IT/Technology

In today's knowledge-driven global economy, one industry in which India is among global leaders and has a firm footprint is the fast-growing information technology and business process outsourcing industry, which includes software development and back-office operations. This industry has not only emerged among the fastest growing contributors to the country's national income, but also the biggest employment generator.

Some Indian companies in the business like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies, Wipro and Hindustan Computers have earned global repute for the quality of service and reach, while several large overseas players like Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Yahoo, Google, Dell, Intel have set up shop in India, registering phenomenal growth.

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Biotech Bets Get Bolder in India
By Peerzada Abrar/ The Economic Times

Turning seaweed into bio fuel was an idea so audacious that most people who heard of it dismissed it as a pipe dream. But for a group of tenacious students at IIT-Madras the naysayers were no deterrent. In just four years, the team of five has successfully transformed a futuristic idea into a new business venture. “The thought of failure didn’t come to me. I saw it as a huge opportunity to apply what I had learnt,” said Sri Sailaja Nori, 25, cofounder of Sea6 Energy, the Bangalore-based startup which has struck a partnership with global industrial enzyme maker Novozymes to create new products to enhance the process of converting seaweed into ethanol. In addition, Sea6 has also developed technology to generate natural gas from the same process. 

Charge Your Smartphone with Solar Power
By ZEESHAN PATEL & HARSIMRAN JULKA/ The Economic Times

 During field visits to the outskirts of Bangalore as a consultant in 2012, Gandharv Bakshi’s mobile phone would constantly run out of power. A casual mention of his frustrations to fashion designer wife led to the emergence of Lumos Design Technology—which makes bags with an inbuilt battery that can power mobile devices through solar power. 

Across the universe, with an app
By Gagandeep Singh Sapra/ The Hindustan Times

I suppose we began the quest when we sang “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” From the world of nursery rhymes to trendy TV series and movies such as the Big Bang theory and Star Trek and to India’s own baby steps in exploring Mars, gazing into the vast universe is now a part of our curiosity cult.

Indigenous 'eye-in-the-sky' being developed for Indian Air Force
By Gulshan Luthra

An indigenous AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), that enables the Indian Air Force (IAF) look up to 400 km into Pakistan and China while remaining in the safety of its own airspace, should be available by about 2020, its developer says.

Agni-IV long-ranged missile test successful, ready for induction
By Rajat Pandit/ Times of India

India on Monday test-fired its second-most ambitious nuclear missile in the making, the new-generation Agni-IV with a strike range of 4,000 km, and promptly declared it was ready for induction. The over 5,000 km Agni-V missile, in turn, will be tested for the third time later this year.

Google eating into Wikipedia page views?
By Subodh Verma/ Times of India

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia used by millions around the world, lost nearly 10 per cent of its page-views last year. That's a decline of about 2 billion between December 2012 and December 2013. It's most popular versions are leading the slide: page-views of the English Wikipedia declined by 12 per cent, those of German version slid by 17 per cent and the Japanese version lost 9 per cent.

Son of the soil keeps things cool with his indigenous gadget
By Vivek Sinha/ Hindustan Times

The devastating earthquake of 2001 destroyed thousands of homes in western Indian state of Gujarat, but the destruction sparked an idea in the mind of Mansukhbhai Prajapati.

A machine that kills grain killers
By Nachiket Kelkar/ Hindustan Times

Foodgrain output in India touched an all-time high of 259.29 million tonnes in 2011-12, according to agriculture ministry data. But, according to UK-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the country wastes about 20 million tonnes of just wheat each year, due to inadequate storage infrastructure. 

Here comes India's first gun for women
By Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui/ The Times of India

Giving more power to women to defend themselves and as a tribute to December 2012 ganrape victim Nirbhaya, the Indian Ordnance Factory, Kanpur, has manufactured Nirbheek, a .32 bore light weight revolver, India's first firearm designed for women. At 500 grams, it is also the first IOF handgun made of titanium alloy.

A seeing eye app for indoor use
By Manu P Toms/ Hindustan Times

Dhruv Jain dreams of making systems and devices that enhance mobility and communication for people with disabilities. And it is not an idle dream, he is well on his way to realising it.