Science & Tech

Google has announced a landmark $15 billion investment over five years to establish its first AI-powered data center hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, marking its largest such commitment outside the United States. This initiative, formalized through an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government, involves partnerships with AdaniConneX and Bharti Airtel, and is expected to generate 1.38 lakh jobs while democratizing AI technology across sectors like healthcare, education, and agriculture.

Indian scientists at the Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru have made a major advance in quantum technology by developing methods to generate and certify truly random numbers using a general-purpose quantum computer. This achievement, led by physicist Urbasi Sinha, is the first of its kind ready for real-world use and could lead to unbreakable digital security systems, especially as quantum computers threaten current encryption methods.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at the India Mobile Congress 2025 that India's indigenous 4G technology stack is now ready for export, showcasing the country's telecom self-reliance. This move aims to provide an alternative to China's Digital Silk Road expansion in developing nations, where India has joined the elite group of five countries (Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, China, and India) that have developed their own 4G stack.

The Finance Ministry has granted in-principle approval for the construction of Maitri II, India's newest research station in eastern Antarctica, marking a significant step in upgrading the country's polar research infrastructure. This decision, announced on October 4, 2025, comes as the existing Maitri station, operational since 1989, has outlived its original design life and requires replacement to support ongoing scientific expeditions amid growing global interest in Antarctic studies for climate insights and resource exploration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai on October 9, sharing the stage with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He highlighted India's AI Mission as capable of managing data and privacy issues while promoting 'All Inclusive' AI, showcased India's fintech successes like UPI, and announced enhanced UK-India partnerships to boost global fintech cooperation and innovation.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their groundbreaking discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. This recognition comes for experiments conducted in the 1980s that showed quantum effects—usually seen only in tiny particles—can occur in larger, hand-held systems, opening doors to advanced technologies like quantum computers and sensors.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to three scientists—Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi—for their groundbreaking work in developing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This recognition highlights how these innovative materials, which create vast empty spaces within molecular structures, are transforming applications in carbon capture, water harvesting, and clean energy storage, addressing key global challenges like climate change and resource scarcity.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released a draft notification proposing that all electric cars, buses, and trucks must be equipped with an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) to generate artificial sounds at low speeds. This move comes in response to growing concerns over road accidents caused by the silent operation of electric vehicles (EVs), which can surprise pedestrians and cyclists, especially in busy urban areas. The proposal aims to make EVs safer for everyone on the road while supporting India's push towards cleaner transport options to reduce emissions.

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Japanese scientist Shimon Sakaguchi and American scientists Mary E. Brunkow and Frederick J. Ramsdell for their pioneering discoveries on regulatory T cells. These cells act as essential "security guards" in the immune system, ensuring it fights off harmful invaders like viruses and bacteria without mistakenly attacking the body's own healthy cells. This breakthrough, announced by the Nobel Committee, highlights the mechanism of peripheral immune tolerance and opens new pathways for treating autoimmune diseases and enhancing cancer therapies, addressing a long-standing puzzle in immunology.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been conducting crucial simulation missions in Bengaluru using a static mock-up simulator to prepare astronaut-designates for India's maiden human spaceflight under the Gaganyaan programme. These simulations, allowing astronauts to experience spacecraft-like conditions for extended periods, are part of the final preparations ahead of the first uncrewed test flight (G1) scheduled for December 2025, featuring the humanoid robot Vyommitra. This development underscores India's push towards self-reliance in space exploration, with the crewed mission now targeted for 2027.

India is observing its second National Space Day on August 23, 2025, commemorating the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s south pole in 2023. The day highlights India’s transformation into a global space power and ISRO’s expanding ambitions in space exploration.