STREET ALERT

LTIMindtree is developing a large-scale Innovation Campus inside the Bengal Silicon Valley in New Town, Kolkata. The campus is set to become one of the biggest IT facilities in eastern India. Phase-I, consisting of two towers, is expected to be completed by May 2026. Upon full completion, the entire campus will have the capacity to employ 25,000 IT professionals.

The state-of-the-art facility will focus on cutting-edge areas including Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital transformation, cloud computing, and emerging technologies. It will house global delivery centres, research & development labs, and collaborative innovation spaces. This project forms a major part of the ₹30,000 crore Bengal Silicon Valley initiative. LTIMindtree’s investment is expected to significantly strengthen Kolkata’s position as a preferred destination for global capability centres and advanced technology operations.

Tata Steel has announced a major leap in digital transformation by partnering with Google Cloud to deploy over 300 specialised agentic AI agents across its global operations in just nine months. The unified agentic AI strategy powers autonomous decision-making in manufacturing, predictive maintenance, safety monitoring, supply chain, HR, and customer service.

Local operations at the Durgapur plant in Paschim Bardhaman are expected to gain significantly from this rollout. Jayanta Banerjee, Chief Information Officer, Tata Steel, said: "Working with Google Cloud has turned AI from a technical experiment into a specialised partner for every employee. From predicting asset maintenance to reducing customer response times, agentic AI is driving execution at an entirely new scale." It has already delivered up to 50% faster turnaround times and 70% autonomous resolution in some HR processes.

Indian scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in quantum technology by successfully demonstrating secure quantum communication over 1,000 kilometres under the National Quantum Mission. This landmark achievement was accomplished using advanced Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology, which ensures ultra-secure encryption that cannot be intercepted or hacked by conventional methods. The demonstration included both fibre-optic and satellite-based quantum links.

The breakthrough was the result of collaborative efforts between the Department of Science & Technology (DST), IITs, and premier research institutions. It involved developing high-stability quantum sources, ultra-low-loss channels, and advanced single-photon detectors. This 1,000-km secure link establishes India among the leading nations in long-distance quantum communication capabilities, securing critical national infrastructure, defence networks, and government communications.

Bengaluru-based quantum computing startup QpiAI has launched Kaveri, India’s most advanced 64-qubit superconducting quantum processor under the National Quantum Mission. Kaveri features high-fidelity qubits with improved coherence times and advanced error correction capabilities. The processor has successfully demonstrated complex quantum algorithms, including quantum simulation and optimisation problems that were previously beyond the reach of earlier Indian quantum systems.

QpiAI claims that Kaveri outperforms all previous indigenous quantum processors in terms of qubit count, gate fidelity, and computational power. The chip was developed in collaboration with leading research institutions and is designed for both research and early commercial applications in drug discovery, materials science, cryptography, and financial modelling.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has achieved a historic milestone by launching DHRUV64, India’s first fully indigenous 64-bit dual-core microprocessor. The chip operates at 1.0 GHz and is built on advanced semiconductor technology developed entirely within the country. It successfully runs embedded Linux and supports a wide range of real-world applications, including industrial automation, defence systems, consumer electronics, and IoT devices.

DHRUV64 has been designed with a focus on performance, power efficiency, and security. It features custom instruction sets and built-in hardware security modules, making it suitable for strategic and sensitive sectors where data sovereignty is critical. This launch marks a major reduction in India’s dependence on foreign processors for critical applications and paves the way for future indigenous chip designs.

India has achieved a major biomedical breakthrough with the development of BIRSA 101, the country’s first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Developed by the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), BIRSA 101 uses advanced CRISPR gene-editing technology to correct the genetic mutation responsible for the disease.

Named in honour of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda, the therapy offers a potential one-time curative treatment by enabling the body to produce healthy red blood cells. It is designed to be significantly more affordable than global CRISPR therapies, aligning with the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission’s goal of a Sickle Cell-free India by 2047.

In a major milestone for indigenous space technology, IIT Madras and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have successfully developed and tested IRIS — India’s first RISC-V based controller chip designed specifically for space applications. IRIS (Indigenous RISC-V Controller for Space) is a radiation-hardened microcontroller engineered to withstand the harsh conditions of space.

It can endure extreme radiation, temperature variations, and vacuum environments. The chip has successfully passed rigorous space qualification tests and is now ready for integration into future ISRO missions to be used for onboard computing tasks in satellites, launch vehicles, and scientific payloads.

The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is aggressively advancing the massive expansion of IISCO Steel Plant (Burnpur), which is set to become the largest single industrial investment in West Bengal’s history with an outlay of ₹45,810 crore. The project will increase the plant’s crude steel production capacity from the current 2.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 7.1 MTPA by 2029.

Key components include a new state-of-the-art blast furnace, hot-strip mill for high-grade coils, slab casters, and modern secondary metallurgy facilities. Major international partners such as Danieli and Primetals Technologies have already been awarded key technology packages, positioning Burnpur as a modern, high-tech steel hub in eastern India.

National Institute of Technology (NIT) Durgapur has once again reinforced its position as a leading hub of research and innovation in Paschim Bardhaman. In a significant technological breakthrough, researchers at NIT Durgapur have developed next-generation hybrid nano-dielectrics — advanced materials that can enable faster, more efficient semiconductor devices. The project, backed by an international grant of ₹1.13 crore, aims to push the boundaries of electronics beyond traditional silicon limits.

Simultaneously, the IEEE Student Branch successfully organised a 24-hour GEN-AI Hackathon drawing over 200 students. Participants developed practical AI solutions in healthcare, smart manufacturing, sustainability, and automation. Several promising projects have been selected for further incubation and industry collaboration, reflecting the institute's commitment to bridging cutting-edge research with hands-on innovation.

Asansol Engineering College has inaugurated a state-of-the-art IC Idea Lab to promote hands-on learning in Artificial Intelligence, robotics, IoT, and innovation-driven projects. The new lab is equipped with advanced computing facilities, AI development kits, 3D printers, and prototyping tools. It aims to encourage students to work on real-world problem-solving projects, especially those relevant to local industries in the Asansol-Durgapur industrial belt.

The Principal stated, "The IC Idea Lab will serve as a nurturing ground for young innovators. We want our students to develop practical AI solutions that can benefit local industries like steel, manufacturing, and smart infrastructure." The lab is expected to facilitate industry-academia collaboration with companies such as Tata Steel Durgapur.

The Mission Hospital, Durgapur has achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully completing over 500 robotic-assisted surgeries in the past year. Equipped with the advanced da Vinci Xi robotic system, the hospital has emerged as one of the leading centres for minimally invasive procedures in eastern India. Robotic surgeries have been performed across multiple departments including urology, oncology, thoracic surgery, gynaecology, and general surgery.

The hospital recently performed the first multiport Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (RATS) in South Bengal. Dr. Satyajit Bose, Chairman, The Mission Hospital, said the focus on robotic technology aims to provide patients with faster recovery, less pain, minimal scarring, and shorter hospital stays.