Mumbai, Aug 10 (IANS) India is now the largest supplier of smartphones to the United States, Union Railways & IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Sunday.At the inauguration of Metro projects in Bengaluru, the minister said India’s electronics production has grown sixfold in the last 11 years, reaching a value of Rs 12 lakh crore. Electronic exports have increased eightfold to Rs 3 lakh crore during the same period, he added.“India has become the second-largest manufacturer of mobile pho…

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) In a rare and alarming case, a man in the United States developed life-threatening bromide poisoning after following diet advice given by ChatGPT. Doctors believe this could be the first known case of AI-linked bromide poisoning, according to a report by Gizmodo.The case was detailed by doctors at the University of Washington in ‘Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases’.They said the man consumed sodium bromide for three months, thinking it was a safe substitute …

Mumbai, Aug 10 (IANS) Six of the top ten most valued firms in India lost Rs 1.361 lakh crore in market capitalisation last week, with Reliance Industries suffering the biggest loss. Markets fell for the sixth straight week following US President Donald Trump’s unexpected announcement of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods. The Nifty and Sensex fell by nearly one per cent, closing at 24,363 and 79,857, respectively.From the top ten firms in Nifty pack, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airt…

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) India has now graduated to becoming a “preferred security partner” in the Indo-Pacific region, forming defence partnerships that not only include joint exercises and capacity building but also exports of defence equipment either as a grant or under a defence Line of Credit at the request of the partner state, according to former Indian diplomat Suchitra Durai. Trilateral maritime security cooperation with Sri Lanka and the Maldives, which began in 2011, has extended to o…

Mumbai, Aug 10 (IANS) As India prepares for its 79th Independence Day next week, its digital governance ecosystem has made citizens more independent in accessing services and participating in governance. Tech-enabled citizen-centric governance has led to the empowerment of citizens and inclusive development.The Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, transformed India into a digitally enabled society and knowledge economy. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) platforms, including Aadhaar, UPI…

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The Indian Railways has expanded its modern train fleet, with 144 Vande Bharat services now running across the country’s broad gauge electrified network. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the update in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha recently — highlighting the government’s push to modernise the nation’s rail infrastructure.Vande Bharat trains are semi-high-speed services designed and developed by Indian Railways to offer passengers a faster, safer, and…

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has formed an expert committee to review the 2019 norms for issuing licenses for petrol pumps, keeping in mind market efficiency and India’s push for alternative fuels, decarbonisation, and e-mobility.The expert committee will “assess the effectiveness of the framework envisaged in Resolution dated November 8, 2019, in ensuring energy security and market efficiency; align the policy framework with national commitment towards de…

Mumbai, Aug 10 (IANS) State Bank of India has hit a historic jackpot with its early investment in National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) as what began as a modest Rs 1.20 crore stake has ballooned into Rs 7,801.80 crore in just three trading sessions — delivering an unbelievable return of over 6,50,000 per cent.The company made its stock market debut on August 8 at Rs 880 per share, a 10 per cent premium to its IPO price of Rs 800.Since then, its shares have surged to Rs 1,300.30 — mark…

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Sunday called for urgent and comprehensive land reforms to help India achieve its goal of becoming a leading global manufacturing and investment hub by 2047. It said that while India has made significant progress in many areas of reform, the land sector still faces challenges that are slowing industrial growth and discouraging investors.In a statement, CII said India’s strong policy framework, industrial capabilities, large…

Quetta, Aug 10 (IANS) Education, online businesses and media reporting have faced widespread disruptions in Pakistan’s Balochistan due to the suspension of internet services for the past several days, with the provincial government claiming that the decision was taken to curb communications among armed groups active in the region, local media reported on Saturday. Officials said that the decision has been taken on the security agencies’ recommendation, keeping in view rising tensions in August, …