Is India ready for the AI revolution? The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, from generative AI tools to sophisticated machine learning algorithms, are transforming industries across the nation. From fintech's burgeoning use of AI-powered fraud detection to the agricultural sector's embrace of precision farming technologies, the impact is undeniable. This week saw a major breakthrough in indigenous 5G technology development, signaling India's growing prowess in the global tech landscape. But alongside this progress comes the crucial discussion surrounding data privacy, cybersecurity, and the ethical implications of AI deployment. How will India navigate these challenges and harness the transformative power of technology for inclusive growth? Explore the latest developments in Indian tech, from the rise of digital payments to the burgeoning startup ecosystem, and discover how innovation is shaping the nation's future. Stay informed with Abtak.com – your gateway to understanding the tech revolution reshaping India.
New Delhi: Road users across India will no longer be able to pay toll fees in cash from April 1 as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) shifts to a fully digital payment system. In a major step towards modernising highway travel, NHAI will implement a complete ban on cash payments at toll plazas across the country. From April 1, commuters will have to pay toll charges only through digital modes such as FASTag or UPI. The move is aimed at improving efficiency and bringing more transparency to toll collection on national highways and expressways. Officials believe that a fully digital system will help vehicles pass through toll plazas faster, reducing long queues and saving travel time. With the removal of cash lanes, authorities expect a smoother flow of traffic, especially during peak hours. Faster processing at toll booths is also likely to cut fuel consumption and reduce vehicle emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment. However, the transition may cause inconvenience for some travellers, particularly those who are not prepared for digital payments. Vehicles without a valid FASTag or sufficient balance may face penalties or could even be stopped at toll plazas. In such cases, commuters will have the option to make instant payments using UPI by scanning QR codes available at toll booths. But officials have warned that network issues could sometimes affect these transactions, leading to delays.
New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has achieved 15,547 crore transactions worth Rs 223 lakh crore from January to November this year, 'showcasing its transformative impact on financial transactions' in India, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday. The Finance Ministry also said that UPI is now accepted in seven countries including France, UAE, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bhutan and Nepal. The UPI system provides a cheaper and quicker alternative to the available channels of cross-border remittances. UPI has succeeded in increasing financial inclusion and promot ...Read More >
Chennai: Hours before Union home minister Amit Shah was to arrive in Madurai, Thuglak editor and an associate of Shah, S Gurumurthy on Saturday met PMK founder S Ramadoss. The PMK leader, however, ruled out the possibility of meeting Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.Gurumurthy met Ramadoss for the second time amid reported tension within PMK regarding alliance strategies and insistence by Anbumani Ramadoss to remain party president. The hour-long meeting took place at the T Nagar residence of A K Vijay Mahesh, son of former Union minister and PMK leader A K Moorthy, sources sai ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Nine construction workers went missing after a midnight cloudburst triggered a massive landslide on Saturday (June 28) in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Yamunotri National Highway. A joint search and rescue operation has been launched by multiple agencies, and the Chardham pilgrimage on the Yamunotri track has been suspended for the next 24 hours. Police and rescue team members informed that around 19 workers were trapped under a thick mass of sludge that slid down due to a cloudburst at midnight. The deluge of sludge and debris completely devastated the labour camp where w ...Read More >
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 5 (ANI): Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Saturday accused the Congress of misleading the country with its claim that the BJP-led government at the Centre wants to change the Constitution. He added that AICC has now become the 'All India Cheating Congress'. "The words 'secular' and 'socialist' were not there in the Constitution. It was added after the 42nd Amendment. The Amendment was brought during the Emergency. Emergency was a black day in the democratic history of our country. So, the original Constitution did not have the words 'secular' and ...Read More >
New Delhi: State-owned NHAI on Friday said it has strengthened the process for reporting 'loose FASTag' for blacklisting users to ensure smooth tolling operations. In view of upcoming initiatives like the annual pass system and multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling, it is critical to address this issue to ensure FASTag authenticity and system reliability, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said in a statement. "To ensure smooth tolling operations and strengthen reporting of 'loose FASTags', NHAI has further streamlined its policy for the Toll Collecting Agencies and Concessionaires ...Read More >
Bengaluru : India's digital commerce landscape is undergoing a seismic transformation, driven by deep rural internet penetration, explosive growth in Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands, and the rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the retail sector. According to the Made for Bharat, Powered by AI: The New Age of Commerce Report by Shiprocket and KPMG, with 886 million active internet users 55% from rural India and UPI accounting for 84% of all retail digital payments, Bharat is not just catching up; it's driving the change. The report was launched today at Shiprocket's flagship comme ...Read More >
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 15 (ANI): The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the temporary suspension of toll collection on a 28.71 km stretch of the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway (NH-754K), owing to essential repair work currently underway. This stretch falls under Package-4 of the Sanchore-Santalpur section of the expressway, a key infrastructure link being developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana. According to the official statement, the toll suspension will be effective from 8:00 AM on July 15 and will remain in place until the completion of the on ...Read More >
New Delhi: Vehicle owners may soon get a new and easier way to pay tolls in India. The government is planning to introduce a FASTag Annual Pass that will allow unlimited travel on national highways and expressways. This was reported by the Times of India on May 24. The new system is being considered by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). If introduced, the FASTag Annual Pass will cost Rs 3,000 per year. With this one-time payment, users can travel freely across highways without paying toll charges each time. This move is expected to make road travel smoother and more afforda ...Read More >
The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway's Wayside Amenity Stations, initiated by NHAI, are revolutionizing the travel experience for long-distance truck drivers. These driver-centric stations offer essential facilities such as rest areas, dining, and refueling, significantly enhancing comfort, safety, and convenience for India's highway heroes. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, is setting new standards in eco-sensit ...Read More >
Jaipur: Police in Didwana have stepped up their probe into a cross-border smuggling case in which they arrested two arms and drug smugglers on June 27 for supplying Austrian Glock and Chinese Norinco pistols. It has emerged that the case has links to a massive Rs 300-crore heroin consignment seized by Punjab's Amritsar police near the India-Pakistan border in Barmer on June 30. Canada-based Joben Kaler was identified as the main overseas handler of the heroin consignment. Didwana-Kuchaman police had arrested Mohammad Ilyas from Khunkhuna and Amarjeet Singh Takhar, alias Prince, from Jalandhar ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], May 2 : The daily toll collection through FASTag system achieved a historic milestone on April ... New Delhi [India], May 2 : The daily toll collection through FASTag system achieved a historic milestone on April 29, reaching an all-time high collection of Rs 193.15 crore, with 1.16 crore transactions recorded in a single day, said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Tuesday. Since FASTag was mandated by the government in February 2021, the number of toll plazas under the FASTag programme has increased from 770 to 1,228, including 339 state toll plazas. With a p ...Read More >
Bagdogra (West Bengal) [India], May 29 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said improving connectivity remains one of the main achievements of his government, which has, over the past decade, ushered in a slew of rail and road projects, including in the Northeastern state of Sikkim. In his address delivered via videoconferencing at the Sikkim@50 event held at Gangtok's Palzor Stadium, the Prime Minister recalled a time when travel for education, healthcare, and employment was a major challenge for the region. However, he noted that the situation has changed significantly over the ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) PhonePe on Friday said it has acquired the IP of GSPay -- a proprietary technology stack from conversational engagement platform Gupshup -- to enable UPI-based payments on new feature phones. The company in a statement said it plans to customise the stack and launch its own UPI payment app for new feature phones in India in the next few quarters. The new app will offer essential UPI features such as peer-to-peer transfers, offline QR payments, and receiving money via mobile numbers or self-QR codes. Industry research indicates that there were over 24 crore feature pho ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) PhonePe on Friday said it has acquired the IP of GSPay -- a proprietary technology stack from conversational engagement platform Gupshup -- to enable UPI-based payments on new feature phones. The company in a statement said it plans to customise the stack and launch its own UPI payment app for new feature phones in India in the next few quarters. Also Read | How To Activate Your UAN Online? Step-by-Step Guide As EPFO Extends Activation Deadline to June 30, 2025. The new app will offer essential UPI features such as peer-to-peer transfers, offline QR payments, and rece ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Jammu, Jun 29 (PTI) Police set up a number of checkpoints on Sunday to bolster security arrangements in Jammu district and carry out daily anti-sabotage checks ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 3. The 38-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to start on July 3 from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district -- leading to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine. The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar ...Read More >
Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 5 (ANI): The BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday came down heavily on the Himachal Pradesh government, calling the current state of administration 'an all-time low,' while terming the recent incident involving Shimla (Rural) MLA Anirudh Singh and NHAI officials as 'unfortunate'. 'When the protector himself becomes the predator, how will the administration function. I am worried and hurt the way things are happening in Himachal Pradesh,' said the BJP national chief while addressing the Media in Bilaspur on Saturday. Addressi ...Read More >
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 7 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed that all damage to highways, as well as rural and urban roads, caused by heavy monsoon rains, be repaired on a priority basis and restored to their original condition without delay, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press release. In a high-level meeting, the Chief Minister emphasised that road networks--crucial for development and daily public transportation--must not remain damaged due to heavy rainfall, and that immediate repairs should be undertaken to ensure their continued operatio ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to bid out 124 highways and expressway projects worth Rs 3.4 lakh crore in current financial year (2025-26). NHAI has put the entire list of projects in public domain, amid a sense of uncertainty among the highway developers.In last two years, there has been a slowdown in award (bidding out) of projects by NHAI, after the halt of govt's flagship Bharatmala programme for highway development. While NHAI bid out projects of 6,003 km in 2022-23, this has slowed down to 3,339 km in 2023-24 and increased marginally to 4,008 km in 2024-25. ...Read More >
Bihar's infrastructure has seen a 15-fold increase in data consumption over the past five years. Road density is now the third highest in India, electricity generation has increased tenfold, and IT parks and data centers are being developed. Numerous bridges and expanded rail lines are improving connectivity and boosting trade.Bihar has seen a 15-fold jump in data consumption in the last five years as the state goes big on developing infrastructure, investing in connectivity and building rail and ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The government has approved shifting of Gurgaon's Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway (NH-48) to Pachgaon, a place beyond Manesar, paving the way for easy commute for lakhs of office goers.When the plaza is moved to Pachgaon, over 15 kilometres from Gurgaon, commuters travelling between Delhi and Manesar also won't have to pay toll. Locals have been demanding its removal since 2014.TOI has learnt that Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the plan, and to ensure the new spot doesn't see any congestion, the National Highways Au ...Read More >
The tunnel will connect Shiv Murti-Mahipalpur near Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Road in Vasant Kunj. A new 5-km-long tunnel aimed at easing traffic congestion across South Delhi and major routes into the NCR was announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday. The tunnel will connect Shiv Murti-Mahipalpur near Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Road in Vasant Kunj. The Rs 3,500-crore project will be executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and is part of six major ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Ministry of Power has announced the launch of a task force to conceive the India Energy Stack, a pioneering initiative aimed at creating a unified, secure, and interoperable digital infrastructure for the country's energy sector. The India Energy Stack will play a vital role in integrating renewable energy, enhancing DISCOM efficiency, and delivering transparent, reliable, and future-ready power services, the official statement said. As India charts its path to becoming a $5 trillion economy and advances towards its Net Zero commitments, the power sect ...Read More >
NEW DELHI/SHIMLA: Shimla police registered an FIR against rural development and Himachal Pradesh minister Anirudh Singh Rana late Monday night for allegedly assaulting two NHAI engineers officials who were visiting the site of a collapsed five-storey building.The FIR was registered on the basis of NHAI manager Achal Jindal's complaint at Dhali police station under five sections of BNS dealing with assaulting a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, wrongful restraint and common intention. Jindal in his complaint, which TOI reported ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) A latest note titled 'Growing Retail Digital Payments: The Value of Interoperability' presented by International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlighted India as a global leader in making fastest payments which is due to the adoption of UPIs or Unified Payment Interface by a wide number of masses. This report is authored by Alexandar Copestake, Divya Kirti, and Maria Soledad Martinez Peria. The global economic watchdog also stressed the transition from cash to card-based transactions to UPI or Unified Payments Interface since its launch in 2016. Unified Payments Interface is ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a joint operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) have eliminated As'ad Abu Sharaiya, a senior leader of the Mujahideen terrorist organization in Gaza, and another terrorist, Mahmoud Muhammad Hamid Kuhail. According to the IDF, Abu Sharaiya was directly involved in the October 7, 2023, massacre, infiltrating Kibbutz Nir Oz, and was responsible for the abduction and murder of several Israeli citizens, including Shiri, Ariel, Kfir Bibas, and Nattapong Pinta. He also played a role in recruiting operatives for terror attacks against Israel and I ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Barely a month old, the Dwarka Expressway tunnel has made travel to and from NH-8 a seamless ride.Still, the tunnel - 3.6km of the main section and spurs to IGI Airport and Gurgaon - is a digital dead zone for thousands of daily commuters. There's no signal. No calls. And No GPS, seconds after one drives into the tunnel. "It's a smooth ride, but the moment you enter, your phone goes dead. Many of us attend office calls during our commute or make calls home. But there is just no mobile signal. In this day and age, a new tunnel without mobile connectivity feels like a basic oversight," ...Read More >
Shimla, July 2 (PTI) A day after he was booked for allegedly assaulting two NHAI officials, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on Wednesday denied the allegations and said that "the FIR does not mean that I am guilty." Singh also claimed widespread irregularities in road construction works by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and called its officials the "most corrupt in the country". The alleged incident occurred on Monday when the minister was inspecting a building collapse site in Shimla and called NHAI officers there. The owner of the building had claimed negligence by NHA ...Read More >
12 Jaipur: Around 3,800 vehicles travelled through the Jaipur-Bandikui linkway in the first 12 hours of the inaugural day of the trial run Wednesday, reducing the travel time between Jaipur and Delhi by at least 30 to 45 minutes. Officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said the number of vehicles would increase in the coming days.Confirming the figures of vehicle movements on the first day, Bharat Singh Joiya, project director of NHAI (Dausa PIU), said now that the trial run had started, NHAI won't close this linkway unless they find any major safety concerns. "We cannot comme ...Read More >
New Delhi: Was it the pitch? Was it the conditions? Was it the bowling? The questions doing the rounds after yet another strange show in good batting conditions by India were many. But with the exception of Shubman Gill, who became just the second Indian captain, after Mohammad Azharuddin, to score hundreds in consecutive matches in England, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, few India batters managed to answer them in a satisfactory manner. After being put into bat by England, India looked like they were in control at various points during the day but then somehow contrived to gift away wickets and end t ...Read More >