Concord Control Systems Honoured with Excellence in Railway Technology Award at ET Now Business Conclave & Awards 2026

Ahmedabad, June 18: Concord Control Systems Limited, India’s leading manufacturer of embedded electronic systems and critical electronic solutions, was honoured with the Excellence in Railway Technology Award, presented by Shri. Rushikesh Ganeshbhai Patel, Minister Energy and Petrochemicals, Panchayat and Rural Housing, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs at the ET Now Business Conclave & Awards 2026 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The award was received by Mr. Nitin Jain, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Systems Limited, on behalf of the company and recognizes Concord‘s contribution towards developing technology-driven solutions that enhance the safety, reliability and operational efficiency of railway systems.

As Indian Railways continues its transformation into a more connected, efficient and future-ready network, technology has emerged as a critical enabler of this evolution. Through its focus on indigenous innovation, advanced engineering and mission-critical railway solutions, Concord has played an active role in supporting this transition by developing intelligent systems designed to address the growing demands of modern railway operations.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Nitin Jain, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Systems Limited, said, “This award is a proud moment for the entire Concord family. It reflects the hard work and dedication of every team member. It also gives us confidence that we are growing and moving in the right direction. We see this recognition not just as an achievement, but as a responsibility to keep innovating and set higher standards for safety and reliability. This recognition reinforces our belief that Indian companies can develop world-class railway technologies and contribute meaningfully to the future of mobility. We view this award not just as a milestone achieved, but as a responsibility to continue innovating and raising the bar for the industry.”

“Concord has worked on innovative solutions such as battery and hydrogen-powered locomotives using indigenous technology. Our aim is to make railways greener, more sustainable, and less dependent on diesel. We focus on developing world-class railway technologies in India, for India. By embedding intelligence, resilience and uncompromising safety into every product, Indian engineering is poised to transform mobility—making networks smarter, greener and more reliable.

Receiving this award is a proud validation of our team’s dedication and innovation, and it strengthens our resolve to lead the next era of rail technology with world-class solutions and partnerships.” states, Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director of Concord Control Systems Limited.

Report Says India Effectively Managing Global Energy Shock

New Delhi, June 18: India has successfully navigated the challenges posed by the recent global energy shock, according to a new report that highlights the country’s resilience amid volatile international fuel prices and supply disruptions.

The report notes that despite significant fluctuations in global energy markets, India has managed to maintain stability in energy availability and pricing through a combination of strategic policy interventions, diversified import sources, and accelerated investment in domestic energy infrastructure.

It further highlights that India’s proactive approach to energy security, including the expansion of renewable energy capacity and improved efficiency in fuel consumption, has helped cushion the economy from external shocks.

Experts cited in the report emphasize that India’s balanced energy strategy—combining traditional fuel sources with rapid clean energy adoption—has played a key role in ensuring uninterrupted supply and economic stability.

The findings underline India’s growing capability to manage external economic pressures while continuing to support industrial growth, urban demand, and long-term sustainability goals.

The report concludes that India’s experience offers a model for resilience in an increasingly uncertain global energy landscape.

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.

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.