Science and Technology (S&T) Digest (1-15 June 2025), Issue 63

Dr Saroj Bishoyi, Senior Fellow, VIF

June 27 , 2025 Views: 297 Comments: 0

In this Issue

I. Defence and Security

DRDO Transfers Technologies of Nine Systems to Ten Industries

In line with the Government’s vision to establish a robust defence industrial ecosystem with the participation of both public and private sectors, Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE), a DRDO laboratory located in Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, has taken a major step forward by transferring technologies of nine systems to 10 industries. The licensing agreements were handed over in the presence of Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman, DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat during an event organised at VRDE on 7 June 2025. VRDE also signed an MoU with COEP Technological University, Pune to jointly work on cutting-edge technologies and emerging areas. Click here to read…

QuBeats Wins MoD’s iDEX ADITI 2.0 to Build Quantum Navigation Systems

Indian quantum deep tech startup QuBeats has won the prestigious ADITI 2.0 Defence Challenge to develop an indigenous Quantum Positioning System (QPS) for the Indian Navy.

The award, which comes with a grant of Rs 25 crore (USD 3 million), will enable QuBeats to build next-generation high-precision quantum sensors that promise accurate navigation in GPS-denied or spoofed environments - a critical capability for modern military operations. QuBeats said in a release that it is disrupting conventional paradigms with its innovative quantum magnetometer technology in an era heavily dependent on satellite-based navigation like GPS. Click here to read…

Keel Laying Ceremony of Fourth Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel

Keel Laying ceremony of Yard 1283, the fourth Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV) being built by Goa Shipyard Ltd. (GSL) was held on 9 June 2025. Construction of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV) is underway against contracts concluded on 30 March 2023, wherein seven and four ships are being constructed by GSL, Goa and GRSE, Kolkata respectively. The NGOPVs, with an approximate tonnage of 3000T, are designed for Coastal Defence and Surveillance, Search and Rescue operations, Protection of Offshore Assets, and Anti-Piracy missions. These ships are being built in consonance with the nation’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India and are poised to augment the Indian Naval maritime prowess. Click here to read…

Indian Army to Get Indigenous QRSAM Air Defence Missile System

At a time when Indian air defence systems successfully thwarted the Pakistani aircraft, missile and drones’ attacks under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army is all set to get Rs 30,000 crore boost with a new surface-to-air missile system expected to be cleared for acquisition by the Defence Ministry soon. The Defence Ministry is scheduled to take up the proposal for buying three regiments of the indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile system (QRSAM) for the Army Air Defence for deployment along both western and northern borders, defence officials told ANI. The missile systems, developed by DRDO, are highly mobile as they have the capability to search and track targets on the move and fire at short halts. Click here to read…

IAF to Get Indigenous I-STAR Spy Planes to Help in Precision Strikes

Amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the Defence Ministry is going to take up Rs 10,000 crore proposal to buy three sophisticated spy planes to help Indian Air Force get a clear air-to-ground picture to carry out precision strikes against enemy ground targets like radar stations, air defence units and other mobile objects. The Rs 10,000 crore project for the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) is expected to be taken up for clearance at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled to be held in the fourth week of June, defence officials told ANI. Click here to read…

II. STI in Space Sector

Pioneering India’s Next Leap in Space Journey

India stands on the brink of a historic leap in its space journey with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla of the Indian Air Force poised to become the first Indian astronaut in over four decades to travel to space. Selected under ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP), Shukla’s upcoming role as Mission Pilot on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS) not only revives the legacy of Rakesh Sharma’s 1984 mission but also signals a bold new chapter in India’s ambitions beyond Earth. His mission is symbolic of the country’s growing technological confidence, global collaborations, and readiness to contribute meaningfully to the global space community. Click here to read…

Indian Astronaut to Study Physical, Cognitive & Physiological Responses

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will study physical, cognitive and physiological responses in Space as also the impact of utilizing continuous electronic displays in microgravity, an important aspect for future long-duration space missions during an interview to media agency, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said. The Minister shared that the Indian astronaut’s research will also focus on skeletal muscle dysfunction in space and the evaluation of therapeutic strategies to counter these effects. In addition, he shared that Group Captain Shukla will carry out experiments on the revival, survival, and reproduction of extremophiles such as Tardigrades. These micro-organisms, known for their resilience in extreme conditions, will help advance scientific understanding of life sustainability beyond Earth. Click here to read…

Axiom-4 Mission Postponed as SpaceX Detects Leak

SpaceX on Wednesday announced the postponement of the Falcon 9 launch of the Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), citing the need for additional time to repair a liquid oxygen (LOx) leak. Following the announcement, the ISRO also confirmed the delay of the Axiom-4 mission, which was scheduled for launch on 11 June 2025, and was set to carry the first Indian Gaganyatri to the ISS. Despite the delay, the Axiom-4 mission remains significant. The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking each nation's first mission to the space station in history and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years, according to Axiom Space. Click here to read…

Starlink to Launch Satellite Network Service in South Korea

Elon Musk’s SpaceX will launch Starlink satellite internet service in South Korea, following the approval from government authorities recently, reports the Korean Herald. This launch will mark the rollout of a Low Earth orbit, or LEO, satellite network in the country, which would provide high-speed connectivity in remote and unreachable areas. Seoul’s Ministry of Science and ICT gave approval to Starlink for a supply agreement. While a similar type of deal was offered to Hanwha Systems and KT Sat, which are resellers of the UK-based Eutelsat-OneWeb, another low-orbit service provider. According to SK Telink, Starlink’s local partner, said that it plans to begin the service as soon as the final regulatory step is cleared. Click here to read…

Future Potential of Space Sector in UAE

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Supreme Space Council, met with representatives of leading space sector startups operating in the UAE. The meeting is part of Sheikh Hamdan's keenness to advance the national space ecosystem and further promote its role as a global leader in the space industry. Sheikh Hamdan underscored the importance of strong partnerships and strategic collaboration between the public and private sectors as a foundation for developing an advanced and innovative space ecosystem. He highlighted that continuous innovation and long-term investment in future technologies are essential to this progress. Click here to read…

III. Nuclear Technology

Progress of Strategic Nuclear Project Reviewed

On 14 June 2025, Union Minister for Power, Manohar Lal, visited the Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) to review the progress of the nuclear power project being implemented by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) under the Department of Atomic Energy. The project involves setting up 4 x 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) Once completed, 50% of the electricity generated will be allocated to the state of Haryana, significantly boosting the state’s energy capacity. The Minister was also apprised of NPCIL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Click here to read…

IAEA Statement after Israel Attacks on Iranian Nuclear Sites

On 13 June, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed of the military operation launched by Israel which includes attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran. IAEA said in statement that “We are currently in contact with the Iranian nuclear safety authorities to ascertain the status of relevant nuclear facilities and to assess any wider impacts on nuclear safety and security. At present, the competent Iranian authorities have confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site has been impacted and that there are no elevated radiation levels.” It added, “This development is deeply concerning. I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment.” Click here to read…

Nanotechnology Gets a Boost from Radiation Processing

Working at levels as small as a billionth of a metre, researchers on an IAEA project have studied radiation’s effect on nano-architectures – the design and building of nano structures – and identified four that can already be used by food, medicine, energy and other industries to produce novel nanomaterials. Nanotechnology is the science and engineering that manipulates materials at the nanoscale. “Radiation is green chemistry,” said Celina Horak, Head of the IAEA’s Radiochemistry and Radiation Technologies Section, which ran the Coordinated Research Project (CRP). “It offers cleaner, faster and more controlled synthesis of nanomaterials without relying on hazardous substances or extreme processing conditions.” Click here to read…

IAEA Holds First Training Course on Nuclear Law in China

China is in the legislative approval process of the draft Atomic Energy Law which recently passed the second review of the National People’s Congress (NPC) in April 2025. The country is also rapidly expanding its national nuclear power programme, accounting for nearly half of all power reactors currently under construction worldwide. An IAEA legislative assistance mission was conducted on 26-30 May 2025 in Beijing and Hainan at the request of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA). The mission included the country’s first ever IAEA national training course on nuclear law covering safety, security, liability, and the elements of a comprehensive national nuclear law, as well as the technical cooperation programme. Click here to read…

Nuclear Science for Food Safety

Freshly laid eggs can pick up microbes like salmonella and e.coli from the hen's environment. These microbes remain on the shell, contaminating other foods and entering the egg over time. New radiation technology is being deployed to disinfect eggs using soft electron beams, helping to make this staple safer and easier to trade worldwide. Recent research introduced a ‘dry and cold’ method to disinfect whole eggs using soft electron beams. “This equipment is not only a victory for technology, it is also a model of collaboration in science and industry” says Lui Yanqin of Tongweixinda, the research arm of an electron beam company, formed from Tsinghua University and the NUCTECH company in China. Click here to read…

IV. Emerging Technologies and Applications

Boosting Semiconductor and Electronics Component Manufacturing

The government has introduced pioneering reforms in the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) rules to address the specialized needs of semiconductor and electronics component manufacturing sectors. Since manufacturing in these sectors is highly capital intensive, import dependent and involve longer gestation periods before turning profitable, rule amendments have been carried out to promote pioneering investments and boost manufacturing in these high technology sectors. After amendments in Rule 5 of SEZ Rules, 2006, an SEZ set up exclusively for the manufacturing of semiconductors or electronic components will require a minimum contiguous land area of only 10 hectares, reduced from the earlier requirement of 50 hectares. Click here to read…

Garuda Aerospace’s Agri-Drone Indigenization Facility Inaugurated

Union Minister of State for Rural Development Kamlesh Paswan inaugurated Garuda Aerospace's new Agri-Drone Indigenization Facility in Chennai on 14 June 2025. The Minister also inaugurated 300 Centres of Excellence (CoE) and flagged off Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA approved Train the Trainer (TTT) programme. Supporting this milestone launch were key members of the Bharat Drone Association (BDA). The launch also witnessed a dynamic live demonstration of Agri-Drones by highly skilled Drone Didis showcasing Garuda Aerospace’s commitment to fostering self-reliance and innovation within the burgeoning drone ecosystem. Click here to read…

Indigenously developed AI based Multimodal LLM for Indian Languages

On 2 June 2025, Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launched ‘Bharat Gen’, India’s first-of-its-kind, indigenously developed, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based, government-funded, Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) for Indian languages, at the prestigious "BharatGen Summit"—India’s largest Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and LLM summit and hackathon. Developed under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) and implemented through TIH Foundation for IoT and IoE at IIT Bombay, BharatGen aims to revolutionize AI development across India’s linguistic and cultural spectrum. Click here to read…

Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India

The Government of India has approved a forward-looking scheme to promote the domestic manufacture of passenger cars, with a special focus on electric vehicles (EVs). This landmark initiative is aligned with India’s national goals of achieving net zero by 2070, fostering sustainable mobility, driving economic growth, and reducing environmental impact. It is designed to firmly establish India as a premier global destination for automotive manufacturing and innovation. Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has issued Notification regarding detailed guidelines for the “Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India” (SPMEPCI / the Scheme) MHI had issued the Scheme notification on 15th March 2024. Click here to read…

Reforms to Enhance the 'Ease of Innovation', 'Ease of Research' & 'Ease of Science'

In a major policy shift aimed at streamlining the research environment in India, Dr. Jitendra Singh announced a set of policy reforms to enhance the "Ease of Innovation" and “Ease of Doing Research”, providing long-awaited relief to innovators, researchers scholars, scientists and institutions across the country. The Minister unveiled decisions that will enable academic and research institutions to bypass some of the most cited hurdles in their day-to-day functioning—particularly around procurement delays and financial ceilings. The announcement follows extensive consultations led by the Principal Scientific Adviser’s office, drawing insights from 13 IITs and multiple research bodies across India. Click here to read…

V. International Cooperation

India-Central Asia S&T, Space and Innovation Cooperation

The 4th meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 6 June 2025 under the chairmanship of the External Affairs Minister of India. During the Dialogue, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asia appreciated the important role of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme in capacity building and human resource development of their countries, especially in Information Technology and communication skills in the English language. The Ministers also expressed interest in strengthening mutual cooperation in the field of S&T, Space, and Innovation by enhancing direct cooperation between government organizations, research institutes, innovation centres and technological enterprises of India and the Central Asian countries. Click here to read…

India-Paraguay Science and Technology Cooperation

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of Paraguay, Mr. Santiago Peña Palacios, paid a State Visit to India from 2 to 4 June 2025. This was President Peña's first visit to India, in commemoration of the 64th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The two leaders held a comprehensive discussion on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade and investment, health and pharmaceuticals, defence and security, infrastructure, mining and mineral resources, agriculture and food security, green energy, ICTs, digitalization, innovation, disaster management, science and technology, education and links between peoples. Click here to read…

India-US Space Tech Cooperation

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that as part of a collaboration with ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 will be launched on June 10, the fourth private astronaut mission from Axiom Space, which will be piloted by Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla. Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration, a statement by NASA said. Click here to read…

Starlink to Complement, Not Compete with Airtel & Jio

According to the recent report by Centrum, it believes that SpaceX's satellite internet division, Starlink, is not positioned to compete directly with major telecom operators like Reliance Jio, Airtel, or VIL. The reports say that instead of this, Starlink is strategically positioned to complement India's existing connectivity landscape, specifically targeting remote and hard-to-reach areas where traditional network infrastructure is currently unviable. Starlink is preparing for its highly anticipated launch in India following conditional approvals from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This significant regulatory stride, marked by a Letter of Intent (LoI), enables Starlink to operate under stringent compliance and localisation mandates. Click here to read…

Strengthening Space Cooperation between Quad Countries

US Senators Kevin Cramer and Michael Bennet have introduced the Quad Space Act of 2025 to strengthen Quad space cooperation. The bill would direct US Secretary of Defence to initiate discussions with Quad nations to identify mutual areas of interest with regards to formulation of practices in space, cooperation on space situational awareness, and space industrial policy.

The press release stated, “At a time when adversaries like China and Russia are increasingly utilizing space-based capabilities to expand their interests, US Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), co-chair of the Senate Space Force Caucus and chair of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Airland Subcommittee, and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Quad Space Act of 2025.” Click here to read…

VI. Regional and Global Trends

AI Helps Autonomous Drones Stay on Target in Uncertain Environments

An autonomous drone carrying water to help extinguish a wildfire in the Sierra Nevada might encounter swirling Santa Ana winds that threaten to push it off course. Rapidly adapting to these unknown disturbances inflight presents an enormous challenge for the drone’s flight control system. To help such a drone stay on target, MIT researchers developed a new, machine learning-based adaptive control algorithm that could minimize its deviation from its intended trajectory in the face of unpredictable forces like gusty winds. Unlike standard approaches, the new technique does not require the person programming the autonomous drone to know anything in advance about the structure of these uncertain disturbances. Click here to read…

New Optical Sensing System to Improve Space Domain Awareness

Earlier this year, the first of two-space domain awareness (SDA) payloads, called the QZS6-HP1, launched from Tanegashima, Japan. Recently, that payload collected its first imaging data, a moment known as first light. Sponsored by the United States Space Force (USSF), MIT Lincoln Laboratory designed, built, and delivered the two payloads as part of a U.S. and Japanese partnership programme called the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Hosted Payload (QZSS-HP). The programme demonstrates a shared commitment to increasing space partnerships in alignment with both allies' national space policies and contributes to integrated deterrence and international security. Click here to read…

Advanced Steelmaking Technologies for Reducing Carbon Emissions

The long-term aspirational goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change is to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, and thereby reduce the frequency and severity of floods, droughts, wildfires, and other extreme weather events. Achieving that goal will require a massive reduction in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions across all economic sectors. A major roadblock, however, could be the industrial sector, which accounts for roughly 25 percent of global energy- and process-related CO2 emissions — particularly within the iron and steel sector, industry’s largest emitter of CO2. Now a new study in the Journal of Cleaner Production systematically explores the viability of different iron-and-steel decarbonization strategies. Click here to read…

New Facility to Accelerate Materials Solutions for Fusion Energy

Fusion energy has the potential to enable the energy transition from fossil fuels, enhance domestic energy security, and power artificial intelligence. Private companies have already invested more than $8 billion to develop commercial fusion and seize the opportunities it offers. An urgent challenge, however, is the discovery and evaluation of cost-effective materials that can withstand extreme conditions for extended periods, including 150-million-degree plasmas and intense particle bombardment. To meet this challenge, MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) has launched the Schmidt Laboratory for Materials in Nuclear Technologies, or LMNT (pronounced “element”). Click here to read…

Photonic Processor Could Streamline 6G Wireless Signal Processing

As more connected devices demand an increasing amount of bandwidth for tasks like teleworking and cloud computing, it will become extremely challenging to manage the finite amount of wireless spectrum available for all users to share. Engineers are employing AI to dynamically manage the available wireless spectrum, with an eye toward reducing latency and boosting performance. But most AI methods for classifying and processing wireless signals are power-hungry and can’t operate in real-time. Now, MIT researchers have developed a novel AI hardware accelerator that is specifically designed for wireless signal processing. Their optical processor performs machine-learning computations at the speed of light, classifying wireless signals in a matter of nanoseconds. Click here to read…