Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have created a robotic system aimed at engaging with people in a highly human-like way.

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs), the social robot is capable of comprehending everyday language, executing spoken commands, answering queries, and participating in real-time discussions that go beyond scripted replies.

Additionally, it can identify users’ emotions by analyzing facial expressions, including happy, neutral, or sad. The robot can welcome users, give instructions, and respond with natural, conversational speech.

This system can be utilized in various settings such as households, schools, workplaces, hospitals, and community areas. It also has the ability to recognize simple gestures like waving and raising a hand, responding accordingly.

Dr. Anup Nandy, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at NIT Rourkela, stated, “The indigenously developed robotic system is well-aligned with the Government of India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Unlike currently available global systems, NIT Rourkela’s social robot presents a uniquely integrated framework that merges gesture, emotion, speech, and LLM-based conversational capabilities within an economical platform tailored for Indian contexts.”

The Institute has also successfully obtained a patent for the innovative system.

The robot employs a Raspberry Pi system to process user inputs like spoken commands or text queries.

The LLM evaluates the input, identifies the context, and generates a suitable, human-like response. This response is then conveyed through the robot’s speech system utilizing Google Text-to-Speech.

The robot features a wheel-based platform and a navigation system for effortless mobility. Its built-in distance-sensing module aids in avoiding obstacles and ensuring safe navigation within crowded environments.

As detailed in a paper published in the journal Computers and Electrical Engineering, the anticipated cost of the developed robot is between Rs 80,000 and Rs 90,000, depending on production scale and component optimization, according to the researchers.

India is swiftly becoming one of the most appealing locations worldwide for investments in artificial intelligence (AI), as three major tech companies—Amazon, Microsoft, and Google—have declared a combined commitment of $67.5 billion to shape the country’s digital future.

A youthful demographic, affordable internet access, and a rapidly expanding digital landscape are propelling India into a significant center for AI-driven innovation, capturing remarkable interest from corporations like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

Amazon, the leading e-commerce company in the U.S., has announced plans to invest over $35 billion in India by the year 2030, enhancing its three critical areas: AI-powered digitization, export growth, and job creation.

The company indicated that its investments would enhance AI capabilities, improve logistics systems, and assist countless small enterprises throughout the nation.

Microsoft has revealed an equally ambitious initiative, pledging $17.5 billion over the next four years (2026–2029) to enhance cloud and AI infrastructure, expand training programs, and bolster sovereign-ready digital abilities across India.

This announcement came after CEO Satya Nadella‘s discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who expressed confidence that India’s youth will seize this opportunity to “innovate and harness the power of AI for a better planet.”

He also mentioned that the nation is on a trajectory to become the largest developer community globally by 2030.

Emphasizing the country’s expanding talent and its emerging role in next-generation AI innovations, Nadella stated, “India is anticipated to have 57.5 million developers by 2030, establishing the largest developer base worldwide.”

Google has also made a significant pledge, unveiling a $15 billion investment to create a premier AI hub in Visakhapatnam (Vizag).

In collaboration with AdaniConneX and Airtel, Google will establish the largest AI data center campus in India, powered by renewable energy and supported by a subsea cable network.

Experts suggest that this investment signifies a transformation in India’s technology landscape beyond Bengaluru and Hyderabad, potentially establishing a new global-scale innovation center along the east coast of the country.

Microsoft, the global technology leader, revealed on Tuesday its plan to invest $17.5 billion in India over the next four years (2026-2029) to promote the spread of AI throughout the nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that India’s youth “will seize this opportunity to innovate and utilize the power of AI for a better planet.”

“We are pleased to announce our largest investment in Asia — $17.5 billion over four years (CY 2026 to 2029) — to advance India’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, workforce education, and ongoing operations. This commitment follows our earlier announcement of a $3 billion investment made earlier this year, which we are on schedule to complete by the end of CY2026,” Microsoft stated.

This news followed a meeting between Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella and Prime Minister Modi.

“I appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a motivating discussion about India’s AI potential. To support the nation’s goals, Microsoft is pledging US$17.5B—our largest investment ever in Asia—to aid in developing the necessary infrastructure, skills, and sovereign capabilities for India’s AI-driven future,” Nadella shared in a post on X.

In response to Nadella’s message, PM Modi remarked: “When it comes to AI, the world is hopeful about India!”

“I had a fruitful discussion with Mr. Satya Nadella. I am pleased to note that India will be the recipient of Microsoft’s largest-ever investment in Asia. The youth of India will capitalize on this opportunity to innovate and utilize the power of AI for a better planet,” PM Modi stated.

Microsoft indicated that India is at a critical juncture in its AI journey, characterized by widespread impact and determination to lead. As technology emerges as a catalyst for inclusive growth and economic change, the nation is becoming a leading player in AI.

Nadella is currently in India for a tour focused on AI. During the conversation with PM Modi, both leaders reviewed the nation’s AI strategy and growth objectives.

Microsoft’s investment in India is concentrated on three key areas—scale, skills, and sovereignty—in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of creating a holistic ecosystem that fosters AI innovation and accessibility at a national level, as stated by the company.

This new funding will be directed towards further enhancing Microsoft’s cloud and AI infrastructure, education initiatives, and long-term operations throughout India.

This involves the company’s team of over 22,000 employees in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurugram, Noida, and others, representing the diverse nature of Microsoft’s operations. They are involved in all aspects of the company’s product development and innovation.

Their efforts support innovation across Microsoft’s entire AI ecosystem—from infrastructure and application platforms to final products—while managing hyperscale datacenters and providing sales and support to customers nationwide. These teams are not only fueling India’s digital transformation but also creating significant AI impact globally—through Copilot Studio, Azure AI Search, AI agents, AI speech and translation, Azure Machine Learning, and beyond.

Daily, they work closely with India’s top businesses, developers, and institutions to harness the potential of AI for the country, according to the Microsoft release.

A major focus of Microsoft’s investment is the establishment of secure, sovereign-ready hyperscale infrastructure to facilitate AI adoption in India. Central to this initiative is the substantial development taking place at the India South Central cloud region in Hyderabad, which is scheduled to launch in mid-2026.

This will be the largest hyperscale region for Microsoft in India, consisting of three availability zones—approximately equivalent in size to two combined Eden Gardens stadiums, as noted in the statement.

The company announced that it will also proceed with the expansion of its three operational data centre locations in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune.

This development offers organizations throughout India increased options and resilience, ensuring low-latency, critical performance for enterprises, startups, and public sector organizations.

Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated: “As AI transforms the digital economy, India is dedicated to innovation based on trust and sovereignty. Microsoft’s significant investment indicates India’s emergence as a dependable technology partner globally. This collaboration will establish new standards and propel the country’s transition from digital public infrastructure to AI public infrastructure.”

Microsoft India and South Asia President Puneet Chandok mentioned: “Building on the $3 billion investment revealed in January 2025, Microsoft’s new commitment of $17.5 billion and strong collaboration within India’s technology ecosystem aim to convert India’s AI aspirations into tangible outcomes for every citizen. This transformation is centered around three key elements: hyperscale infrastructure for scalable AI operations, sovereign-ready solutions that maintain trust, and skill development programs that enable every Indian to not only participate in the future but also to influence it.“

Hardik Pandya‘s outstanding all-round display, coupled with the collective efforts of the bowlers, secured India a 101-run win in the first T20I against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium.

This victory gave the hosts a 1-0 advantage in the five-match series, marking a strong start to their T20 World Cup 2026 preparations.

While defending a target of 176 runs, the Men in Blue experienced a fantastic beginning as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Quinton de Kock for a duck with just the second ball of the innings. Tristan Stubbs aimed to make an impact quickly upon entering the field, but his time was cut short by the Indian pacer, who captured his second wicket in the third over.

Markram and Dewald Brevis rapidly gained momentum, not allowing the loss of two early wickets to disrupt their progress, but a change in bowling brought Axar Patel into the attack during the powerplay, resulting in the Protea captain’s dismissal for a run-a-ball 14.

Returning to bowl for India after a considerable break, Hardik Pandya struck on his very first delivery, removing the dangerous David Miller and earning his team another crucial breakthrough.

The South African batting line-up fell apart as the Indian bowlers consistently claimed wickets at steady intervals. Although Marco Jansen briefly reignited hopes by hitting a few sixes, Varun Chakaravarthy ended his innings by bowling him out, plunging the visitors into deeper trouble.

Bumrah came within one wicket of reaching 100 T20I wickets and accomplished the milestone by getting Dewald Brevis out in the 11th over, quickly followed by dismissing Keshav Maharaj in the same over. The Proteas faced their ninth wicket loss shortly after, in the 12th over, when Anrich Nortje returned to the pavilion, courtesy of Axar.

Shivam Dube sealed the innings with a catch by Abhishek Sharma that led to Lutho Sipamla’s dismissal. Consequently, South Africa was bowled out for their lowest-ever score in a T20I, finishing with a mere 74 runs.

In terms of the first innings, Shubman Gill’s long-awaited return was brief, as Lungi Ngidi dismissed him in the opening over before striking again to remove Suryakumar Yadav, unsettling India early on. Captain Suryakumar mounted a brief counterattack with a six and a four, including his trademark ‘supla’ shot, before falling to a poorly timed shot.

Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma stabilized the innings, leading India to 40/2 at the end of the powerplay, but the opener’s dismissal by Lutho Sipamla stalled the progress. The middle overs dragged on as Varma and Axar Patel encountered difficulties in achieving fluency before the former was dismissed after scoring 26 off 32 balls.

Axar provided support, but the innings significantly relied on Pandya’s impactful performance. The all-rounder hit six boundaries and four sixes, boosting India’s total with an assertive conclusion. Contributions from Shivam Dube and Jitesh Sharma added crucial runs in the closing phases.

On a pitch that turned even routine strokes into challenging efforts, Pandya delivered an innings of exceptional quality.

With the surface gripping and the ball not coming onto the bat, India’s top order found it hard to gain fluency; both Tilak Varma and Axar Patel showed potential but ultimately fell short.

South Africa tightened their grip through Lungi Ngidi’s three-wicket haul and Marco Jansen’s economical bowling, dismissing batters just as partnerships seemed to settle.

In the midst of the battle, Pandya seemed almost unaffected by the challenging conditions. He accelerated play with precision and assurance, taking control and returning the contest to a state of equilibrium. His innings has kept India firmly in contention despite the obstacles posed by the pitch and the South African bowlers.

With India now leading the series, the two teams will clash again for the second T20I on Thursday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Brief Scores:
India 175/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 59*, Tilak Varma 26; Lungi Ngidi 3-31, Lutho Sipamla 2-38) beat
South Africa 74/10 (Dewald Brevis 22, Tristan Stubbs 14; Axar Patel 2-7, Arshdeep Singh 2-14) by 101 runs.

A total of 350 players are scheduled to participate in the IPL 2026 mini auction on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, as the BCCI disclosed the Player Auction list for the upcoming season on Tuesday.

Out of 1390 players who registered for the Player Auction, 350 players were chosen for consideration.

Among the 350 players selected, 240 are from India, and 110 are international players. The list features 224 uncapped Indian players and 14 uncapped overseas players, introducing significant new talent to this year’s auction lineup.

Franchises will vie for a total of 77 available positions, including 31 designated for overseas players.

A total of 40 players have set their base price at the maximum of Rs 2 crore, with only Venkatesh Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi being the two Indian players among them.

Previously, a total of 173 players were retained across different teams, including 49 overseas players. A combined budget of Rs 237.55 crore will be available at the auction for the 77 player positions.

South African wicketkeepers Quinton de Kock and George Linde, as well as Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage, who were not part of the initial list, have now been added to the final roster.

As the auction approaches, the Kolkata Knight Riders hold the largest purse of Rs 64.3 crore among the franchises, allowing them to fill up to 13 slots, including six for overseas players. The Chennai Super Kings follow with the second-largest budget of Rs 43.4 crore, aiming to fill a maximum of nine available positions.

Australia’s Cameron Green is anticipated to become the highest-priced player at the forthcoming IPL auction, as both KKR and CSK, who possess the largest budgets, are likely to place aggressive bids for the allrounder.

India and Chile have reaffirmed their strong dedication to concluding the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations punctually, recognizing the strategic importance of further enhancing their economic relationship.

The fourth round of negotiations for the India–Chile CEPA was successfully wrapped up, with the five-day session featuring intensive and constructive discussions among the delegations from both countries, leading to significant advancements across the various chapters under negotiation, as stated by the Commerce Ministry.

During these discussions, Claudia Sanhueza, Treasury Undersecretary at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

“They emphasized that the CEPA, once finalized, will be crucial in increasing bilateral trade, fostering economic collaboration, improving market access, and generating new opportunities for businesses in both nations,” the ministry reported.

Previously, the third round of negotiations for the India–Chile CEPA took place in Santiago, Chile, from October 27-30.

The discussions spanned a variety of chapters, including Trade in Goods and Services, Investment Promotion, Rules of Origin, Intellectual Property Rights, TBT/SPS measures, Economic Cooperation, and Critical Minerals.

Last month, India and Chile conducted their 9th round of Foreign Office Consultations in Santiago, where they agreed to enhance cooperation in key sectors like trade, investment, connectivity, health and pharmaceuticals, traditional medicine, science and technology, mining and mineral exploration, defense, civil nuclear technologies, education, space, agriculture, and people-to-people interactions.

India urged Chile to explore long-term agreements for the supply of mineral resources. During the meeting, officials from both countries agreed to expand their bilateral relations into new and relevant areas such as Digital Public Infrastructure, innovation, and green energy, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

India and Nepal are enhancing their economic collaboration with growing cooperation in trade, tourism, infrastructure connectivity, and energy, as reported by Nepalese media.

Tourism plays a crucial role, as both countries boast a rich cultural heritage and beautiful landscapes, making them attractive travel destinations for each other and global tourists. Therefore, the governments are prioritizing the development of tourism on a large scale, including in less conventional areas, according to an article on the Nepal Aaja digital news portal.

In November 2025, both nations modified the Treaty of Transit, a bilateral agreement designed to improve cross-border connectivity and trade, facilitating the rail transport of freight between Jogbani in India and Biratnagar in Nepal, including bulk goods.

Additionally, this liberalisation will apply to essential transit routes, which will not only strengthen multimodal trade connectivity between the two countries but also enhance Nepal’s trade with other nations. Such initiatives represent an effort to further solidify the economic and commercial relationship between the two nations, the article noted.

Both countries are embarking on new chapters of energy cooperation focused on improving regional connectivity and sustainable power development. Advancing their commitment to clean energy, New Delhi and Kathmandu achieved a significant milestone with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) exporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to Nepal.

This development was made possible by the establishment of cryogenic storage and regasification facilities at Simara, Nepal. This initiative underscores the collaboration in promoting sustainability and efficiency through viable alternatives for industrial energy, as stated in the article.

The article also emphasizes the acclaimed Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project, which is being constructed by SJVN Limited, a public sector enterprise from India, tapping into Nepal’s vast water resources and hydropower potential to meet India’s growing energy demands.

This 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower project symbolizes the strong India-Nepal partnership in the hydropower sector, offering multiple benefits such as providing free electricity to Nepal, satisfying India’s rising energy needs, and generating local economic opportunities.

Nepal is expected to gain energy royalties, alongside rural electrification and infrastructural improvement. Thus, in their economic interdependence, India serves as a “ready and dynamic market for Nepal’s extensive hydropower resources.”

On the financial development side, there have been progressive steps including the establishment of interoperability between UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and FonePay QR in Nepal. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, when borders worldwide were closed, trade routes between India and Nepal remained open and robust, exemplifying their resilient economic relationship.

The mutually advantageous bilateral economic relations are evolving into a shared economic future for both nations, which share deep historical ties and a collective sense of heritage, the article concluded.

Aditya Dhar‘s latest achievement Dhurandhar goes beyond mere filmmaking; it is a unique experience, a landmark cinematic event of the year that distinctly stands out among Indian espionage thrillers.

Blending Indian essence with global standards, Dhar intricately crafts a narrative filled with human resonance and vitality, reaffirming his position among the few directors capable of envisioning grand stories that remain deeply rooted in character development.

Inspired by the hijacking of IC-814 and the events of the 2001 Parliament attack, this film sets its historic scene without delay.

Dhar adeptly broadens the plot to illustrate the political tremors that pushed the Indian intelligence agencies to their limits. Madhavan, portraying IB Chief Ajay Sanyal, serves as the steadfast foundation of the story.

His performance, marked by precision and depth, elicits enthusiastic reactions in every moment. The dialogue is sharp, the energy is contagious, and the immersion into this high-stakes environment is so vivid that it captivates from the very first frame.

Ranveer Singh arguably delivers the best performance of his career—raw, gritty, impactful, and explosively forceful. Hamza is filled with pain, anger, and unpredictability, yet possesses an irresistible charm.

His transformation from a rage-fueled youth to a cold, calculating underworld figure is accomplished with remarkable emotional depth. Ranveer does more than act; he practically “explodes” on screen, especially in the latter half, becoming almost synonymous with the narrative—a hardcore action avatar deserving of a perfect score.

The supporting cast harmonizes with this energy spectacularly. Akshaye Khanna, in the role of Rehman Dakait, brings an unsettling, captivating, and chilling presence—a villain whose expressions and timing render him unforgettable. Sanjay Dutt is explosive as SP Chaudhary Aslam, known as “The Jinn,” infusing every scene with raw power.

Arjun Rampal’s Major Iqbal commands the screen with his ominous presence, while Sara Arjun makes a strong impression in her debut role. Each actor is thoroughly immersed in their character, creating an intensely engaging atmosphere.

The film maintains a relentless pace, showcasing Aditya Dhar’s skillful control of tempo. Remarkably, despite its lengthy runtime of 214 minutes, the duration never becomes a distraction. Each scene is intentional, and every beat is spot-on, rendering the infiltration plan genuinely tense.

Violence is judiciously used—only three sequences are graphic, each with strong dramatic justification. The film’s true intensity arises from the emotional stakes, character arcs, and political drama.

Jyoti Deshpande, Lokesh Dhar, and Aditya Dhar, supported by B62 Studios and Jio Studios, leave no detail overlooked in crafting a universe that is expansive, authentic, and visually stunning.

Their steadfast support for grand sets, intense action, audacious storytelling, and an exceptional ensemble shines through in every frame, elevating Indian genre cinema to impressive new levels.

Dhurandhar stands as a genre-defining spectacle that merges fierce execution, meticulous craftsmanship, and unforgettable resonance.

With Aditya Dhar’s superior direction and Ranveer Singh’s standout performance, it presents a formidable argument for being one of the most daring and engaging thrillers of the year.

The stage is set, the pieces are in motion, and anticipation for Part Two runs high—fully justified by its high stakes, stunning performances, and impactful storytelling.

On Friday, users around the globe faced significant internet interruptions after Cloudflare, a provider of various online services for numerous websites, experienced yet another outage.

The event caused accessibility problems across several major platforms, including Canva and even Downdetector, a popular service for monitoring outages. Numerous Indian websites and services, along with news portals, were also affected.

This incident marks the second outage for Cloudflare in under a month. A similar technical glitch in November had temporarily disrupted a variety of services, including Spotify, ChatGPT, and former US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform.

So far, Cloudflare has not issued an official statement detailing the cause or scope of the latest outage.

The unexpected shutdown prompted frustrated users to flock to social media platform X, where various hashtags related to the outage quickly began trending. Many netizens voiced their displeasure over ongoing disruptions, emphasizing how the failures had interfered with their work, business functions, and online engagements.

Compounding users’ frustrations, even Downdetector, a site where people typically turn to verify outages, was affected, leaving many uncertain about the magnitude of the disruption.

As the frequency of outages has raised concerns, users are demanding prompt action and clearer communication from Cloudflare to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Last month, Cloudflare experienced a significant global outage due to an internal configuration error. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince had dismissed the idea of cyberattacks.

The outage impacted a myriad of major platforms, including X, ChatGPT, Canva, Discord, and many other websites and applications worldwide. In a follow-up analysis, Prince clarified that the issue arose from a change made to permissions on a ClickHouse database cluster.

The update aimed to enhance data access; however, a faulty query caused the system to retrieve much more information than intended. This mistake resulted in a crucial “feature file” used by Cloudflare’s Bot Management system expanding beyond its limits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s trip to India today is anticipated to result in a “very, very significant meeting” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which could enhance stability and play a role in shaping the emerging global landscape, stated Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Thursday.

Dr. Mehta remarked that this forthcoming dialogue holds considerable importance for both countries and might provide a fresh impetus to India–Russia economic collaboration.

He underscored that the meeting has the capacity to boost bilateral trade and investment while reinforcing the enduring strategic alliance between the two nations.

“The discourse between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin will fortify stability and the new global framework,” he told.

“There are three primary factors that highlight the significance of this meeting. Firstly, the investment prospects for both industries. Secondly, India and Russia possess a robust and well-established strategic partnership,” Mehta elaborated.

He noted that this visit presents a chance to broaden cooperation beyond conventional sectors.

As per him, industries in both nations could discover new pathways for collaboration while looking to diversify their economic interactions.

“This meeting provides a platform to expand into a variety of other areas. It also allows for the alignment of economic priorities between these two countries and opens up avenues for new opportunities, particularly in the domains of defense, hydrocarbons, energy security, and pharmaceuticals,” Mehta elaborated.

Looking forward, Dr. Mehta mentioned that Russia might consider increasing its imports from India, especially in the pharmaceutical sector.

He highlighted that India, being one of the world’s foremost generic drug producers and a vital center for pharmaceuticals, has significant potential to enhance its footprint in the Russian market.

“India and Russia have a relationship founded not only on stability but also on deep historical shared interests,” he remarked.

“Enhanced trade connections and deeper energy collaboration will foster growth for both economies in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape,” Mehta concluded.