India is using artificial intelligence along with digital public services, local language systems, and rules to protect people. This helps farmers, women, and local groups use AI directly instead of going through city-based middlemen, according to a report.

The One World Outlook report said that India is trying to deal with problems like poor physical infrastructure and difficulties with language, reading, and access.

It made services easier to understand, local, and usable by adding AI to familiar tools like WhatsApp, voice systems, and local community systems. This moved the technology from flashy urban settings to helpful services in rural areas.

The report mentioned what Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank Group, said about “small AI” at the IMF Spring Meetings. He highlighted how India is changing AI from being just a tool for big cities to something that helps people in rural areas too.

It emphasized that the model aims to create affordable and simple-to-use systems that are very useful, making it easier for people in rural areas to use them.

So, AI can help with real problems like improving farm productivity, finding pests, and getting access to markets, Banga said.

Banga’s comments at the IMF are important because they show that AI is not just an expensive product from wealthy countries. Instead, it’s a tool that can help India grow and can be used in a way that fits India’s needs and situation.

The report said that rural AI in India is an example of how developing countries can create their own version of AI.

It explained two main ideas that support the effort: planning and management.

The National Strategy for AI, launched by NITI Aayog, sees AI as a way to help everyone, especially in areas such as farming, healthcare, and education, where support is most needed. The India AI Governance Guidelines 2025 focus on being fair, responsible, open and on assessing risks specific to India.

India’s approach to using AI focuses on solving problems, having people review decisions, and ensuring services are available in local languages. This means inclusion is built into the system from the start instead of being added later.

The Punjab Kings kept winning in IPL 2026, beating the Lucknow Super Giants by 54 runs on Sunday.

In a match where they had to defend a high score of 254 runs, Marco Jansen took 2 wickets for 37 runs. Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Vijaykumar Vyshak each took 1 wicket. This helped PBKS stay at the top of the points table.

Openers Priyansh Arya (93 runs from 37 balls) and Australian player Cooper Connolly (87 runs from 46 balls) helped set a big target for the other team with their quick scoring. The PBKS bowlers did a good job of keeping LSG to 200 runs for 5 wickets, even though they made some mistakes in the field towards the end.

Trying to chase down 255 runs was always going to be tough for LSG. They decided to do it with a new opening pair: Mitchell Marsh and Ayush Badoni. The two players put up a good partnership, scoring 61 runs together, but it wasn’t enough to reach the high target they needed.

Even though Marsh, Rishabh Pant, and Aiden Markram all scored around 40 runs, they couldn’t turn it into a big score that would have made PBKS worried. After the big defeat, LSG has lost three games in a row and is now in eighth place, with only Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians below them.

LSG’s game starting with Badoni and Marsh went well at first. They hit 10 boundaries and scored more than fifty runs together. However, Vyshak ended their partnership on the last ball of the powerplay by tricking Badoni with a slow ball that was easily caught by a fielder in the middle of the field.

Marsh and Pant tried to boost their team’s energy, with the LSG captain hitting Jansen for two sixes in a row. When Chahal came into the game, things got tougher for the batting team. They scored 20 runs from overs 9 to 11, but Chahal ended the dangerous second-wicket partnership when Marsh hit a high ball straight to the fielder at long-on.

Pant kept going strong by hitting Chahal for back-to-back sixes in the 12th over. However, he got out quickly for 43 runs when he tried to hit a wide ball from Arshdeep and ended up getting caught. The decision was confirmed by UltraEdge.

The chase basically stopped there when Nicholas Pooran did not do well again and got out after scoring just nine runs. He misplayed a slow pitch from Jansen and hit it to a fielder in the outfield.

Markram (42) and Mukul Choudhary (21 not out) thrilled the crowd with several big hits, helped by three catches missed by the PBKS players in the last three overs. However, it was clear that the home team was going to win.

Brief Scores:
Punjab Kings 254/7 in 20 overs (Priyansh Arya 93, Cooper Connolly 87; Prince Yadav 2-25, M Siddharth 2-35)
Lucknow Super Giants 200/5 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 43, Aiden Markram 42; Marco Jansen 2-37, Vijaykumar Vyshak 1-30)

In Ahmedabad on Friday, skipper Shubman Gill continued his talent for scoring a truckload of runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, this time by blasting a calm 86 to lead the Gujarat Titans (GT) to a comfortable five-wicket triumph against a faltering Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Gill’s outstanding 50-ball performance, which included four sixes and eight fours at a strike rate of 172, not only ensured GT’s supremacy for most of the chase but also left KKR at the bottom of the table, suffering their sixth straight defeat of the year.

Despite KKR’s valiant efforts to prolong the game, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan maintained composure throughout several tense situations and were able to finish the chase with two balls remaining, giving GT its hat-trick of wins. Cameron Green would be left lamenting the absence of assistance from his batting team as he ultimately produced a fantastic 79 off 55 balls.

Gill’s pursuit of 181 was flawless from the start, as he unleashed a signature display of high-elbow drives, short-arm jabs, and exquisite flicks. As GT reached 50 in just 4. 2 overs, B Sai Sudharsan (22), who gave Anukul Roy a beating by hitting two stunning sixes, proved to be a competent partner.

Although Sunil Narine broke the 71-run opening stand by dismissing Sudharsan, who top-edged to short fine leg, Jos Buttler entered the game and kept the momentum going with a quick 25 off 15 balls before holing out to the deep on a googly from Varun Chakaravarthy, who got his first wicket of IPL 2026.

Even though Washington Sundar fell to Chakaravarthy, Gill managed to score his half-century off 27 balls and kept striking a barrage of boundaries. Cameron Green ended his stay with a moment of brilliance at deep backward point, just when it seemed he was about to score a century. The game momentarily wavered when Gill was fired as KKR’s bowlers brought it into the last over.

With only five runs remaining in the game, Ramandeep Singh dismissed Glenn Phillips (19) on the first ball, giving KKR a glimmer of optimism. However, Shahrukh, Tewatia, and the impact sub stayed cool and collected to secure the victory for GT.

Brief scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 180 all out in 20 overs (Cameron Green 79, Rovman Powell 27; Kagiso Rabada 3-29, Mohammed Siraj 2-23)
Gujarat Titans 181/5 in 19.4 overs (Shubman Gill 86, Jos Buttler 25; Varun Chakaravarthy 2-34, Ramandeep Singh 1-5)

According to reports, the American tech behemoth Meta (formerly Facebook) intends to reduce its worldwide workforce by at least 10%, or about 8,000 employees, the following month.

Reuters reports that more layoffs are anticipated in the latter half of the year. The specifics of those layoffs, though, are still unknown.

It is anticipated that the first round in May will result in a 10% decrease in its worldwide workforce.

The study suggests that the layoff plans may be contingent upon advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

According to sources, Meta intends to eliminate at least 20% of its whole staff. Based on Meta’s workforce of about 79,000 workers as of December 31, the job cuts might impact around 16,000 employees if implemented at that level.

So far, Meta hasn’t verified the layoff plans. The report did not receive an immediate response from the firm, which is headed by Mark Zuckerberg.

According to a recent report, tech layoffs worldwide are intensifying in 2026, with more than 80,000 jobs lost in the first quarter alone and over 300,000 jobs likely lost this year, primarily from companies such as Oracle, Amazon, and Meta.

According to the TradingPlatforms report, the most recent wave of layoffs is part of a more general post-pandemic correction, which has seen over a million tech jobs vanish worldwide since 2021 as firms adjust their hiring practices following the Covid-era expansion.

With about half of all redundancies in 2026 attributable to AI-related changes, automation and artificial intelligence have become major forces behind this shift.

With more than 61,000 layoffs across 62 firms, the US continues to be the hardest hit market, accounting for almost 77% of global layoffs this year.

In 2026, Oracle has declared the most layoffs worldwide among businesses, eliminating over 25,000 positions as part of a significant reorganization connected to its push for AI infrastructure.

In an effort to optimize operations and increase efficiency, Amazon followed with about 16,000 layoffs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized Thursday that Indian Railways has undergone a profound transformation and is establishing new benchmarks through ongoing reforms and technology.

In this connection, he shared an article written by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on how clear policy, the introduction of modern technology, and the consistent infusion of cash have changed the safety ecosystem of Indian Railways over the last ten years.

The Prime Minister’s Office shared on X: “The Indian Railway system has experienced a sea change, and the consequences are evident. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw describes how this industry is establishing new standards via ongoing technological advancements and reforms.

For many of these travelers, rail travel is a need rather than an option. Safety is not a technical measure in a system that moves such amounts over such large distances. It stated that it is a question of public confidence.

The article emphasizes that during PM Modi’s initial term, the Indian Railways received a clear message that “Safety First” would be its priority. The organization has sought to accomplish this objective through a tech-led, consistently funded makeover of its safety environment.

As a result, the number of train crashes in the nation has decreased dramatically. Between 2014 and 2015, Indian Railways reported 135 such incidents, which had decreased by 89% to 16 in 2025–26. Even though train operations and passenger traffic have increased, the number of incidents has decreased.

The significant accident index, which calculates accidents per unit of train running distance, has decreased from 0. 11 to 0. 01 during this period, demonstrating that the system is now significantly safer for every kilometer covered.

Additionally, there were 292 fatalities as a result of rail mishaps in 2014–15, but just 16 fatalities across 16 incidents in 2025–26.

In a message highlighting the significance of Indian Railways in the daily lives of its citizens, the minister stated, “Every morning, as India awakens, its railways are already in motion. ” Every day, the nation’s trains carry over two million travelers, including students, migrant workers, office workers, families, and soldiers.

In order to promote the idea of a self-sufficient nation and meet India’s expanding energy demands, the Coal Ministry is scheduled to conduct a 15th round of business coal mine auctions and stakeholder discussions in Mumbai on Friday.

According to an official statement released on Thursday, Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, will be present at the event. This progressive voyage is continued in the 15th round, which provides coal mines under the most liberal conditions in order to foster ease of doing business, draw a variety of investments, and promote greater industry involvement.

In order to foster sustainable development, innovation, and long-term resilience in the industry, the ministry stated that it is still dedicated to providing the country with dependable and inexpensive energy.

“The round will invite participation from experienced miners, new entrants, and technology-driven businesses alike, providing a new set of fully explored and partially explored coal blocks,” the ministry said.

By encouraging a vibrant and competitive environment, it is anticipated to give the coal industry more impetus, while also opening the door for increased investments, job creation, and overall industry expansion.

Under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, commercial coal mining has been started in 2020, and the plan has greatly increased the availability of coal in the country and strengthened the energy security of the nation.

The ministry claims that the commercial coal mine auction framework has revolutionized the coal industry by promoting transparency, encouraging competition, and establishing a level playing field for all stakeholders.

Commercial coal mining has become a major facilitator of economic development, boosting coal output and guaranteeing a consistent and dependable supply for businesses throughout the nation.

The ministry said that the upcoming round builds on this solid base, increasing faith in the industry and its future potential.

In the second straight game, the amazing pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer blasted half-centuries apiece and shared another vital partnership as they helped Punjab Kings defeat the Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in Match 24 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Thursday at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.

PBKS defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad a few days earlier, thanks to half-centuries from Prabhsimran and Shreyas Iyer. On Thursday, they dominated yet another chase, with Prabhsimran hitting 80 not out off 39 deliveries and Shreyas Iyer scoring 66 off 35 as PBKS reached 198/3 in 16. 3 overs after inserting the Mumbai Indians in and limiting them to 195/6 despite a scintillating unbeaten century by Quinton de Kock (112) and a fifty by Naman Dhir.

Iyer hit his third consecutive half-century of the competition, but this one would be more gratifying for him because it came at his home stadium and against a team that included three members of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup, for which he was not selected. Meanwhile, Prabhsimran scored his second fifty of IPL 2026.

Their 139-run partnership for the third wicket guaranteed PBKS won the game with 21 balls left, giving them their fourth victory in five games and keeping them undefeated. The Mumbai Indians are still sitting at two points after one victory and four losses, while PBKS has risen to the top of the standings with nine points thanks to this triumph.

The Punjab Kings were attempting to score 196, which was a difficult target, but they lost their opening batsman, Priyansh Arya, early after Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah bowled the first two overs.

However, the Mumbai Indians got the breakthrough when Arya blasted the ball off the leg stump straight to Chahar at midwicket, thanks to the addition of AM Ghazanfar, who came in as an impact player in place of Suryakumar Yadav. With the team score reading 27/1, he hit 15 off of 9 balls (2×4, 1×6).

After a brief stint, Cooper Connolly smashed one four and two sixes before edging it behind to Quinton de Kock off Ghazanfar.

However, captain Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh saved them from the precarious situation by forging a century stand for the third wicket that set them on the path to triumph.

Prabhsimran was in top shape, hitting shots all over the field, timing the ball flawlessly, and maintaining the chase as he recorded his second consecutive fifty. When Jasprit Bumrah missed an easy opportunity off Hardik Pandya, he had a stroke of luck early in the game.

Prabhsimran began the match by hitting consecutive boundaries against Chahar in the first over, then followed that up with a six and a four against the pacer in the eighth over; smashed Hardik Pandya for consecutive boundaries in the 10th over, and blasted the MI captain for a four and a six in the 14th over.

As PBKS approached the mark, he was also given boundaries as he reached his fifty off 23 balls, along with Ghazanfar and Shardul Thakur.

He replicated his successful strategy against Iyer a few days after doing the same against SRH. Iyer, who made a spectacular catch to get rid of his opponent, supported his partner well in the beginning before hitting some outstanding strokes near the conclusion of his innings, reaching his half-century in 31 deliveries and smashing two sixes and five fours.

Iyer hit Bumrah for a few boundaries when PBKS needed 35 runs off of 36 balls, and then in the 16th over, after Naman Dhir dropped him in deep, he smashed Shadrul Thakur for sixes off consecutive balls. When they brought an end to Iyer’s outstanding innings, Dhir and Shardul had the last laugh.

Despite his previous blunder, Dhir made a fantastic catch, but by then, the game was practically over. Iyer hit 66 runs off 35 pitches, including four sixes and five fours.

The game concluded with Prabhsimran leading PBKS to victory with an unbeaten 80 off 39 balls and Marcus Stoinis at his side with an unbeaten 10, as PBKS remained undefeated in five games.

Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 195/6 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 112 not out, Naman Dhir 50; Arshdeep Singh 3-22)
Punjab Kings 198/3 in 16.3 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 80 not out, Shreyas Iyer 66; AM Ghazanfar 2-31)

OpenAI, the American tech behemoth, stated that India is among the most developed AI marketplaces in the world, particularly in the areas of data analysis, coding, and higher-level reasoning.

In a statement about reasoning tokens that ChatGPT Plus users employ, OpenAI stated that India is among the top five countries in the world for per capita use of cognitive capacity.

With a fourfold increase in Codex users in just two weeks following the release of the company’s Codex app in February 2026, the nation has become one of the fastest-growing AI builder ecosystems.

According to the firm, India’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) is still heavily concentrated in a few cities, and its sophisticated use is even more unevenly distributed, indicating a significant opportunity to extend its use beyond early adopters in the top few cities.

“The key issue now is how rapidly the advantages of AI may spread from early adopters and major cities to the larger public. The young, quick-adopting Indian population will have a significant impact on the measures needed to close this gap, including increasing access, developing skills, and facilitating more meaningful use nationwide,” according to Oliver Jay, Managing Director-International, OpenAI.

As the top 10 cities only make up around 10% of the population but have around half of the AI users, advanced capability is heavily concentrated.

In India, Delhi-NCR has the greatest ChatGPT penetration rate. According to the study, India has a high level of AI competitiveness, but its greatest strengths are concentrated in a few cities, such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai.

The Capability Gap results show that some of the most significant use cases for AI are already occurring in healthcare and education, among other fields, demonstrating how it is being used in real-world settings.

The firm discovered significant intra-regional disparities in sophisticated applications, with data analysis utilization being 30 times higher in top cities than in laggard cities.

The usage of coding was discovered to be four times greater, while the use of Codex developer was nine times higher.

In the 23rd game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which was held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) chased down a modest target of 147 runs in just 15. 1 overs, losing five wickets against Lucknow Super Giants. Virat Kohli, an impact player, led the way with 49 runs.

After this victory, RCB has 8 points from five games and is back at the top of the points table.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru began cautiously in pursuit of a small target, scoring only six runs in the first over. Prince Yadav bowled Phil Salt for 7 off 8 balls in the following over, after he narrowly escaped being run out on the last delivery of the first over when he tried to pick up the pace.

The shackles were broken when Virat Kohli then changed course and hit three straight boundaries off Mohammed Shami, who had previously bowled a good first over. To keep the pressure on the opposition, Kohli continued his aggressive strategy by hitting four boundaries in the next over against Prince Yadav. Kohli’s 40 runs off only 20 balls, together with his aggressive approach, helped RCB reach 60/1 at the conclusion of the power play.

As a result of an elbow injury he sustained in the first innings, Rishabh Pant was unable to play, and Nicholas Pooran captained the Lucknow Super Giants on the field. Despite their sloppy play in the field, LSG made a breakthrough in the eighth over when Avesh Khan got rid of Devdutt Padikkal for ten runs.

While Rajat Patidar took the offensive role, Kohli kept the innings together by effectively rotating the strike. In the 13th over, though, Kohli was dismissed for 49 off 34 balls at long-on, an innings that featured six fours and a six, falling just shy of a half-century.

Patidar and Jitesh Sharma increased the pace of the game after he was fired. Patidar chipped in with a quick 27 off 13 balls before both were out in rapid succession by Prince Yadav, while Jitesh hit two sixes and two fours in the same over.

Ultimately, Tim David and Romario Shepherd led RCB to victory with 29 balls remaining, each remaining undefeated on 14. Two crucial wickets for LSG were taken by Avesh Khan.

Prince bowled the best for LSG, ending with respectable numbers of 3-32. Even though Avesh Khan also grabbed two important wickets.

In the beginning, when asked to bat first, LSG had a difficult time getting started as openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram struggled against the tight new-ball spell from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, scoring only 14/0 in the first two overs. Markram left for 12 after misjudging a slower Rasikh delivery, although Marsh momentarily changed the tide with a massive six.

Rishabh Pant, the captain of LSG, sustained a major setback when he injured his elbow and was forced to quit the game due to injury after just three balls. Hazlewood bowled Nicholas Pooran out cheaply, and he was unable to take advantage of the chance.

Marsh was then dismissed for 40 by Krunal Pandya after he and Ayush Badoni put together a rapid 36-run partnership. Abdul Samad was knocked out for a duck by Krunal, which dealt another blow to the LSG innings.

With a steady partnership, Badoni, 38, and Mukul Choudhary, 39, attempted to rebuild, but consistent wickets continued to slow LSG’s progress. Later, Pant returned, but he was just able to complete one run.

With four wickets taken by Rasikh, three by Bhuvneshwar, and Hazlewood maintaining good command, the innings was brought to a successful conclusion. The combined effort of the team resulted in RCB limiting LSG to a low score.

Brief Scores:
Lucknow Super Giants 146/10 in 20 overs (Mitchell Marsh 40, Mukul Choudhary 39; Rasikh Dar 4-24, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-27 )
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 149/5 in 15.1 overs (Virat Kohli 49, Rajat Patidar 27; Prince Yadav 3-32, Avesh Khan 2-23)

In a policy debate, it was said that India is seen as a key ally in setting future norms, and the United States is pushing for worldwide agreement on regulations governing digital assets.

Under the Chatham House Rules, the discussion took place on Wednesday (local time) and highlighted the inherent cross-border nature of digital assets, necessitating international collaboration in order to prevent regulatory fragmentation.

According to participants, Washington is increasingly focused on developing interoperable frameworks that may be adopted across jurisdictions. The objective is to streamline regulatory complexity, cut costs, and facilitate the smoother transfer of capital in a fast-digitalizing global economy.

It was generally agreed that no one nation may regulate digital assets alone. Cross-border collaboration, both bilaterally and via multilateral forums like the G20, was recognized as essential for establishing shared norms.

India was highlighted during these discussions as a significant participant, considering its size, expanding digital economy, and expertise in developing large-scale public digital infrastructures.

India’s contribution to earlier international policy initiatives on digital finance has already been noteworthy, according to participants, and as the technology develops, more engagement is likely to occur.

India has adopted a more cautious approach, notably on issues such as capital restrictions and monetary sovereignty, while the United States is shifting toward a more innovation-driven paradigm, according to some participants.

Although these disparities reflect differing economic structures and policy priorities, participants said there is still room for convergence over time.

The conversation highlighted cross-border payments as one possible area for collaboration. Digital assets have the potential to lessen friction in international transactions, which is especially important for nations like India that have significant remittance flows.

The significance of establishing international norms was also highlighted. According to participants, nations that act quickly to create trustworthy regulatory frameworks are more likely to influence international standards.

In this scenario, collaboration between big economies like the United States and India may have an impact on the future of digital asset markets worldwide.

From a larger perspective, participants stated that digital assets are joining the progress in digital payments and artificial intelligence as part of a more comprehensive transformation of the financial infrastructure.

They emphasized the significance of collaboration between democracies in guaranteeing that new technologies are regulated by open and regulated systems.

As digital finance continues to spread across borders, the challenge ahead will be to strike a balance between national priorities and the demand for international collaboration, according to participants.

They further stated that increased interaction between the United States and India might be crucial in determining the future framework of digital asset regulation.