The Trump administration’s latest salvo against immigration, a $100,000 fee for every H-1b visa granted, would sharply raise costs for American companies, especially for government projects that require on-site workers.
The urgent need for climate transition has increased the profile of deep-sea mining (DSM) as a possible source of the metals necessary for a transition to renewables. The need for cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper and rare earth elements, necessary for batteries, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, is growing as more governments commit to carbon neutrality by mid-century.
India is emerging as a global center for its vast digital user base and government initiatives, free and open source software (FOSS) innovation. India's digital ecosystem is well deployed to use open-source technologies, with more than 96% of the 4G users accessing the Internet through open-source platforms such as Android. Recognizing this capacity, the Government of India (GOI) has actively promoted the adoption of open-source since 2015, notably through Openforge, an official platform for collaborative development of e-governance applications.
India is steadily moving towards self-reliance and technological independence, especially under programs like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India. These initiatives aim to reduce reliance on imports across various sectors, including sustainable energy. An essential part of this shift is gaining the ability to access and process critical minerals. Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are crucial in making high-performance components like Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs). These magnets are widely used in wind turbines, electric cars, electronics and defense applications.
India is emerging as a global leader in biotechnology, with its biotech sector valued at USD 165.7 billion in 2024 and projected to reach USD 300 billion by 2030. Recognising the sector's vast potential to address global challenges, the Government of India launched BioRRAP (Biological Research Regulatory Approval Portal) in 2022, an online platform developed and maintained by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science & Technology.
India began its journey with High-Performance Computing (HPC) several decades back, but it was not a smooth beginning. Supercomputers and HPC systems were categorized as strategic and dual-use technologies by many developed nations, which limited the access of supercomputers to India. The first attempt to indigenously create supercomputing systems for research and development was the development of PARAM 8000, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) prepared the Master Plan for Delhi 2041 (MPD 2041) as a comprehensive statutory development plan, which is the fourth plan, following its predecessors in the years of 1962, 2001, and 2021.