Karnataka First

The partnership aims to deliver a cutting-edge GenAI platform, specifically tailored to BIAL’s operational ecosystem.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operator of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, has tied up with KPMG in India to harness the transformative capabilities of Generative AI (GenAI).

BIAL said that this partnership aims to redefine airport operations, enhance efficiency, and establish new global benchmarks in aviation by leveraging pioneering GenAI models within a flexible and adaptable architecture.

The partnership aims to deliver a cutting-edge GenAI platform, specifically tailored to BIAL’s operational ecosystem. This platform may be a paradigm shift within the aviation industry, offering transformative capabilities that are expected to redefine airport operations while significantly enhancing customer experience.

By processing and analysing vast datasets in real time, powered by a highly flexible and efficient technology stack, the platform aims at enabling smarter decision-making that generates predictive insights that could aid in the delivery of adaptive solutions that evolve with operational demands. Its ability to recognise patterns and forecast trends could empower airports to proactively anticipate and mitigate disruptions, helping ensure smoother operations and greater resilience.

The platform would help to drive operational excellence, augment decision intelligence, elevate the passenger experience, and unlock data-led efficiency by automating routine tasks, surfacing insights, and providing real-time AI-driven support across airport functions.

The advanced and state-of-the-art platform will look at incorporating stringent data privacy measures, adherence to responsible AI principles, robust cybersecurity protocols, and scalability across various domains in an airport ecosystem, which will help  to maintain the different facets of airport operations and maximise the impact with a high level of consistency across the board.

“At BIAL, we are committed to driving innovation at every level, and our association with KPMG in India is a significant step in unlocking the immense potential of GenAI at Kempegowda International Airport. GenAI’s capabilities, like real-time decision-making, predictive analytics, and adaptive intelligence, enhance our operations, leading to greater efficiency and sustainability,” George Fanthome, chief digital and information officer, BIAL said.

He added that with a platform centred in data privacy, responsible AI, and scalability, BIAL which is recognised for embracing the latest technological innovations, is set to take a leadership position in the aviation industry with a future-ready airport.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Pramod Rai, a research associate at ATREE, found the wild orchid species along with Isodon neorensis, another rare plant species, in Sikkim.

A researcher from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) has recorded the discovery of Eulophia siamensis, a rare plant species, for the first time in India. Pramod Rai, a research associate at ATREE, found the wild orchid species along with Isodon neorensis, another rare plant species, in Sikkim.   

Eulophia siamensis is previously known only to China, Myanmar and Thailand. Isodon neorensis, which belongs to the mint family, is newly noted for Sikkim, having previously been recorded only in West Bengal’s Neora Valley and Bhutan. 

Mr. Rai chanced upon the rare plants during a field survey in the state. These findings underscore Sikkim’s ecological richness and emphasise the critical need for ongoing conservation efforts, said a release from ATREE. 

A chance discovery

Eulophia siamensis, belonging to the genus Eulophia R. Br. ex Lindl, was found in the Sirisay forest of Namchi district. A single plant was found in a rocky and pebbled area, while another was discovered in a shaded forest floor rich in humus.  

“This suggests the plant can survive in different types of environments. The orchid’s genus, Eulophia, is particularly noted for its remarkable morphological diversity,” said the release. 

The researchers from ATREE also documented Eulophia siamensis co-existing with native plants such as Cissus discolor, Aristolochia cathcartii, Aeginetia indica, Tephrosia candida, Clerodendrum infortunatum and Begonia picta, highlighting its integral role in the local ecosystem.  

The findings have been published in the journal ‘Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica’, co-authored by Santosh Kumar Rai from Sikkim University, Prakash Limboo from Sombarey Senior Secondary School and Sudhizong Lucksom, a retired Director from the Forest and Environment Department and orchid expert.  

Haven for unique flora

The second discovery, Isodon neorensis, was found growing in a disturbed habitat on a highway roadside in the Daragaon area of Tadong. It is characterised by attractive red flowers on elongated inflorescences. The species found in the Daragaon area exhibits unique features, such as heart-shaped leaf bases and an extended flowering period into late October and November – traits previously unrecorded in this species. This discovery was documented in the ‘Journal of Threatened Taxa.’  

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Agnipath’ is a sustainable cooking solution targeting street food vendors and small eateries.

 For the sixth consecutive year,  Excel Public School (EPS), Mysuru, has made its mark at the School Innovation Marathon (SIM) jointly organised by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Atal Innovation  Mission (AIM) and Niti Aayog.

‘Agnipath,’ a sustainable cooking solution designed by V. Shruthakeerthi and V. Aditi, Grade 10 students of EPS, has secured grant and mentorship support from the MoE.

SIM is India’s largest school innovation challenge that brings together students from across the country to identify community problems of their choice and develop innovative solutions in the form of working prototypes.

The students of Excel Public School have received a grant commitment of Rs. 82,221, with the first tranche disbursed on Mar. 27, 2025, and the second tranche is expected in late May following submission of a progress report.

 Project Agnipath, submitted under the theme ‘Sustainable Cooking Solutions,’ is a flame guide system designed to enhance the cooking efficiency of gas stoves. The innovation primarily targets street food vendors and small eateries by reducing their fuel consumption and lowering environmental impact.

Shruthakeerthi and Aditi developed Agnipath in over four and a half months with the mentorship of Gopinath Subramaniam, Research Specialist at Excelsoft Technologies. He provided hands-on guidance in research methodology, design principles, prototyping techniques, and pitch preparation.

 The students began by interviewing street vendors to understand fuel costs and inefficiencies in day-to-day cooking. They conducted research at the school’s Innovation Centre, studying various existing gas stove designs.

They discovered the problems with the existing design to be poor heat utilisation, high LPG consumption, and inefficient flame distribution caused by factors like large gaps between the burner and pan and the lack of insulation. This has significantly increased the costs for vendors, sometimes up to 20% of their earnings.

To address this, they sketched initial designs that optimised flame distribution and reduced heat loss. The prototype featured a flame guide crafted from different heat-insulating and heat-retention materials. They tested it using an iron kadai (pan) on a single-burner stove, conducting several trials and iterations to refine the guide’s shape and maximise heat transfer.

 Building on their progress, Shruthakeerthi and Aditi

plan to refine Agnipath’s design and expand testing to larger commercial burners. They aim to launch the product by August 2026, targeting sales and distribution through vendor networks, retail channels and  e-commerce platforms.

 School Principal K.G. Mathew said, “Over the last 6 years EPS has consistently emerged as top performers at SIM and this is our second consecutive year in securing funding from the MoE. This is a great external validation for the innovations coming out of Excel Public School’s lab. By addressing the practical challenges of fuel efficiency for street vendors, Shruthakeerthi and Aditi, with the guidance of their mentor Gopinath, have demonstrated how technical skills, when applied with community focus, can create tangible outcomes.”

 Appreciating the students for their creative contribution, D. Sudhanva, Chairman and MD of Excel Group, said, “Agnipath represents the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that is deeply ingrained in Excel Public School’s DNA.  Over the years, Excel Public School has played an active role as an incubator and accelerator for young innovators. Our goal is to mimic a lab to market architecture that allows for ideas to scale from prototypes to viable products.”

source/content: starofmysore.com (headline edited)

Dr Ramarao’s journey with the Akash missile began in the early years of India’s missile development efforts.

When drones and missiles from Pakistan threatened Indian airspace on May 8 and 9, it was the Akash surface-to-air missile system, built indigenously, that stood as the country’s first line of defence. 

Designed to detect and destroy aerial targets with accuracy, the system intercepted multiple threats successfully, earning praise for its performance. At the core of this defence breakthrough is Dr Prahlada Ramarao, a Kannadiga scientist whose work with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) shaped India’s missile defence capabilities, Business Today reported .

Speaking after Akash’s successful interceptions, Dr Ramarao called it the most fulfilling day of his life. “Seeing the missile I helped develop neutralise enemy threats with such accuracy… it was like watching your life’s work come alive,” he said in a televised interview according to the publication. He added that the system not only met but exceeded its design expectations during the recent engagement.

Dr Ramarao’s journey with the Akash missile began in the early years of India’s missile development efforts. Handpicked by Dr AP Abdul Kalam, India’s ‘Missile Man’ and former President, Ramarao was appointed as the youngest project director for the Akash programme. At the time, the Indian Army was sceptical about the system’s feasibility.

The Akash missile is now a key pillar of India’s air defence network. Produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited and developed by DRDO, it has evolved over the years to include the advanced Akash-NG variant. The newer version boasts a range of up to 80 km and can reach speeds of 2,500 km/h. It can lock onto 64 targets at once and launch 12 missiles simultaneously.

A career built on missile systems

Akash is just one part of Dr Ramarao’s extensive contribution to India’s missile programme. Over his career, he has worked on nearly 10 different missile systems, including surface-to-air and air-to-air categories. He played significant roles in developing missiles such as the Astra and BrahMos, the latter a joint venture with Russia that has become one of India’s most successful precision-strike weapons.

Today, the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force actively deploy many of these systems. Their success has also drawn international interest. Countries like Armenia have placed orders for the Akash system and the Pinaka rocket launcher, underlining India’s emergence as a credible defence exporter.

Dr Ramarao believes Indian missiles offer a compelling package for global buyers, “Our systems are cost-effective, simple to operate, and deliver competitive performance. That’s what sets them apart in the global market.”

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

A rare and expensive variety of mango has once again been grown at a private terrace farm in Katapady. This season, two fruits of the famed Miyazaki mango – known to be among the most expensive in the world – have ripened in the home garden of agriculture enthusiast Joseph Lobo from Shankarpura.

Last year, a single Miyazaki mango weighing 750 grams had grown on the same tree. This year, the tree has yielded two mangoes weighing 1.030 kilograms.

The Miyazaki mango is reported to fetch a price of up to Rs 2.74 lac per kilogram. Joseph Lobo had made headlines earlier by successfully growing this rare fruit on terrace using only organic fertilisers and careful maintenance.

Besides the Miyazaki mango, Joseph has cultivated over 400 varieties of fruit-bearing plants in his terrace garden. His efforts in organic farming have earned him several accolades. Alongside organic agriculture, he is also engaged in dairy farming and apiculture, contributing as a resource person in the agricultural sector. He is ably supported in his farming activities by his wife Neem and daughter Janish.

“The mango plant was organically nurtured, and it had bloomed well five months ago. However, due to adverse weather conditions, many blossoms fell off. I’ve managed to harvest only two fruits, which I shared and enjoyed with friends,” said Joseph Lobo.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

According to the Department of Science and Technology, in order to reduce global warming and the related impact of fossil fuels, the transition towards sustainable alternatives based on renewable energy becomes increasingly critical.

In an interdisciplinary study, researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), along with other institutions, have developed a novel, cost-effective, metal-free porous organic catalyst for efficient Hydrogen fuel production by harvesting mechanical energy.

According to the Department of Science and Technology, in order to reduce global warming and the related impact of fossil fuels, transition towards sustainable alternatives based on renewable energy becomes increasingly critical.

Game-changing source

“Green hydrogen (H₂) fuel has emerged as a game-changing renewable and clean-burning energy source, which generates no direct carbon emissions and only water as a by-product when used in fuel cells,” it said.

Professor Tapas K. Maji  from the Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit at JNCASR and his research team have developed a metal-free donor-acceptor based covalent-organic framework (COF) for piezocatalytic water splitting.

This study published in Advanced Functional Materials demonstrates a Covalent organic framework (COF) built from imide linkages between organic donor molecule tris(4-aminophenyl)amine (TAPA) and acceptor molecule pyromellitic dianhydride (PDA) acceptor exhibiting unique ferrielectric (FiE) ordering, which showed efficient piezocatalytic activity for water splitting to produce H2.

“This discovery breaks the traditional notion of solely employing heavy or transition metal-based ferroelectric (FE) materials as piezocatalysts for catalyzing water splitting reaction,” the department stated.

Using a simple donor molecule like TAPA and an acceptor molecule like PDA, Prof. Maji and his research team have built a COF system that has strong charge transfer properties, which creates dipoles (separation between positive and negative charges).

Instability in structure

This causes instability in the lattice structure, leading to FiE ordering. These FiE dipoles interact with flexible twisting molecular motion in the material, making them responsive to mechanical pressure. As a result, the material can generate electron-hole pairs when mechanically stimulated, making it a highly efficient piezocatalyst for water splitting for H2 production. The team comprises four other researchers from JNCASR: Adrija Ghosh, Surabhi Menon, Dr. Sandip Biswas and Dr. Anupam Dey.

Apart from JNCASR, Dr. Supriya Sahoo and Prof. Ramamoorthy Boomishankar from  Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune and Prof. Jan K. Zaręba from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland made important contributions to the present interdisciplinary study.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)