aerocity in New Delhi
India, Apr 07: Executive Centre India Limited, a premium flexible workspace provider, is marking a major milestone with a significant multi–phase expansion at Worldmark Aerocity, New Delhi, further deepening its presence in one of India’s most sought-after commercial hubs. This strategic move adds over a cumulative 480,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art premium workspace to TEC’s growing footprint in the region. This development underscores TEC’s long-term commitment to supporting the evolving workspace needs of businesses in the capital region and providing Managed Office Solutions.
Set in the heart of one of New Delhi’s most strategic and premium business districts, TEC will be opening three centres across prime assets within Aerocity. The first phase at Worldmark Aerocity Building 4 (Level 7), will offer approximately 101,000 sq. ft. and 1,100 workstations. This will be followed by Building 6 (Level 7), with a gross area of 112,000 sq. ft. and 1,220 workstations. The final phase at Building 8 (Levels 3–5), spans 267,505 sq. ft. and accommodating 2,800 workstations. Together, these centres are designed to deliver a seamless blend of flexibility, functionality, and premium experience for enterprise clients, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), and high-growth companies. The centres will offer state-of-the-art Private Offices, Collaborative Spaces, Meeting Rooms, a Fitness Centre, a Fully Equipped Barista Bar, a Wellness Room, Private Phone Booths and Business Amenities designed as per international standards.
According to a JLL report, Delhi NCR region recorded 17.4 million sq. ft. of gross office space leasing in 2025. This surge was driven by heightened activities from IT/ITeS companies and Global Capability Centres (GCCs), alongside growing demand for flexible workspace solutions. TEC’s expansion in the region is a direct response to this momentum.
Speaking on the expansion, Paul Salnikoff, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Centre India Limited said, “Delhi-NCR continues to be a key market for office space demand, driven by a strong mix of domestic and global occupiers. As per a recent CBRE report, the region accounted for nearly 18% of India’s total office absorption in Q4 2025, and flexible workspace operators contributed 36% of this demand, reflecting the growing shift towards agile workplace strategies. Our expansion in Aerocity aligns with these trends, as we continue to see increasing demand for premium, well-located, and premium flexible work environments. With over 30 years of global expertise, TEC is well-positioned to provide high-quality workspaces that enable businesses to scale and adapt efficiently, shaping the future of work in India.”
Over the past three decades, TEC has built a reputation as a trusted partner to multinational corporations and growth-focused enterprises, delivering premium work environments backed by consistent service, operational excellence, and global scale. Today, the company operates across 15 cities in 8 markets, supporting businesses at every stage of expansion.
7, Apr 2026
Mahindra and Swaraj Announce Price Revision Across Tractor Range
April 7: Mahindra Tractors and Swaraj Tractors, both part of the Mahindra Group, today announced a price increase across their domestic tractor ranges.
The revised prices for Mahindra Tractors will take effect from April 8, 2026, while Swaraj Tractors will implement the adjustment from April 21, 2026.
The price revision is driven by rising input costs, particularly in commodities, impacting production and operational expenses. The increase will vary based on tractor models and regional markets.
Both Mahindra and Swaraj reaffirm their commitment to providing high-quality, reliable tractors to Indian farmers while balancing cost pressures and customer value.
The brands remain focused on innovation, performance, and supporting the agricultural community with dependable solutions.
