Category Archives: Business

India Must Transition from a Consumer to a Creator of Technology: Dr. Jitendra Singh says at PHDCCI’s 121st Annual Session

 “Minister underscores public–private synergy, indigenous manufacturing and accelerated innovation across quantum technology, nuclear science, biotechnology, space and pharmaceuticals”

 
New Delhi | October 2026: Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India, addressed the 121st  Annual Session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) in New Delhi, highlighting that this moment is a celebration of PHDCCI as a century old institution and a witness to the journey of India, pre-independence to present.

 
Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised that India’s highest priority must be to transform itself from a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere into a creator, developer and manufacturer of advanced technologies.

Hon’ble Dr. Jitendra Singh said “PHDCCI serves as an important medium to accelerate and promote government initiatives and called for strong and early entry of industry in government projects”

Highlighting the growing importance of indigenous research, innovation and industrial capabilities, the Minister underscored the need for stronger and earlier linkages between the Government, scientific institutions, startups and private industry. He stressed that India’s ambition must extend beyond operating sophisticated technologies to designing, developing, manufacturing and commercializing them domestically.

The expansion of India’s space startup ecosystem provides an important example of this transition. Government data indicate that the number of space startups increased from one in 2014 to more than 400 by February 2026. This development illustrates the potential of policy reform, institutional support and private-sector participation to build new technology-intensive industries, he said.

Dr. Singh applauded the role of PHDCCI in creating an ecosystem for collaboration between Government and Industry to create next generation technology. He emphasized that the objective should be to build enterprises capable of creating globally competitive technologies, rather than limiting entrepreneurship to the adoption or adaptation of existing products. This requires access to research infrastructure, patient capital, testing facilities, skilled talent and predictable pathways from laboratory research to commercial deployment.

 
The Minister highlighted the National Quantum Mission (NQM), approved in April 2023 with an outlay of ₹6,003.65 crore over eight years, as an important example of India’s commitment to frontier technology development. The Mission focuses on four major areas: quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing and metrology, and quantum materials and devices. Four thematic hubs have been established to coordinate research, infrastructure development, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration, he said.

The progress underscores the importance of coordination between Government, research institutions and industry in translating scientific objectives into technological outcomes. The Minister’s emphasis on synergy is particularly relevant to ensuring that research advances move beyond demonstrations towards scalable, reliable and commercially deployable systems.

The expansion of private participation in nuclear-related research and nuclear medicine can create opportunities in advanced diagnostics, oncology research, medical technologies and specialised equipment. Closer collaboration between public research institutions, healthcare providers, biotechnology companies and domestic manufacturers can also support the development of indigenous products and reduce critical import dependencies.

The Minister highlighted biotechnology as another important area for technology-led economic transformation. India’s BioE3 Policy—Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment—provides a framework for strengthening high-performance biomanufacturing and developing bio-based products. The policy promotes collaboration among academia, startups, industry and research institutions across areas including bio-based chemicals, biopolymers, precision biotherapeutics, climate-resilient agriculture and other emerging applications.

India’s space programme demonstrates how sustained public investment and expanding private-sector participation can create new industrial capabilities. The growth of the space startup ecosystem, alongside the development of indigenous launch vehicles, satellite systems and space applications, reflects the potential for domestic technology creation.

Greater integration between biotechnology research, genetic research, nuclear medicine and pharmaceutical manufacturing can support the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Early participation by private companies can help identify commercial requirements, strengthen clinical and manufacturing capabilities, and accelerate the translation of research into products, he added.

Setting the context and felicitating the Guest, Shri Rajeev Juneja, President, PHDCCI, said that Hon’ble Dr. Jitendra’s journey represents his commitment to science and technology. He emphasized PHDCCI’s proud 121 year old legacy with MSMEs being at its heart. He mentioned that making India a creator of technology, connecting entrepreneurship with science and technology and better public health care are the main areas where Hon’ble Dr. Jitendra’s guidance has been crucial. Shri Sanjay Singhania, Vice President delivered the Vote of thanks.  Shri Anil Gupta, Senior Vice President and Dr Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI shared the Dais with Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), along with President and Vice President, PHDCCI.

Business Correspondents Lead Nationwide Drive to Update Nominations in BSBD Accounts under DFS Special Campaign 6

National, October 10 2026: Across India’s rural and semi‑urban landscape, Business Correspondents (BCs) have taken up a critical challenge—ensuring that millions of Basic Savings Bank Deposit (BSBD) account holders update their nomination details. The implementation aims to provide depositors the flexibility to make nominations as per their preference, while ensuring uniformity, transparency, and efficiency in claim settlement across the banking system.

The campaign comes at a crucial time. As of 31 August 2026, nomination updation remains pending estimated in about 37% of BSBD accounts. A significant proportion of these accounts estimated at 78% are located in rural & semi-urban areas and 56% accounts are owned by Women, with limited financial literacy, migration, and lack of awareness about basic banking safeguards.

SBI has also launched a campaign this month to update nominations in 6.90 crore BSBD accounts, out of 18.62 crore eligible accounts, where the process is still pending. Around 55–60% of these accounts are in rural areas.

With this backdrop, BCs across the country have mobilised their Customer Service Points (CSPs) to reach out to customers, explain the importance of nomination, and update details in the Core Banking System (CBS). Early trends indicate that BCs have already begun updating nominee details for lakhs of accounts, with daily monitoring and field‑level reviews ensuring momentum throughout the campaign period.

This drive is not only about compliance it is about strengthening customer trust, and ensuring that rural households remain connected to the formal banking system. By guiding customers through the nomination process, BCs are helping transform inactive accounts into active, secure financial assets.

Ashish Misra, Deputy CEO, BLS E‑Services, said: “Our BCs have embraced this challenge with remarkable commitment. In rural India, many customers are unaware of essential processes like nomination. Through this campaign, we are not just updating records, we are educating families, strengthening financial security, promote customer convenience, and ensuring that every account holder understands the value of keeping their account active and future-ready.”

Mr. Dharanidhar Tripathy, Managing Director, Business Correspondent Resource Council (BCRC), said: “Nomination is a fundamental protection for every customer, especially in rural communities where financial literacy is still developing. This coordinated effort by BCs is helping bridge that gap. This is a significant step towards building a more informed and financially resilient rural India.”

Through this campaign, BCs supported institutionally by SBI and BLS E‑Services are helping ensure that every BSBD account holder has a nominated beneficiary and understands the importance of maintaining an active account. The initiative is expected to substantially improve the quality of financial inclusion across the country.

RIDEV Launches 16th Hub in Chennai as Electric Two-Wheeler Fleet Crosses 12,000

Chennai, October 10, 2026: RIDEV, an electric mobility platform focused on enabling India’s delivery and gig workforce, today announced the launch of its 16th hub in Chennai, as its fleet crosses 12,000 electric two-wheelers on the road. The launch was attended by Hemant Kabra, Founder and Managing Director of BGauss, as the Chief Guest.

The Chennai hub marks another step in RIDEV’s expansion of its hub-led operating model, which combines electric two-wheeler rentals with the operational support needed by high-usage delivery and gig workers. RIDEV’s operations are supported by in-house technology solutions that help manage its fleet, hubs and rider operations. Founded in April 2024 with just 10 electric two-wheelers, RIDEV has scaled to more than 12,000 electric two-wheelers on the road. Its rental model includes battery swapping, servicing and maintenance, roadside assistance, insurance and standby EV support, all provided at no additional cost.

The model is designed to give delivery and gig workers access to an electric two-wheeler without the upfront burden of ownership, while reducing some of the operational challenges that can affect their ability to stay on the road, including battery access, maintenance, repairs and vehicle downtime. For delivery and gig workers, the vehicle they use is directly connected to their ability to earn.

RIDEV’s approach is built around keeping that vehicle operational while taking on many of the day-to-day responsibilities associated with running an electric two-wheeler. ““At RIDEV, our philosophy is simple: we don’t just provide a vehicle; we provide access to an earning asset. For a delivery partner, a vehicle is more than transportation, it is the foundation of their livelihood and their family’s future. That’s why our responsibility goes beyond putting an EV on the road. We work to ensure riders can keep earning without being held back by ownership, maintenance, repairs, or downtime. In many ways, RIDEV becomes part of the backbone of a family’s livelihood. Every new RIDEV hub strengthens this ecosystem, enabling more riders across India to earn with confidence, dignity, and reliability. -Manish Kumar Jain, Founder & CEO, RIDEV

The company’s growth from 10 EVs to more than 12,000 reflects its focus on building a scalable operating model around vehicle access, rider support and technology. As part of the Chennai hub launch, RIDEV will also showcase its 12,000th electric two-wheeler, marking a symbolic milestone in the company’s growth journey. RIDEV will continue to expand its fleet and hub network across key markets while strengthening its technology and operational infrastructure to support the growing needs of India’s delivery and gig workforce. 

Enso Goes Live on Robinhood Chain, Bringing Composable Stock Token Access to Wallets and Fintechs

One Enso integration lets apps route into more than 248 Robinhood Stock Tokens, swap across chains and access DeFi on Robinhood Chain. 

ZURICH, Switzerland, 010 October, 2026 — Enso, the execution infrastructure platform for onchain finance, today announced its official launch on Robinhood Chain, the Arbitrum-built Layer-2 designed for financial services and tokenized real-world assets. Through a single Enso API integration, wallets, trading and investment apps, fintechs and institutions can now offer same-chain and cross-chain swaps, DeFi actions including deposits, liquidity provision and flashloans, and Robinhood Stock Tokens routing on the network.

More than 20 teams have already integrated Enso on Robinhood Chain ahead of today’s announcement, routing more than 8,450 transactions worth about $17 million. Stock Tokens account for nearly 30% of those transactions, with roughly one in three wallets using Enso on the network having traded one.

Tokenized equities are arriving onchain faster than the infrastructure needed to put them to work. Each new chain typically means a fresh round of integrations for liquidity venues, bridges and protocols. Enso extends the routing, simulation, bridging and policy enforcement it already runs across 27+ chains to Robinhood Chain, so existing partners can support the network through the same API they use today.

With Enso, Stock Tokens can be swapped, moved cross-chain or combined into a DeFi position within a single transaction path. A user holding USDC on Base, for example, can move into a Stock Token or a DeFi position on Robinhood Chain with one signature, without bridging manually or first acquiring ETH for gas on the new chain.

“Tokenized stocks only matter if people can reach them from the apps they already use,” said Connor Howe, Co-Founder and CEO of Enso. “More than 20 teams are already using Enso to bring Robinhood Chain to their users, and about a third of wallets routing through us have traded a Stock Token. That tells us the demand is there when access sits inside the products people already use. Partners on Enso can offer Stock Tokens, swaps and DeFi on Robinhood Chain through one integration, and they’ll be able to do the same for the next asset class or chain without starting over.”

Every transaction executed through Enso goes through pre-trade simulation and execution verification, the same standard applied on every chain Enso supports. Enso composes and executes transactions; it does not issue custody or broker Stock Tokens, and assets remain in the user’s or institution’s control.

Robinhood Chain support is available now in the Enso API. More information is available on the Enso blog here. 

Faasos Marks 22 Years with the Opening of Its First-Ever Physical Outlet in Pune

BMW Golf Cup 2026 India winners set to represent the country at the World Final

Gurugram | Oct 09. BMW Group India today announced the winners of the 16th edition of the BMW Golf Cup 2026 final, held at DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurugram. Anish Bhujle – Category A and Vikas Mahajan – Category B emerged victorious in their respective handicap categories and will represent India at the BMW Golf Cup World Final scheduled to be held in South Africa in March 2027.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Brar, President & CEO, BMW Group India said, “The BMW Golf Cup is more than a celebration of sporting excellence, it is a powerful expression of performance, passion and the strength of the BMW community. This year, the tournament reached a new milestone, bringing together 2,300 amateur golfers from across India, with 40 exceptional players advancing to the national final. I congratulate our winners on this outstanding achievement. As they step onto the global stage to represent India at the World Final, they carry the pride and support of the entire BMW community. Through distinctive experiences such as the BMW Golf Cup, we continue to bring our customers together and create memorable moments that reflect the spirit of BMW.”

The national final brought together 40 leading amateur golfers who qualified through regional tournaments held at spectacular golf courses across Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Vadodara, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata and Gurugram. This season attracted 2,300 participants, the finalist competed for national honours and the opportunity to represent India at the pinnacle of the BMW Golf Cup.

At the final, Anish Bhujle from Mumbai claimed the title in Category A for handicaps upto 12, while Vikas Mahajan from Muradabad won the Category B for handicaps 13-28. The two champions will form Team India at the BMW Golf Cup World Final, competing against leading amateur golfers from participating nations.

BMW Golf Cup, one of the world’s largest amateur golf tournament series can trace its roots back a quarter of a century to a British-based initiative that ran on its own for five years before going international. The tournament started as the BMW Invitation Tournament in UK. It has now developed into a global series with 1,000 qualifying tournaments involving 100,000 players in up to 40 countries. The best players from each nation qualify for the highlight, the BMW Golf Cup World Final, where the individual titles are contested in three categories.

The BMW Golf Cup 2026 has two categories, A (for handicaps up to 12) and B (for handicaps 13 – 28). The winners of the individual handicap categories qualify for the National Final. The winners in each of the two handicap categories in the National Final qualify to take part in the World Final of BMW Golf Cup.

Rising Digital Demand to Drive India’s Mobile Network Growth Through 2030

New Delhi, Oct 9: India’s mobile network traffic is expected to grow at an annual rate of 17 per cent between 2025 and 2030, supported by increasing smartphone usage, wider 5G adoption and growing demand for digital services, according to a report.

The rising use of mobile internet for video streaming, online gaming, digital payments and other online activities is expected to drive data consumption over the coming years.

As digital services become an increasingly important part of everyday life, telecom operators will need to expand network capacity and improve connectivity to meet the growing demand. The expansion of 5G services is also expected to support faster data speeds and more reliable connections.

The growth in mobile traffic is likely to create new opportunities for India’s telecommunications industry, encouraging investment in network infrastructure and advanced technologies.

At the same time, telecom companies will need to focus on improving service quality, managing network congestion and keeping mobile data services affordable for consumers.

The expected increase in mobile network traffic highlights the growing importance of digital connectivity in India’s economy. Continued investment in reliable telecommunications infrastructure will be essential to support businesses, consumers and the country’s expanding digital ecosystem.

1,200 Children to Take the Field at Mobile Creches’ Annual Sports Meet in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct  09, 2026: The children of the people who build our cities, grow our food and keep communities running will take centre stage this Sunday as Mobile Creches hosts its Annual Sports Meet – “Kheltey Raho, Khiltey Raho” at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, New Delhi.

Around 1,200 children from 50 Mobile Creches centres will participate in the sporting event on October 11, turning the track into a field of running, cheering, competing and celebration. The event will be joined by Pooja Dhanda, Indian wrestler, 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist and 2019 Arjuna Award recipient, as the Chief Guest. The event will also include an award distribution ceremony.

For Mobile Creches, the sports meet is more than a sporting event. It reflects a larger belief that every child deserves the right to play, learn, grow and be celebrated — irrespective of where their parents work or where their family lives.

Across India, construction workers raise buildings and infrastructure, families working in brick kilns make the bricks that shape our cities, and tea garden workers help put tea on tables across the country. Their children often grow up alongside these workplaces, with families moving in search of work or living in communities where access to quality childcare and early learning can be limited.

For more than five decades, Mobile Creches has worked to address this gap by taking childcare to where families live and work.

Founded in 1969, the organisation runs creches and learning centres across construction sites, urban settlements, brick kilns, tea gardens and rural and tribal communities, providing daycare, early learning, nutrition and health support close to children’s homes and their parents’ workplaces.

The organisation currently works across 17 states through more than 5,000 childcare centres and has reached over one million children, while training more than 20,000 care workers who form the backbone of its early childhood programmes.

From a creche to the sports field

The Annual Sports Meet brings this everyday work into focus.

At Mobile Creches centres, play is treated not as a reward, but as an essential part of childhood. Through play and early learning, children develop physical strength, confidence, social skills and a sense of belonging.

“Play is not a reward for children who have everything. It is how every child learns to trust, to try and to belong, For children from the communities we work with, this sports meet is the day the country turns around and says: we see you.” said Sumita Mishra, CEO, Mobile Creches.

The sports meet is an opportunity to see that belief in action — children lining up at the starting line, running their races, cheering for friends, experiencing the excitement of competition and celebrating each other’s achievements.

The programme will begin with an Indian Map formation and National Anthem, followed by a Torch Lighting Ceremony. Sporting activities will then take place across the track, with children participating age-wise.

Pooja Dhanda, whose own journey in wrestling has taken her to the international sporting arena, will join the children as Chief Guest. Her presence will add another dimension to the day’s message — that talent can come from every corner, and opportunity can help it find its field.

A celebration of the circle around every child

Mobile Creches believes that no child grows alone. Around every child is a circle of care — parents and families, the didis and care workers at the creches, communities, employers and developers who enable childcare spaces at worksites, and partners who support the organisation’s work.

The Annual Sports Meet brings this circle together on one field.

For one day, the children of families who spend their days building, growing and powering the country will not be on the sidelines. They will take the field, compete, cheer, laugh and be applauded.

And that, for Mobile Creches, is the spirit of “Kheltey Raho, Khiltey Raho” — because every child deserves the chance to play, compete and be cheered.

Harness Acquires Augment Code, Advancing the Autonomous SDLC from Idea to Production

Oct  09, 2026: Harness, the Autonomous SDLC Platform^TM company, today announced that it has acquired select Augment Code assets, including Cosmos and the Auggie CLI products, the Code Context Engine, and related technology. The team behind these products will join Harness, accelerating its work to make the entire software development lifecycle increasingly autonomous.

Cosmos will become Harness Cosmos Software Factory Agent, with a clear role: automate engineering work from idea to code. From there, Harness‘s existing agents for software delivery, security testing, runtime protection, and cost management take over, carrying the work into production and operations, creating a seamless agent to agent experience.

Connecting Augment’s Code Context Engine with Harness’s Software Delivery Knowledge Graph provides insights across the full SDLC — what’s being built, and what happens to it once it ships. Harness is bringing codebase understanding together with delivery context, so Harness Cosmos can make better-informed changes upfront, and Harness agents can use downstream findings to correct and verify them. 

“AI’s impact on software will not be measured by how much code it generates, but by how much valuable software reaches customers,” said Jyoti Bansal, founder and CEO of Harness. “Augment Code built Cosmos to create a software factory for repeatable engineering work. With this acquisition, we are bringing code context together with delivery and production context to help agents make better changes from the start. When Harness downstream agents identify an issue while testing, securing, or deploying code, they send it back to Cosmos with the context to fix it.”

“We set out to bring AI to the entire software development lifecycle, starting with context-aware coding,” said Igor Ostrovsky, co-founder and CTO of Augment Code. “Joining Harness is the next step toward that vision. Together, we can make engineering work increasingly autonomous, with engineers stepping in only where judgment really matters. We’ve seen software factories transform how companies build software. Now, with Harness, that same transformation is within reach for every team already on the Harness platform — and every team getting started.”

Introducing the Harness Cosmos Software Factory Agent

Harness Cosmos takes engineering work from idea to merge-ready code. When a requirement is written, a ticket is assigned, or a bug is reported, a fleet of Cosmos agents plans the change, writes the code and tests, and opens a pull request. Each agent works in its own isolated VM and pulls in an engineer only where judgment is needed, like approving a design or making the final merge.

Cosmos agents run as a continuous loop through ticket, code, and review. When a reviewer comments or a check fails, an agent fixes the issue on the same pull request. Teams can fork prebuilt Experts like Project Builder, PR Author, Deep Reviewer, and PR Fixer, tune each one to their own codebase, and deploy it organization-wide.

Augment’s Code Context Engine keeps a live map of the codebase, so changes fit the code already there. Model routing matches each task to the right model, and built-in integrations connect to GitHub, Jira, and Slack. Shared memory carries lessons from each review into the next change, and versioning and budget controls let teams run autonomous coding across the entire engineering organization.

What leaves the factory is a reviewed pull request, ready for Harness agents to test, secure, and deploy.

Shared context from code to production

Harness’s Software Delivery Knowledge Graph connects delivery and operational information, including builds, deployments, infrastructure, security, and costs. Augment’s Code Context Engine brings that same specificity to the code itself. 

Before a change is written, Harness Cosmos will pull together the delivery context that should shape it: test cases, security requirements, past incidents and their remediations. Once that change exists, Harness‘s downstream agents will use codebase context to reason about dependencies, risk, and what validation it needs. If something fails, the agents can loop until resolution.

Extending the Harness Autonomous SDLC Platform

Harness Cosmos joins the Harness platform, automating engineering work from idea to code. No matter how that code is written, the Harness platform already takes it the rest of the way:

• Software Delivery Agent moves changes safely to production
• Security Testing Agent finds and fixes risk before production
• Runtime Protection Agent protects applications, APIs, and AI in production
• Cost Management Agent controls and optimizes cloud and AI costs

The integration vision focuses on connecting Harness Cosmos workflows with the policies, permissions, and approvals that already govern the Harness platform, bringing the same discipline to creating a change that enterprises already expect when releasing one.

Availability

Harness Cosmos is now available. To learn more, read the announcement blog post, visit the website, or get started now. 

nurture.retail Decodes Ag-Tech’s Next Phase: Shifts Paradigm from Channel ‘Disruption’ to ‘Co-Creation’ for Agri-Manufacturers and Retailers

National, October 8, 2026: As India’s agri-tech ecosystem moves beyond the hyper-growth phase into an era of sustainable execution, nurture.retail was built by UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions as a digitally enabled B2B  distribution platform. It is pioneering an Ag-Tech Model designed explicitly for brands, manufacturers, and agri-retailers where it aims to create a sustainable model creating value through complementation, not competition with the conventional channel, while helping brands grow to their potential.

nurture.retail has over 1,15,000 registered agri-retailers, many high-quality manufacturers and brands which distribute exclusive products through the platform, and key NBFC partners offering credit to small retailers, who are onboarded with the platform. nurture.retail went through the same learning curve before realizing that agri-input distribution requires co-existence and co-creation, not disruption!

It offers a tailored suite of B2B capabilities built to help manufacturers scale without sacrificing brand control, while resolving historic market distortions.

For manufacturers, this can mean:

1. Direct linkage with retailers – enabling manufacturers to establish a direct relationship with retail partners

2. Brand protection as the #1 priority – ensuring that products are not listed or sold by unauthorized sources

3. Greater control over pricing – manufacturers retain control over pricing decisions, rather than the platform determining the selling price

4. Granular geographic control – brand partners can decide which products to sell in specific geographies, with the ability to control availability down to the PIN-code level

5. Complete sales data access: Manufacturers get full access to their sales data and actionable insights, enabling better visibility into demand, performance, and market trends

Traditionally the distribution networks typically reach maximum 20% of India’s 400,000+ agri-retailers, often leaving extended product portfolios unrepresented. nurture.retail functions as a powerful complement rather than a substitute for traditional channels.

“A more sustainable model is one where we create value through complementation, not competition with the conventional channel, while helping brands grow to potential. At nurture.retail, we are helping  expand access to agri-retailers in a phased manner, creating a compelling complementary channel through which brands and manufacturers can extend their reach” said Ravishankar Cherukuri, CEO, UPL Sustainable Agri Solutions (nurture.retail)

nurture.retail provides direct ordering access to authentic manufacturer products, transparent pricing  without complex rebate structures, reliable door-step delivery, and integrated credit options for small  and medium agri-retailers. 

With AI and improving mobile internet, we believe there are endless possibilities to help retailers and  farmers. Algorithmic recommendations based on hyperlocal purchase patterns, weather data and  satellite monitoring can help get the right products to the right places. Strong direct to farmer engagement  can help the best retailers serve farmers better than ever. 

The future of ag-tech, especially ag-input distribution tech is indeed very bright. Key to success is collaboration and co-creation, abandoning notions of disruption.