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KARNATAKA: ASTRONOMY: NIE’s Vijnana Tharangini Hosts First Sky Watch Programme in Mysuru

The National Institute of Engineering (NIE) in Mysuru hosted its first ever Sky Watch Programme, captivating attendees with celestial wonders.

Organised by the Vijnana Tharangini – The NIE Student’s Science Club under Department of Physics, in association with the Gravity Science Foundation, Chamarajanagar, the event drew enthusiasts from the region.

Esteemed guests, including Dr. S.N. Prasad, former Principal and Professor of Physics, RIE, Mysuru and M. Krishna Murthy, Amateur Astronomer, were present, offering attendees a mesmerising journey through the cosmos with a Telescope Show.

Dr. Prasad, who holds a habit of travelling to different countries to observe total solar eclipse, delivered a special lecture on the wonders of night sky.

A.S. Abhishek, Founder of the Gravity Science Foundation, highlighted the significance of initiatives like the Sky Watch Programme in fostering scientific curiosity.

Faculty Coordinators Dr. M.V. Deepa Urs, Dr. P. Parameshwara and Dr. Chandra played vital roles in ensuring the event’s success.

Participants marvelled at sights like the Orion constellation and Jupiter with its moons, observed up close through high-powered telescopes.

Dr. Prasad commended the organisers for promoting scientific awareness and nurturing inquiry among students, emphasising its importance in grooming future scientists.

Organisers expressed gratitude to participants, guests and supporters, envisioning the Sky Watch Programme as a recurring event, fostering greater exploration and discovery in astronomy and other scientific fields.

In conclusion, the Sky Watch Programme at NIE marked a significant milestone in promoting scientific education and exploration, igniting curiosity and fascination among attendees.

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: PRODIGY: 2-year-old Chirush Preetham Poojary bags India Book of Records ‘IBR Achiever’ title

Chirush Preetham Poojary (born on January 9, 2022) of Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, is titled as ‘IBR Achiever.’

The title was achieved for reciting an English nursery rhyme, recalling 26 associated words of the English alphabet, counting from 1 to 10, identifying 8 relatives, 7 fruits, 9 vegetables, 18 parts of the body, 6 birds, 23 animals, 9 colors, 10 vehicles and 47 miscellaneous items performing 6 actions and mimicking the sounds.

source/content/pix : daijiworld.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL / KARNATAKA : MANUFACTURING & AVIATION : MAKE IN INDIA : Airbus contracts Bengaluru based Dynamatic Technologies to make doors for A220 aircraft

Will double sourcing from India from a value of $750 mn to $1.5 bn.

French aerospace manufacturer Airbus on Thursday announced the awarding of a contract for the manufacturing and assembly of its A220 aircraft doors to Bengaluru-based Dynamatic Technologies in what it called “one of the largest aerospace export contracts to India.”

Dynamatic will manufacture and assemble the cargo, passenger and service doors along with the over-wing emergency exit doors for the A220 family aircraft, which total to eight doors per aircraft.

The order signifies implementation of “complex assembling and integration of aerospace manufacturing, which will create downstream opportunities in the Indian aviation supply chain,” Airbus CEO Remi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia said at a press event.

Thursday’s contract is also among the orders that will enable Airbus to double its sourcing from India, which is valued at about $750 million every year. This is expected to rise to $1.5 billion over the next few years.

To a question on when Airbus plans a final assembly line for commercial aircraft given large orders from IndiGo and Air India, Mr. Maillard said Airbus provided more jobs and more value for India today than any Final Assembly Line (FAL) will achieve.

According to Dynamatic’s Udayant Malhoutra only 15% of value generated from manufacturing an aircraft comes from a FAL.

Airbus recently announced a FAL for H125 helicopter for the private sector and in 2022 announced a FAL for C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ELECTRIC SCOOTERS: Bengaluru-based EV start-up, River, raises $40 Million in oversubscribed Series B round

The deal was led by Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. Existing investors Al Futtaim Group, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Maniv Mobility also participated in the round.

River, a Bengaluru-based start-up building multi-utility electric scooters, has announced a $40 million (335 INR Crores) Series B led by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. The round also saw participation from existing investors Al-Futtaim Automotive, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Maniv Mobility.

This round takes the cumulative fund raised by the company to $68 Million (565 INR Crores) since its inception in March 2021. With this funding, the company plans to scale the distribution and service network across the country and invest further in R&D for future lineup of products.

“We are impressed by the progress that River has achieved in such a short span of time, especially with the strong focus on design and technology. We are excited about the conviction that Aravind and Vipin have for River and how Yamaha can support the company to achieve this”,said Hajime “Jim” Aota, Chief General Manager of New Business Development Centre, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

River started selling its first product Indie, the SUV of scooters in October 2023. Indie was fully designed and developed at the River R&D facility in Bengaluru and manufactured in the River Factory at Hoskote in the outskirts of Bengaluru. The first River store opened in Bangalore in January 2024.

“It’s been a pleasure to watch River grow since our first investment in 2023. Indie made a strong debut in the Indian market and stands out from anything that is out there. We also see strong potential for Indie in many international markets. We are excited about the next phase of growth for River both inside and outside India”, said Paul Willis, CEO of Al-Futtaim Automotive.

River is the first Indian investment of all its investors – Tel Aviv based Maniv Mobility, San Francisco based Trucks VC, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures and Dubai based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Automotive.

“The investment is a significant boost for our plan to build a Billion-dollar global utility-lifestyle brand by 2030. We have built a great base in R&D and manufacturing over the last two years and now, it’s time to grow,” said Aravind Mani, Co-founder and CEO of River.

“The collaboration with Yamaha will help us leverage the design and technology capability that we have built at River,”said Vipin George, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at River. “I learned to ride on a Yamaha motorcycle and have been amazed by the highest levels of performance that they stand for. And now, Yamaha investing in River is quite a surreal feeling. I’m excited about what the partnership can achieve,” he added.

River started selling its units in October 2023 and close to 200 vehicles have been sold till January 2024. The company which plans to expand its presence to 10 cities including in the next six months and 100 cities in the next two years, has seen a valuation increase of 15-20x in the last 2.5 years.

According to a release from the company the start-up plans to launch one more product by 2026.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)