Science and Technology

BIOTECHNOLOGY IN INDIA: GROWTH, POLICIES, CHALLENGES, WAY FORWARD

Growing at 18%, India’s $195.3B bioeconomy targets $1T by 2047. Success requires bridging funding gaps, streamlining regulations, and leveraging BioE3 policies. By evolving GCCs into R&D powerhouses and adopting public procurement mandates, India can lead global biotechnology and sustainable innovation.

INDIA'S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM: CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD

India’s R&D ecosystem is hindered by low private investment (0.64% of GDP) and weak commercialization. To evolve, India must transition from labor-intensive models to deep-tech innovation, leveraging initiatives like the ANRF and risk-sharing frameworks to bridge the lab-to-market gap.

ALVAREZSAUR DINOSAURS FOSSIL DISCOVERED

A 90-million-year-old fossil of Alnashetri cerropoliciensis found in Patagonia clarifies the evolution of alvarezsaurs. It shows they were widespread across Pangaea before continental drift and reveals that body miniaturization occurred before the development of specialized insect-eating adaptations.

SCIENTISTS SUCCESSFULLY TRANSFER LONGEVITY GENE

Researchers transferred the naked mole rat longevity gene HAS2 to mice, increasing high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid that reduces cancer risk and inflammaging. The mice showed better healthspan and slightly longer lives. The discovery may enable human anti-aging therapies but raises ethical, safety, and equity concerns.

DART MISSION'S NEW DISCOVERY

NASA's DART mission successfully proved the viability of the "kinetic impactor" technique for planetary defense by altering the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos. Beyond its primary goal, post-impact analysis of DART's images revealed groundbreaking evidence of material exchange—"cosmic snowballs"—between Dimorphos and its parent asteroid, Didymos. This discovery confirms the YORP effect and shows that asteroids are dynamic "rubble piles," a critical finding that refines deflection models. The mission underscores the necessity of international collaboration, exemplified by ESA's follow-up Hera mission, to safeguard Earth from near-Earth object threats.

SPINOSAURUS MIRABILIS: NEW 'HELL HERON' DINOSAUR DISCOVERED

A new predatory dinosaur, Spinosaurus mirabilis or “Hell Heron,” was discovered in Niger’s Sahara. Found in inland river deposits, it challenges claims that spinosaurids were fully aquatic, suggesting a semi-aquatic wading hunter. Its crest, fish-trapping teeth, and 3D-modeled fossils highlight modern paleontology.

India's Data Centre Revolution: Drivers, Challenges, and Future

India’s data centre boom, driven by the DPDP Act 2023 and AI growth, supports data sovereignty as the country generates 20% of global data but stores under 6%. However, rising energy and water demands risk strain. Sustainable mandates and Ireland-style regulation are vital to avoid digital colonialism.

Graphics Processing Units and AI Revolution

Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are specialised processors designed for high-speed parallel computing, making them essential for graphics rendering, artificial intelligence, and large-scale data processing. Their architecture, which includes thousands of cores, high-bandwidth memory (VRAM), and programmable shaders, enables faster execution of repetitive numerical tasks compared to CPUs. In India, GPUs are becoming critical digital infrastructure, supporting AI innovation, scientific research under the National Supercomputing Mission, the startup ecosystem, and large-scale digital governance platforms. With rising demand and heavy import dependence, strengthening domestic semiconductor capabilities and expanding energy-efficient data centre infrastructure are key to ensuring technological self-reliance and global competitiveness.

AI IMPACT SUMMIT 2026 ADOPTED NEW DELHI DECLARATION

The AI Impact Summit 2026 marked adoption of the New Delhi Declaration by 89 nations, shifting AI governance toward a development-first Global South vision rooted in “Sarvajan Hitaya.” Its 7 pillars promote equity, DPI export, and Global AI Commons, while challenges include compute gaps, energy costs, and voluntary compliance.

RARE EARTH MAGNETS : OPPOTUNITY & CHALLENGES

Rare earth magnets are high-performance materials essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, and defence systems, making them critical for India’s clean energy transition and technological growth. With China dominating global processing, India’s push for domestic manufacturing, critical mineral processing, and recycling aims to reduce import dependence and build a self-reliant mine-to-magnet ecosystem to strengthen economic and strategic security.

Bio-based chemicals and enzymes: Opportunities and challenges

Bio-based chemicals and enzymes are industrial products derived from renewable biological resources such as crops, biomass, and agricultural residues through processes like fermentation and enzymatic conversion. They offer a sustainable alternative to petrochemicals by reducing fossil fuel dependence, lowering carbon emissions, and supporting a circular bioeconomy.

India has strong potential in this sector due to its large agricultural base, established fermentation expertise, and growing manufacturing capacity. The government has prioritised biomanufacturing under the BioE3 policy, and domestic companies are increasingly investing in bio-based production. However, challenges such as higher costs, feedstock supply constraints, limited infrastructure, and slow market adoption need to be addressed.

With appropriate policy support, shared infrastructure, and market incentives, bio-based chemicals and enzymes can strengthen India’s industrial competitiveness, promote agricultural value addition, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

India’s ‘Third Way’ for AI Governance: A Blueprint for the Global South

India’s “Third Way” for AI governance promotes adaptive regulation and AI as Digital Public Infrastructure. Backed by the IndiaAI Mission and AIRAWAT compute push, it supports inclusion through Bhashini and global partnerships like GPAI. While promising for the Global South, hardware gaps, skills shortages, and enforcement remain challenges.