D’YAVOL Spirits Brings its Award-Winning Single Estate Vodka and Inception Blended Malt Scotch to the USA

Building on growing international acclaim, D’YAVOL Spirits takes another step towards becoming a global name in luxury spirits

MUMBAI, India, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — D’YAVOL Spirits, founded through a partnership between global icon Shah Rukh Khan, Aryan Khan’s D’YAVOL Luxury Collective, Radico Khaitan and Nikhil Kamath, makes its US debut with D’YAVOL Single Estate Vodka and D’YAVOL Inception Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.

Following its recent UK launch, the US debut brings a Single Estate Vodka crafted in Poland using 100% winter wheat, and a Blended Malt Scotch that combines eight single malts from the different regions of Scotland.

Speaking on the launch, Leti Blagoeva, CEO, D’YAVOL Spirits, said, “The US debut marks an important new chapter for D’YAVOL Spirits as we continue to build a global spirits brand with a distinct point of view. With D’YAVOL Single Estate Vodka and D’YAVOL Inception, we are entering the market with two spirits that each tell a different story through their origins, craftsmanship, and character. The international recognition we have earned so far gives us a strong foundation, and we see this as the beginning of a much larger journey for D’YAVOL Spirits in the US.”

Since launching its first product in 2023, D’YAVOL Spirits has earned 53 international awards across D’YAVOL Single Estate Vodka, D’YAVOL Inception, and D’YAVOL Vortex, including ‘Scotch of the Year’ and ‘Vodka of the Year’ titles, along with several Gold and Double Gold medals.

Sanjeev Banga, President, International Business, Radico Khaitan, said, “The US is a key market for premium spirits, and D’YAVOL’s entry marks an exciting step in its global journey. With a portfolio that brings together distinctive provenance, exceptional craftsmanship and a contemporary spirit, the brand is well placed to make its mark in this competitive market. The international recognition it has earned so far is a strong testament to its quality and ambition. We believe D’YAVOL has all the ingredients to carve out a distinctive space for itself on the global stage.”

Crafted in Poland from 100% winter wheat through a grain-to-glass process, D’YAVOL Single Estate Vodka is filtered through rare black pearls. It offers a crisp nose with raisin notes and a smooth, balanced palate with subtle sweetness and a rich mouthfeel.

D’YAVOL Inception Blended Malt Scotch Whisky combines eight single malts from four Scottish regions, aged up to 12 years in first-fill tawny port and rare Madeira casks. Non-chill filtered, it offers fruity sweetness, gentle smoke, and peat on the nose, with ripe pears, cherries, creamy toffee, and raisins on the palate.

Imported and distributed in the US by SG Worldwide, both products are available at select stores nationwide, with further expansion planned in the coming months.

The brand’s wider portfolio also includes D’YAVOL Vortex, a multi-award-winning blended Scotch featuring vanilla fudge, smoky malt and Islay peat. Looking ahead, the brand plans to introduce a range of luxury tequilas.

About D’YAVOL Spirits

D’YAVOL Spirits is the spirits vertical of D’YAVOL Luxury Collective, co-founded by Aryan Khan, Leti Blagoeva and Bunty Singh, in partnership with Shah Rukh Khan, Radico Khaitan and Nikhil Kamath. Focused on provenance and craftsmanship, its portfolio includes D’YAVOL Single Estate Vodka, D’YAVOL Inception Blended Malt Scotch and D’YAVOL Vortex Blended Scotch. The wider collective also includes D’YAVOL X, focused on streetwear and accessories, and D’YAVOL Live, spanning events and nightlife.

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From Pitch to Pilot: Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition Opens Global Search for Deep Tech Urban Solutions and Sustainability focused Founders

• Finalists compete for over S$2.5 million (US$2 million) in prizes and gain a pathway to SMU’s Urban SustaInnovator accelerator and US$10 million USI Fund

SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For many deep-tech start-ups tackling urban and sustainability challenges, the biggest hurdle is not developing breakthrough technologies, but finding the customers, partners and opportunities to deploy them at scale.

Addressing this challenge, the 13th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) today opened applications for university founders and recent graduates seeking to turn frontier ideas into real-world impact. Organised by Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE), LKYGBPC is one of Asia’s most globally representative deep-tech start-up competitions, spanning 12 focus areas including climate tech, energy, food and land use, urban mobility, longevity and healthtech, and sustainable materials and circularity.

Fifty finalists will be flown to Singapore 28 September to 1 October 2027 to compete for over S$2.5 million in prizes and take part in an Innovation Festival featuring investor engagement, mentorship, and connections with corporate and ecosystem partners.

Beyond the Competition: A Gateway to SMU’s Urban SustaInnovator (USI) accelerator

Selected LKYGBPC finalists can join SMU’s Urban SustaInnovator (USI) accelerator, launched in 2025, which supports start-ups through market access, pilot projects and strategic introductions across Asia. In May 2026, SMU IIE launched the USI Fund to back promising ventures as they pilot and scale.

“Founders of breakthrough technologies can create value only when they reach the people, industries, and communities they are designed to serve. SMU created LKYGBPC as a platform to help founders bring their innovative ideas to life by connecting them with the partners, markets and opportunities needed to turn innovation into real-world impact. Now, through the USI programme and USI Fund, we offer a post-competition pathway to pilot, scale, and raise capital throughout Asia,” said Rony Palathinkal, Head of the LKYGBPC and Urban SustaInnovator at SMU IIE.

One of the biggest challenges for sustainability start-ups is getting access to the right partners to validate and deploy new technologies.

SMU is uniquely positioned to help startups make these connections with its network of Overseas Centres in Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Shenzhen, and its International Advisory Councils in eight countries. “SMU’s expansive network of partners from industry, government and community across Asia enables us to forge connections that enable startups to cross borders and scale their innovative solutions,” says Professor Sun Sun Lim, SMU’s Vice President of Partnerships and Engagement, and Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication & Technology.

Singapore-based Standard Physics (formerly Inviscid AI), founded by Qiu Ziming and Kabir Jain, was a finalist in the 12th LKYGBPC before joining Y Combinator’s Winter 2026 cohort and SMU’s inaugural Urban SustaInnovator (USI) accelerator. The startup uses physics-informed AI and IoT-powered digital twins to optimise energy efficiency in buildings and data centres. Through USI, it secured a pilot with The GEAR by Japanese construction giant Kajima and is discussing three more opportunities. It has also raised US$2.3 million in seed funding led by Square Peg Capital and is preparing to launch an AI-powered agentic engineering platform. Jain credits Y Combinator’s start-up expertise and USI’s regional network for supporting its growth.

“The accelerators were very complementary. YC was good at getting us from zero to one, and then USI has been very helpful in getting us from one to 10. The USI team can make the right introductions and help you grow,” said Jain. 

Singapore is strengthening its position as a global sustainability innovation hub, providing start-ups with opportunities to pilot, validate and scale technologies across Asia and beyond. This government-led ambition is backed by the S$37 billion RIE 2030 plan, including S$10.8 billion for mission-oriented research, and a S$40 million USS Translation Fund to support the development and commercialisation of urban and sustainability solutions.

Building a Global Pipeline of Innovation

Established by SMU in 2002, LKYGBPC is a biennial competition open to start-ups with at least one founder currently enrolled in a university programme or who graduated within the past five years. Its 12th edition in October 2025 attracted over 1,500 entries from founders representing 1,200 universities across 91 countries. Finalists from the 9th to 12th editions have collectively raised over S$1 billion. Finalists from the 9th to 12th editions have collectively raised over S$1 billion.  Finalists from the 9th to 12th editions have collectively raised over S$1 billion.

Said Shirley Wong, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SMU IIE, Chairperson of the 13th LKYGBPC Advisory Committee, and Managing Partner of TNF Ventures: “As Asia continues to urbanise, the region presents both complex challenges and significant opportunities for innovation. LKYGBPC brings together founders worldwide and connects them with Singapore’s ecosystem of industry, investors and institutions to accelerate solutions with regional and global impact.”

Applications are open at https://iie.smu.edu.sg/lkygbpc and close on 31 March 2027.

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ESENTIA increases Adjusted EBITDA in 3Q26, reduces leverage and advances its growth strategy

• Adjusted EBITDA reached US$86.0 million in 3Q26, up 1.3% from 3Q25, and US$262.5 million in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 3.5%.
• The Net Debt / LTM Adjusted EBITDA ratio declined to 3.9x as of September 30, 2026, from 4.1x at year-end 2025.
• The Company is advancing its Expansion Plan and expects to expand its presence toward the Pacific region through the signing of an agreement to acquire EOM, owner of the Guadalajara–Manzanillo gas pipeline, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ESENTIA Energy Development, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ESENTIA) (“ESENTIA” or the “Company”), announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2026, reporting Adjusted Revenues of US$111.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA of US$86.0 million, while strengthening its financial position and continuing to advance its energy infrastructure expansion strategy. Read the full report here. https://esentiaenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Earnings_Release_3Q26_ENG.pdf

During the quarter, Adjusted EBITDA increased 1.3% year over year to US$86.0 million, driven mainly by the natural gas marketing business, which benefited from higher sales volumes and a higher contribution margin, as well as increased interruptible transportation services and a greater contribution from joint ventures, alongside the stable base provided by long-term transportation contracts.

The Net Debt / LTM Adjusted EBITDA ratio declined to 3.9x from 4.1x at year-end 2025, reflecting growth in Adjusted EBITDA and a reduction in gross debt.

Net income for the quarter totaled US$24.5 million, down 13.1% from the same quarter of the prior year, mainly due to a higher tax burden. In the first nine months of the year, net income increased 18.9% to US$65.9 million, while natural gas sales volumes grew 15%, with a 14% increase in contribution margin.

“As we close out 2026 and look ahead to 2027, our priorities are clear: continue delivering results, complete Phase I, close and integrate EOM, and develop with discipline the opportunities that support ESENTIA’s long-term growth,” said Daniel Bustos, Chief Executive Officer of ESENTIA.

ESENTIA continues to execute its Expansion Plan as expected. Phase I remains on track to achieve mechanical completion of the Aguascalientes Compression Station in the first quarter of 2027, in line with budget, with 100% of its capacity covered by firm contracts. Phase II, which is expected to enter service in the second quarter of 2028, already has firm contracts covering 56% of its capacity.

In this context, the agreement to acquire EOM, owner of the Guadalajara–Manzanillo gas pipeline, represents a significant step in the Company’s expansion strategy toward the Pacific region and complements its long-term growth outlook. The Company expects to finance the acquisition entirely with its own funds, with no additional debt, and to complete it during the first half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

Adjusted Revenues and Adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures; their definitions and reconciliations are included in the quarterly report. This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Please refer to the quarterly report for further information. 

About ESENTIA Energy Development:

ESENTIA Energy Development is a leading company in Mexico’s energy sector, specializing in natural gas transportation and marketing. With more than 20 years of experience, we develop infrastructure projects that drive growth and broaden access to energy, contributing to Mexico’s well-being and sustainable development. We operate Mexico’s largest privately owned interconnected natural gas system, delivering reliable, low-cost natural gas from Waha, Texas, through central Mexico to the country’s main industrial regions. At ESENTIA Energy Development, we operate to the highest safety standards and maintain a strong commitment to sustainability and respect for the communities where we operate. For more information visit www.esentiaenergy.com

Contact Information

Lisa Carrillo

Communications Manager

lcarrillo@esentia-energy.com

Patricia Fid Martín

Senior Director, Investor Relations and Capital Markets

pfid@esentia-energy.com

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UN Chief Expresses Grief Over Deadly Train Collision in Spain

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 29: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed profound sorrow over a deadly train collision in central Spain that reportedly claimed at least 68 lives and left dozens of others injured.

In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and conveyed his solidarity with the people and government of Spain following the devastating accident.

The tragedy occurred on the Madrid–Seville railway corridor in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, when a state-operated Renfe high-speed train reportedly struck the rear of a stationary Iryo passenger train. The collision triggered a major emergency response, with rescue personnel and medical teams rushing to the scene to assist the injured and search for survivors.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced three days of official national mourning in response to the disaster. Visiting an emergency command centre near the crash site, Sánchez pledged a thorough judicial and technical investigation to establish the circumstances that led to the collision.

“We will get to the bottom of this,” Sánchez said, stressing that authorities would examine every possible factor, including human error, operational lapses and potential failures in railway safety systems.

The prime minister also emphasised that the government’s immediate priorities were to rescue survivors, provide medical treatment to the injured and support families affected by the tragedy. Authorities are expected to assess the physical and technical evidence as part of the investigation.

Preliminary reports indicate that the two trains were operating within the same railway corridor when the collision occurred. Investigators are working to determine how the trains came to occupy the same section of track and whether any procedural or technical shortcomings contributed to the disaster.

The incident has prompted renewed attention to railway safety and emergency preparedness, while the country mourns those who lost their lives. Officials have pledged accountability if the investigation identifies negligence or failures in safety procedures.

As rescue and recovery efforts continue, Spain faces a period of national grief, with authorities focused on supporting survivors, informing families and establishing the facts behind one of the country’s most devastating recent rail tragedies.

MITTI LABS & SALESFORCE PARTNER TO SCALE WATER-SAVING RICE FARMING PRACTICES THAT REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS

Salesforce will purchase 500,000 high-integrity, data-backed methane reduction credits from Mitti Labs by 2030, bringing water resilience to India’s smallholder farmers. 

SAN FRANCISCO and BENGALURU, India, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Deep-tech company Mitti Labs today announced a five-year carbon credit offtake agreement with Salesforce to scale Climate-smart rice farming across tens of thousands of smallholder farms in India. Coming just weeks after Mitti Labs’ offtake agreement with Google, this new partnership shows the growing corporate demand for satellite-verified rice methane credits as a scalable offset solution with near-term impact. 

Climate-smart rice farming replaces traditional continuous irrigation with alternate irrigation, where farmers let their fields dry out during safe windows in the growing cycle. This low-cost practice shift helps the world grow more rice with less water, while abating methane emissions derived from microbe growth in oxygen-free soils. Alternate irrigation can cut methane emissions by up to 50% and water usage by up to 40%, without affecting yields. 

Agriculture is responsible for 40% of all human-induced methane emissions, which are a powerful driver of climate change. Methane traps 85 times more heat than CO₂ but only stays in the atmosphere for a decade, meaning that every ton that is not emitted today delivers a fast, tangible reduction in near-term warming. 

Commitments from companies like Salesforce are helping Mitti Labs scale these practices. Mitti Labs plans to scale its operations to meet this demand: by 2028, it plans to issue 2 million credits per year from its projects located in India and Southeast Asia. 

“Salesforce is a founding member of the Beyond Alliance’s Superpollutant Action Initiative. We know that superpollutant reduction is one of the best ways to slow near-term warming, and we are committed to directing capital toward high-impact mitigation efforts. Reducing methane emissions from rice farming is a scalable climate solution that also helps preserve water resources for future generations,” said Jamila Yamani, PhD., Director of Climate & Energy at Salesforce.

Every credit delivered under the agreement will be backed by field-level evidence and satellite-verified field dry-downs. Mitti Labs’ GeoAI platform, developed with support from NASA, fuses high-resolution satellite radar with field-collected ground truth to track flooding, soil moisture and crop health across individual smallholder plots. This provides credit buyers with transparent, independently verifiable proof of impact at a scale that manual monitoring is not able to match.

Beyond reducing methane emissions, the partnership is projected to save 700 billion liters of water, or roughly eighteen months of Bengaluru’s annual supply, easing pressure on groundwater retrievals in regions where rice farming competes with urban and industrial water usages. 

“Carbon credit buyers are increasingly asking not just what impact a project delivers, but how they can see it for themselves. Having Salesforce join Google in backing rice methane reductions shows that high-integrity, data-verified agricultural credits are becoming a core part of serious climate offsetting strategies. This agreement lets us reach tens of thousands more farmers with practices that cut emissions, save water and strengthen livelihoods,” said Xavier Laguarta, co-founder at Mitti Labs.

With Salesforce’s support, Mitti Labs will deepen its engagement with rice farming communities and expand the ‘digital twins’ GeoAI datasets that support the roll-out of its programs. As demand for the world’s staple crop continues to grow and rainfall patterns become less predictable, the next five years in the partnership offer a chance to strengthen food security and realize the full potential of rice farming as a climate solution. 

About Mitti Labs

Mitti Labs combines satellite technology, AI and field operations to create a water and climate resilient future for rice farming. To date, its programs have saved 500 billion liters of water — the equivalent of Bengaluru’s annual supply. In July 2026, Mitti Labs received an ‘A’ rating from leading ratings agency Sylvera in recognition of its rigorous implementation and measurement protocols. 

Mitti Labs customers include global technology, service, food and agriculture businesses such as Google, Cool Effect, Ebro Foods, and Syngenta. Since launching in 2023, Mitti Labs has grown to 150 employees and secured $12.5 million from investors such as Lightspeed India, Aramco Ventures, Voyager Ventures, Godrej Industries Group, Cisco Foundation, Francis Family Fund, and Volta Circle. Visit mittilabs.earth to learn more.

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Inntot Recognized as an official STMicroelectronics Authorized Partner for Software-Defined Radio Digital Radio Receiver Solutions

Collaboration brings together STMicroelectronics’ automotive tuner technology and Inntot’s Software-Defined Radio IP to support cost-effective, multi-standard digital radio solutions

KOCHI, India, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Inntot Technologies, a leading provider of Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and in-cabin audio technologies, today announced that it has been recognized as an official STMicroelectronics Authorized Partner. The collaboration combines STMicroelectronics’ high-performance automotive radio tuners with Inntot’s highly competitive and optimized SDR software IPs, offering global Automotive Tier-1 suppliers and automakers a complete, cost-effective digital radio receiver solution.

The combined solution enables automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to support multiple digital radio standards, including Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+) and China Digital Radio (CDR), within automotive infotainment systems without the need for dedicated hardware decoders.

As the global automotive industry shifts toward integrated cockpits and Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), Tier-1 suppliers face increasing pressure to lower Bill of Materials (BOM) costs while maintaining high audio performance.

By pairing STMicroelectronics’ RF tuner ICs (such as the STA709/STA710 series, TDA7707/TDA7708 series) with Inntot’s high performing, lightweight, low-CPU-usage SDR stacks, the solution offers several benefits:

• Reduced Hardware Complexity: Eliminates dedicated baseband Integrated Circuits (ICs), minimizing board space, power consumption, and thermal dissipation.
• Multi-Standard Global Coverage: Supports key broadcast standards across global regions (Europe, APAC, GCC, India, and the Americas) via software configuration.
• Faster Time-to-Market: Pre-validated middleware, hardware abstraction layers and OS abstraction layers accelerate system integration for Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), Android Automotive OS, and RTOS environments.
• Seamless Switching and Rich Data Services: Fully supports advanced features including seamless blending from analog to digital and vice-versa, alerts including emergency warning, album art/slideshows, Service and Program Information (SPI) and TPEG traffic notifications.

“Automotive radio is increasingly becoming a software-defined experience, giving automakers greater flexibility to address different standards and markets through software,” said Rajith Nair, CEO of Inntot Technologies. “Our partnership with STMicroelectronics is an important step in advancing that transition and bringing scalable digital radio solutions to more vehicle platforms globally.”

The joint STMicroelectronics and Inntot SDR receiver solutions supporting DRM, DAB/DAB+, CDR standards are now available for evaluation, sampling, and integration into automotive Tier-1 infotainment programs.

About Inntot

Inntot is a leading Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and In-Cabin Audio Technology company. Inntot’s SDR IP portfolio supports Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+), Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), China Digital Radio (CDR), HD Radio, DTS AutoStage, and RadioDNS. With SDR deployments in more than 2.6 million cars and deployment underway in 4.4 million cars, the company holds 13 granted patents in the digital radio domain. Inntot is a member of WorldDAB and its technical committee and DRM Consortium and its technical committee. Inntot is also the winner of Digital Radio Mondiale Enterprise Award 2020.

Inntot Contacts

Media: info@inntot.com

Website: www.inntot.com

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Xobin Introduces AI Interview Auditor to Make AI-Led Hiring More Trustworthy

A new AI agent designed to review AI-conducted interviews, identify evaluation inconsistencies, and help organizations make more reliable hiring decisions.

CHENNAI, India, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Xobin, a talent intelligence platform, today announced Xobin AI Interview Auditor, a new AI-powered solution designed to independently review interviews conducted by AI.

As more organizations adopt AI interviews to screen and evaluate candidates, a new challenge is emerging: How can companies be confident that the AI interviewer is making reliable assessments?

Xobin aims to address this challenge with an AI agent that reviews the interview itself.

Who Is Checking the AI Interviewer?

AI interviews are helping companies evaluate candidates at scale. But organizations also need a way to check whether those interviews were conducted and evaluated appropriately.

Xobin AI Interview Auditor is designed to examine AI interview conversations and help organizations answer important questions:

• Did the AI ask relevant questions for the role?
• Did it properly evaluate the candidate’s answers?
• Did it overlook important information?
• Was the evaluation consistent with the interview conversation?
• Are the final scores and recommendations supported by evidence?

The goal is simple: AI interviews should be auditable, not just automated.

An Independent Review of AI Interviews

Xobin AI Interview Auditor introduces an additional layer of review to the AI hiring process.

Instead of relying entirely on the conclusions generated by an AI interviewer, organizations can use the auditor to identify potential inconsistencies and areas requiring human attention.

Each AI interview report now carries a quality badge, a short scorecard and plain-language flags. These show hiring teams at a glance whether the interview met Xobin’s quality standards and which sessions need a closer look, such as “this interview had long delays” or “the candidate tried to steer the AI off topic.”

Xobin’s in-house team also reviews all flagged audit reports to keep improving how the auditor and AI interviewer perform.

This approach is intended to improve transparency and give hiring teams greater confidence in AI-assisted hiring decisions.

Building on Xobin’s Existing AI Interview Capabilities

Xobin already offers Guided AI Interviews, enabling organizations to evaluate candidates through structured, interactive AI-led conversations.

These interviews also support the evaluation of emerging AI-era skills, including AI fluency, prompt engineering, and vibe coding.

Through Xobin’s existing real-time prompt editor, candidates can demonstrate how they interact with AI, construct and refine prompts, and approach practical problem-solving challenges.

For software development roles, this enables employers to assess how candidates use AI-assisted coding tools, rather than relying exclusively on traditional coding questions or theoretical knowledge.

With the introduction of AI Interview Auditor, Xobin is adding an independent review capability to its existing AI interviewing technology.

While Guided AI Interviews assess candidates, AI Interview Auditor assesses the quality and reliability of the AI interviewer’s evaluation.

Building Trust in AI Hiring

“AI is increasingly being trusted to interview candidates and recommend who should move forward. But who is checking whether the AI got it right?” said Guruprakash Sivabalan, Founder and CEO of Xobin.

“We believe the future of AI hiring requires more than automation. It requires accountability. Every AI interview should be explainable, reviewable, and supported by evidence.”

About Xobin

Xobin is a talent intelligence platform used by 5000+ organizations in 55+ countries, helping organizations make evidence-based decisions across hiring, talent development, and workforce management. Its solutions include AI interviews, skill assessments, psychometric assessments, and talent intelligence.

Website: https://xobin.com

Media contact

Guruprakash Sivabalan

Founder and CEO, Xobin

Email: guru@xobin.com 

Website: www.xobin.com

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Tata Communications to Build India’s AI Super Highway

Planned USD 400 – 450 million investment to create 10,000 km of AI-ready connectivity infrastructure linking India’s key data center and AI hubs

NEW DELHI, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tata Communications, a leading global communications technology player, today announced strategic investments of close to USD 450 million to build an AI super highway in India – a high-speed, low-latency network fabric connecting India’s key AI data-centre corridors. The company will build around 10,000 kilometers of the new long-haul fiber across India, creating one of the country’s largest AI-ready connectivity network. Integrated with Tata Communications’ global network backbone, the AI super highway will provide customers with a seamless, end-to-end connectivity fabric, supporting the performance, resilience and scale required for next-generation AI workloads.

India’s data centre industry is poised for significant growth in the near future, driven by accelerating cloud adoption, AI deployment, increasing data localisation requirements, and growing enterprise demand for resilient, high-capacity digital infrastructure. As data centre capacity expands rapidly across the country, connectivity is becoming as critical as compute power and energy availability in enabling the next generation of digital services.

Rupesh Chokshi, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Executive Vice President & Global Business Head – Network Services, Tata Communications, said, “The AI economy needs more than compute. It needs a network built for speed, scale and resilience. Tata Communications has long played a foundational role in enabling India’s digital economy, and our AI Network Fabric builds on that legacy. Our AI Network Fabric will give our global customers the ultra-low-latency, high-capacity and resilient connectivity they need to scale AI with confidence. By connecting India’s AI and data center hubs to the world, we are enabling our customers to grow and helping fuel India’s next chapter of economic growth.”

The investment aims to strengthen India’s emergence as a global AI and cloud connectivity gateway, intending to meet the unprecedented demand from hyperscale and neocloud providers, AI workloads, digital-native businesses, Global Capability Centres (GCCs), enterprises and emerging cloud platforms. It will enable global hyperscalers, digital platforms and multinational enterprises to scale their operations in India with confidence as the country enters its next phase of digital transformation.

The first phase of the program will focus on the Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad-Chennai corridor, one of India’s most important AI and hyperscale growth routes. Subsequent phases will expand connectivity into emerging East Coast and Western India data centre ecosystems, including Vizag, Bhubaneswar, Jamnagar, GIFT City and other strategic locations. By linking the key AI corridors and data centre clusters with international cable landing stations, Tata Communications will enable seamless connectivity between India and major global AI hubs across, positioning India as a strategic gateway in the global digital infrastructure landscape.

In parallel, Tata Communications will continue to support existing enterprise and data centre connectivity requirements by scaling its current National Long Distance and metro network footprint, ensuring continued support for current growth while building capacity for future demand.

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Total Investment of Approx. USD 6.8 Million in Product Development for Malaria, NTDs and Other Emerging & Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Such as Ebola Disease

TOKYO, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund announced today a total investment of approximately JPY 1.06 billion (USD 6.8 million¹) in nine R&D projects for the development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for malaria, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and emerging & re-emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola disease. ²

Investment of approx. JPY 450 million (USD 2.9 million¹) for Clinical Validation, Regulatory Approval and Programmatic Launch of Rapid Diagnostic Test for Trachoma

Trachoma is an NTD caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It remains a public health problem and is responsible for causing blindness or visual impairment in approximately 1.9 million people globally. Currently, nearly 92 million people live in endemic areas and remain at risk of blindness due to trachoma³.

Trachoma control programs currently rely on Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of antibiotics. This creates a critical demand for a point-of-care rapid diagnostic test (RDT) to guide timely and accurate field-level decision-making on when to start or stop MDA.

The GHIT Fund has decided to invest approximately 450 million yen in a project to develop a rapid diagnostic test for trachoma, led by Drugs and Diagnostics for Tropical Diseases (DDTD), Medical & Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd. (MBL), The Carter Center, and Big Eye Diagnostics, Inc. Supported by the GHIT Fund since 2024, the project aims to establish a diagnostic test that fully complies with the WHO Target Product Profile (TPP). This new investment will further accelerate clinical evaluations, regulatory approvals, and programmatic launch.

The GHIT Fund Invests Approximately JPY 210 Million (USD 1.3 million¹) to Meet Urgent Need for Rapid Diagnostic Development for Ebola Disease

Ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026 (Japan time) in response to the outbreak of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the GHIT Fund has focused its support on product development for rapid diagnostic technologies and point-of-care (POC) testing for filovirus infections, including Ebola disease.

An outbreak with over 4,500 deaths as of October 21, 2026, has been reported in the DRC⁴. Rapid diagnosis is essential to prevent transmission, and the GHIT Fund has decided to invest a total of approximately JPY 210 million (USD 1.3 million¹) in three projects for the rapid diagnosis of Ebola disease. For details, please refer to Appendix 1.

1) Development of a new RT-LAMP/nucleic acid chromatography diagnostic device for rapid screening of for the Bundibugyo virus led by Medical & Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd. and Nagasaki University in Japan.

2) Development and field investigation of a lateral flow immunoassay for the Ebola hemorrhagic fever Bundibugyo strain in the DRC led by Saitama University in Japan.

3) Development of a LAMP-based assay for detection of Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) led by Eiken Chemical Co. Ltd. in Japan.

In addition, the GHIT Fund will invest a total of approximately JPY 400 million (approx. USD 2.5 million¹) in the following five R&D projects. These include a project to develop a next-generation vaccine against Lassa fever, which is widespread in West Africa, as well as rapid antigen tests (RAT) for high-priority zoonotic pathogens, specifically the Nipah and Hendra viruses, which pose a risk of severe outbreaks with potential “Disease X” pandemic capacity. Investment will also cover product development for malaria and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as dengue fever, chikungunya, and Chagas disease.

1. Construct and formulation optimization and efficacy evaluation of a bivalent mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine for Lassa virus led by the University of Osaka (Center for Advanced Modalities and Drug Delivery System [CAMaD], Research Institute for Microbial Diseases [RIMD], and Graduate School of Medicine [UOsaka Med]) and The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
   
   
   
   
2. Strategic high-performance immunoglobulins for epidemic and lethal diseases, and to develop a highly accurate rapid antigen test (RAT) for detecting Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) infections, both of which have the potential to cause severe outbreaks, led by PATH and iBody Inc.
   
   
   
   
3. Improving antimalarial potency of antisense oligonucleotides through bioinformatics and machine-learning algorithms led by Eisai Co., Ltd. and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).
   
   
   
   
4. Innovative approaches to improve success rate in Chagas disease drug discovery led by Nagasaki University, Eisai Co., Ltd., Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative and University of Dundee.
   
   
   
   
5. Rapid whole-blood multiplex antigen test for serotype-specific dengue and chikungunya detection led by VisGene, Ltd., University of Miyazaki, Mahidol University, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru and Centro de Investigaciones Tecnologicas, Biomedicas y Medioambientales in Peru.

Please refer to Appendix 1 for detailed descriptions of these projects and their development stages.

As of September 30, 2026, there are 53 ongoing projects, including 26 discovery projects, 14 preclinical projects, and 13 clinical trials⁵ in the GHIT Fund’s portfolio. The total amount of investments since 2013 is JPY 48.1 billion (USD 305 million¹) (Appendix 2).

¹ USD 1 = JPY 157.31, the approximate exchange rate on Sep 30, 2026.

² These awarded projects were selected and approved as new investments from among proposals to RFP2025-002 and RFP2026-001 for the Target Research Platform, the Screening Platform, the Hit-to-Lead Platform, and the Product Development Platform.

³ WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trachoma

⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html

⁵ This number includes projects in the registration phase.

The GHIT Fund is a Japan-based international public-private partnership (PPP) fund that was formed between the Government of Japan, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GHIT Fund invests in and manages an R&D portfolio of development partnerships aimed at addressing neglected diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases, which afflict the world’s vulnerable and underserved populations. In collaboration with global partners, the GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese industry, academia, and research institutes to create new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics for malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases. https://www.ghitfund.org/

Appendix 1. Project Details

ID: G2026-104

ID: G2026-124

ID: T2026-193

ID: T2026-194

ID: T2025-257

ID: T2026-152

ID: S2025-211

ID: T2025-261

ID: T2025-283

*All amounts are listed at an exchange rate of USD 1 = JPY 157.31, the approximate exchange rate on September 30, 2026.

Appendix 2. Investment Overview (as of September 30, 2026)

Investments to date

Total investments: JPY 48.1 billion (USD 305 million¹)

Total invested projects: 158 (53 active projects and 105 completed projects)

To learn more about the GHIT Fund’s investments, please visit

Investment Overview: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/overview/en

Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/portfolio/en

Advancing Portfolio: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/advancingportfolio/en

Clinical Candidates: https://www.ghitfund.org/investment/clinicalcandidates/en

For more information, contact:

Katy Lenard at +1-202-494-2584 or klenard@burness.com

Eriko Mugitani at +81-36441-2032 or eriko.mugitani@ghitfund.org

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/total-investment-of-approx-usd-6-8-million-in-product-development-for-malaria-ntds-and-other-emerging–re-emerging-infectious-diseases-such-as-ebola-disease-302922667.html