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  • Blood test reference values are reset, stated to the BRIC-CDFD chief

    Blood test reference values are reset, stated to the BRIC-CDFD chief

    A leading scientist in the field of metabolism and aging has emphasised the need for re-optimising the standard reference ranges for blood parameters to align them with Indian conditions, instead of following the values set for Western populations.

    “While blood parameters are fundamental to diagnosing metabolic disorders like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, emerging research underscores that many standard reference ranges may need to be re-optimised for Indian populations,” said Prof. Ullas Kolthur-Seetharam, Director, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (BRIC-CDFD), Hyderabad.

    Delivering the National Technology Day (NTD) 2025 lecture at Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB) here, he said in India reference values used in laboratories have been established based on the values from western population.

    “Genetic, dietary, and environmental differences can alter biomarkers, besides life-history trajectories. Cutting-edge research is uncovering how acute and chronic dietary changes influence health at the most fundamental level—through mitochondrial function and epigenetic regulation,” Prof. Ullas Kolthur-Seetharam said.

    Now on deputation from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai to CDFD, Prof. Ullas Kolthur-Seetharam has made seminal contributions to understanding how mitochondrial function, epigenetics, and nutrition intersect to shape health span.

    He also established The Advanced Research Unit on Metabolism, Development & Aging (ARUMDA) at TIFR, a pioneering initiative addressing India’s ‘Double and Triple Burdens of Malnutrition, Non-communicable Diseases and Aging’ through interdisciplinary research.

    Presiding over the function, Prof. Chandrabhas Narayana, Director, BRIC-RGCB, said it was significant that the theme for the National Technology Day this year is ‘Empowering Indian Youth for Global Leadership in Science & Innovation for Viksit Bharat’.

    Currently, a great emphasis has been given on domains like research, entrepreneurship and skill development through research, Prof Narayana said.

    RGCB is at the forefront to foster an ecosystem for young researchers and entrepreneurs for making groundbreaking discoveries and the latest advancement in technologies, he added. UNI

  • As per Netflix’s co-CEO, its stake in India raised $2 billion

    As per Netflix’s co-CEO, its stake in India raised $2 billion

    The US-based subscription video on-demand OTT platform Netflix’s investment in India generated $2 billion in local economic impact from 2021-24, with 20,000 cast and crew jobs created from its productions in the country, said Ted Sarandos, co-chief executive officer, Netflix.

    At a panel discussion in the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), Sarandos said that this is because the company has been committed towards local storytelling.

    He further added that last year, about 3 billion hours of Indian content was available on the platform for the global audience.

    “That is 60 million hours a week. Also, last year, every week there was a title from India on Netflix,” he said. Sarandos also highlighted that many Indian titles had made it to the company’s global top 10 charts in 2024.

    He added that Indians have a great cinema culture present in the society.

    “People love to go to the cinema and to watch movies on TV and also like to talk about cinema. That’s been true for many, many decades and that is what makes India so exciting for me too,” he noted.

    Netflix has been operating in India since nine years and it gained its strong foothold seven years ago through the local production of a series, Sacred Games starring actor Saif Ali Khan.

    Since then, the platform has produced around 150 original films and series and filmed across 90 different cities in India.
    On the potential of India’s content comparing it to the global presence of K-dramas, Sarandos said, “India is on the cusp of a big inflection point for a storyteller, the way that Squid Game was that kind of moment for (South) Korea.”

    He thinks that India is about to have a wide global presence like South Korean content as the building blocks have been laid through initiatives like the WAVES.

    “Through streaming platforms like Netflix and others, you (Indian content) have a distribution platform to make that possible and the streaming platforms have enabled democratisation of film making in India,” Sarandos added.

    While on the subject of streaming platforms affecting the growth of the cinema in India post-pandemic, he said that cinema and streaming are coexisting.

    “Cinemas are not outdated. Streaming and theaters are not competitors. They can move ahead coexisting with each other as the market before us is huge,” he explained. Business Standard

  • The govt creates a plan to install high-speed internet in each village

    The govt creates a plan to install high-speed internet in each village

    The government of India has previously launched several initiatives aimed at providing toilets, housing, and piped water to every village across the nation. Now, it is gearing up for a significant investment plan of Rs 33,744 crore to connect all villages with high-speed broadband internet. This program is designed to ensure telecom connectivity saturation, particularly in remote areas. Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia shared this information at the Bharat Telecom 2025 event, organized by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

    Bringing telecom connectivity to every village will empower citizens by improving their access to information and communication. However, the government has rolled out various schemes in the past, such as PM-WANI, BharatNet, and the 4G Saturation Project, but many of these initiatives have fallen short of their targets.

    Previous projects have faced significant implementation and execution challenges, including a lack of coordination among agencies and infrastructure issues, as well as logistical barriers like difficult terrain and low population density. How the government plans to tackle these challenges in the new initiative will become clearer once it is put into action.

    Meanwhile, DoT in India has announced a new set of 29-30 security guidelines for satellite service providers in advance of the commercial rollout of satellite internet. These guidelines are designed to enhance national security, taking into account current geopolitical tensions with neighboring countries such as Pakistan and China.

    The updated regulations apply to both existing license holders, including Airtel OneWeb and Jio SES, as well as pending applicants like Amazon Kuiper and Elon Musk’s Starlink. Compliance with these conditions is required for license approval and ongoing operations in India.

    Companies such as Jio and Airtel are currently operating under previous regulatory norms, while Starlink has not yet satisfied the earlier conditions set by regulators. The introduction of an additional 30 parameters may lead to further delays in Starlink’s launch in India, even though it has already initiated services in neighboring countries. India TV News

  • TRAI advises a 4% AGR tax on satcom firms

    TRAI advises a 4% AGR tax on satcom firms

    Satellite communication companies such as Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio will have to pay 4% of their adjusted gross revenue as spectrum charges to the government, as per the telecom regulator’s recommendations issued.

    This is steeper than what these companies had been lobbying for. Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon Inc.’s subsidiary Kuiper Systems had during consultations with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India urged it to keep the spectrum charge below 1% of their adjusted gross revenue, with no other charges.

    TRAI, however, has also recommended ₹3,500 per MHz as annual minimum spectrum charges for companies offering both fixed satellite services and mobile satellite services, and an annual charge of ₹500 per subscriber for fixed satellite services providers in urban areas.

    Fixed satellite services deliver data communication and internet to fixed locations like homes, offices, or remote sites using stationary satellite dishes.

    Mobile satellite services provide voice calls, text messaging, data, and internet access to users who are on the move—such as people on ships, airplanes, or in remote vehicles—using mobile terminals that can maintain a connection while in motion.

    TRAI said the annual spectrum charges should be paid quarterly, within 15 days of the commencement of a quarter. The minimum charges should be paid in advance at the time of assignment of spectrum and at the beginning of every year, it said.

    The spectrum will be assigned to the operators for a period of five years, TRAI said in its recommendations issued on Friday. The government may extend this for up to another two years, it added.

    Satellite communications companies had pitched for a 20-year validity of spectrum.

    For remote regions
    TRAI’s recommendations come after the government on Wednesday issued a letter of intent to Starlink for providing its satellite internet services in India. Eutelsat OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture, which have already secured licences, have been waiting to secure spectrum from the government to commercially launch satellite internet services in the country.

    In September, TRAI issued a consultation paper on the terms and conditions for the assignment of spectrum for certain satellite-based commercial communication services.

    For targeted subscribers in unserved or underserved regions in rural and remote areas, the regulator has recommended that the government consider a subsidy for each fixed user terminal at an appropriate amount. The amount of subsidy may be decided by the government, TRAI said.

    Satellite spectrum being a shared resource, TRAI recommended that the frequency spectrum in higher bands like C, Ku, Ka, and Q/V for satellite telecommunication services be assigned on a shared basis. It also suggested that all authorized entities using such shared spectrum coordinate with each other in good faith.

    It recommended that the government provide spectrum to satcom firms in the frequency of C-band (4-8 GHz), Ku-band (10-15 GHz), and Ka-band (17-31 GHz, Q/V band (33-75 GHz), and L&S bands (1-4 GHz).

    TRAI added that frequency ranges already identified for telecom services, such as 27.5-28.5 GHz and 42.5-43.5 GHz, satellite earth station gateways should be permitted to be established at uninhabited or remote locations where there is less likelihood of telecom services being provided.

    “DoT (department of telecommunications) should prescribe the exclusion zone requirement for co-existence of IMT and satellite earth station gateways,” TRAI said.

    To mitigate a scarcity of gateway sites, satellite earth station gateways should be installed and commissioned within 12 months from the date of permission granted to the satcom companies, TRAI said. LiveMint

  • TRAI will complete its ideas for allocating satcom spectrum

    TRAI will complete its ideas for allocating satcom spectrum

    Having secured the Letter of Intent from the telecom department and agreed to security norms for offering satcom services, Starlink will now have to formally sign acceptance of the terms and conditions of the agreement and pay the stipulated entry fee to procure the licence, according to sources. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is on the verge of finalising its recommendations on pricing of administrative allocation of satcom spectrum, and an announcement can be expected any day now, sources said.

    Starlink has been issued the LoI for Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS), ISP and VSAT, they further said, adding that this has been the practice even for other players. Eventually, the system will work under a GMPCS licence.

    Sources said Starlink has agreed to the stringent security norms for satellite communication services after conditions were tightened earlier this week.

    Now that LoI has been issued, the next steps involved are acceptance of the letter of intent and the agreement. The licence will be issued after the entry fee is paid, they added.

    While the DoT licence will authorise Starlink to build its network, it would require approvals from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and obtain spectrum from the government to become operational.

    Starlink provides high-speed and low-latency broadband internet worldwide, using satellite technology and is aptly described by some as broadband beamed from the skies.

    Unlike conventional satellite services that rely on distant geostationary satellites, Starlink utilises the world’s largest low Earth orbit or LEO constellation (550 km above Earth). This constellation of LEO satellites (7,000 now but eventually set to grow to over 40,000) and its mesh delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, and video calls.

    The government has already issued licences to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications, the terms of which will be recommended by TRAI. The players will be able to start their services after the allocation of radio-wave frequencies.

    Earlier this week, the government issued stringent security norms mandating legal interception of satellite communication services and barred companies from linking the connection of users in any form with any terminal or facility located outside the country’s border, as well as processing of their data overseas.

    The tighter security rules also mandate service providers to indigenise at least 20 per cent of their ground segment of the satellite network within years of their establishment in the country.

    According to the instruction, the satcom service licence holder will require security clearances for specific gateway and hub locations in India and compliance with monitoring, interception facilities and equipment requirements.

    India’s rules mandate satcom firms to demonstrate system capabilities with respect to security aspects, including monitoring, to the Department of Telecom (DoT) or its authorised representatives before starting operations in India.

    On Tuesday, Union Minister Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, while speaking at an industry event, had said that grant of approval to Elon Musk-led satellite internet provider is a complicated issue, but it is in the final stages.

    The Minister of State for Telecom had said the government’s security norms for satcom are important, especially in the present scenario, where the hostile nation Pakistan is making an attempt to hack the country’s system.

    The minister, however, added that Starlink will have a minuscule role in connectivity compared to traditional telecom networks. According to him, the role of Starlink or other satcom players will be mainly to connect the remote areas where the traditional networks find it difficult to reach, and it will be primarily for the inside home connectivity, not for mobile services.

    The minister had also sought to allay fears around satcom services eating into the addressable market of traditional telecom services, saying, “I want people to know whether Starlink and all that stuff, whether they come or not… they will be very small players even if they come”.

    “It’s very expensive to install the initial equipment. It is 10 times more expensive than our traditional models.”

    He said that the monthly payment for consumers will also be quite expensive.

    Starlink, which had been vying for an Indian licence for some time now, recently signed pacts with Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Mittal’s Bharti Airtel, which together control more than 70 per cent of the country’s telecom market, to bring the US satellite internet giant’s services to India. PTI

  • These eight satellite providers are ‘hot tech pioneers’ in the IoT

    These eight satellite providers are ‘hot tech pioneers’ in the IoT

    ABI Research, a global technology intelligence firm, awarded eight satellite operators a “Hot Tech Innovator” title for their contributions to the satellite IoT industry. Each awarded operator has been instrumental in maturing the satellite IoT ecosystem, creating new standards-based services or investing in large, IoT-compatible constellations to expand IoT customers’ options beyond terrestrial limits.

    “Though it is ramping up, the satellite IoT market has developed a reputation of being out-of-step with IoT customers’ pricing and power requirements,” says Lizzie Stokes, Senior. Analyst at ABI Research. “Each of these Hot Tech Innovators is responsible for reversing that trend, bringing to market new technologies and service offerings that are both innovative and IoT-friendly.”

    One Innovator, Globalstar, is known for its affordable IoT services. Its historical focus on one-way messaging in IoT-heavy markets, like asset tracking, has allowed the company to become an expert in low-cost, low-data communications. It will continue its accessible legacy by introducing a new two-way messaging offering. Globalstar’s accompanying LTE and 5G terrestrial spectrum for private networks is also an important differentiator, allowing the company to become a comprehensive connectivity provider. Iridium, another awarded Innovator, has focused its IoT innovation efforts around multi-mode capabilities, announcing in January 2024 its own 3GPP NTN service. This service will shake up the satellite IoT competitive landscape, as it competes directly with the 3GPP NTN services offered by two other Hot Tech Innovators, Sateliot and OQ Technology.

    Though fairly new to the market, Sateliot and OQ Technology have been at the forefront of 3GPP NTN adoption, building LEO constellations based on the new standard. Both companies are forming cellular partnerships with influential MNOs and MVNOs to grow their platforms as their satellite infrastructure ramps up.

    The LoRa NTN standard is also pertinent to satellites’ uptake in the IoT world, serving as an NTN technology that suits the IoT’s cost and power constraints. Hot Tech Innovators Lacuna Space and EchoStar Mobile are taking different paths to the standard’s adoption, with EchoStar Mobile primarily focusing on its pan-European LoRa NTN while Lacuna Space builds its constellation and expands into new markets.

    Starlink is another influential player in the satellite IoT market, with plans to offer an IoT service in 2025. The company has an impressive mega-constellation of 6,791 LEO satellites as of October 2024. However, Starlink’s dominance could face competition from Amazon as it invests in its own satellite company, Amazon Project Kuiper. Amazon Project Kuiper also plans to use a huge constellation of LEO satellites to support a wide range of customer segments, from broadband services to IoT devices.

    “A satellite operator’s success in the IoT market depends on various factors. The size of its constellation, its orbital regime, and its chosen protocols can affect how an operator appeals to an asset tracking or condition-based monitoring customer,” says Stokes. “Each operator listed in this report has displayed a thorough understanding of the IoT’s inherent constraints and prioritized offerings that will bring more IoT users into the non-terrestrial market.” ABI Research

  • The FDA intends to grow its surprise facility inspections abroad

    The FDA intends to grow its surprise facility inspections abroad

    The FDA said it plans to expand the use of unannounced inspections at foreign manufacturing facilities.

    The agency said it intends to inspect facilities producing foods, essential medicines and medical products intended for American consumers and patients. The change builds upon the agency’s Office of Inspection and Investigations Foreign Unannounced Inspection Pilot program in India and China, according to a news release. FDA says it wants to ensure foreign companies receive the same level of regulatory oversight and scrutiny as domestic companies.

    Additionally, the agency plans to evaluate policies and practices for improvements to its foreign inspection program. That includes clarifying policies for FDA investigators to refuse travel accommodations from regulated industry lodging and transportation arrangements “to maintain the integrity of the oversight process.” It listed taxi, limousine and for-hire vehicle transit among those accommodations.

    The FDA says it conducts approximately 12,000 domestic inspections and 3,000 foreign inspections each year in more than 90 countries. U.S. manufacturers undergo frequent unannounced inspections, the agency says, but foreign firms “have often had weeks to prepare.”

    “For too long, foreign companies have enjoyed a double standard — given advanced notice before facility inspections, while American manufacturers are held to rigorous standards with no such warning,” FDA Commissioner Dr Martin Makary said in the release. “That ends today. This is a key step for the FDA as part of a broader strategy to get foreign inspections back on track.” Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • 25% of Haryana’s beds are set aside for emergencies amid Indo-Pak tension

    25% of Haryana’s beds are set aside for emergencies amid Indo-Pak tension

    The Haryana state government has cancelled the leave of all doctors in private and government hospitals and asked them to remain alert amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The government instructed government and private hospitals to keep 25 per cent beds reserved for emergencies. This decision comes after the operation sindoor.

    Operation Sindoor underway
    ‘Operation Sindoor’ against Pakistan is still underway, while the situation at the border is changing rapidly, the Centre said during the all-party meeting called to brief the political parties about the ongoing conflict with the neighbouring country. The meeting, attended by leaders of major parties, was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, during which Congress said they extended “full support” to the government.

    As per the sources, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed all the members in today’s all-party meeting. He said that since the operation is still going on and it’s an evolving situation, we will not be able to share details right now. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue of the Prime Minister’s absence. He also mentioned the media reports that had news of Rafale aircraft being shot down, but nothing was said by the government on it.

    India conducted twenty four cruise missile strikes on nine locations on across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) in response to last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. The targeted sites included Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Bahawalpur, Rawalakot, Chakswari, Bhimber, Neelum Valley, Jhelum, and Chakwal. These areas were identified as key centres of terrorist operations. India TV News

  • In Poonch, Uri, India deploys portable hospitals amid the Indo-Pak conflict

    In Poonch, Uri, India deploys portable hospitals amid the Indo-Pak conflict

    The government has put in place a health emergency plan for Jammu and Kashmir amid continuing cross-border shelling from Pakistan, dispatching two portable hospitals in the affected areas of Poonch and Uri, according to the two officials familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity.

    The portable hospitals are called Arogya Maitri Cubes, which are designed to provide critical medical care in emergency scenarios such as disasters, conflicts and wars.

    These cubes, which were earlier sent to Ukraine and have been battle-tested there, can be deployed within 12 minutes to treat up to 200 patients each at one go.

    As per the plan, one cube is being sent to Poonch, which has been the worst hit by the shelling, and another to Uri.

    Union health secretary Punya Salila Srivastava met with Jammu and Kashmir officials on Wednesday to review preparedness for dealing with health exigencies.

    “The government reviewed the preparedness of the hospitals in the border areas. AIIMS-Jammu has been directed to augment the health preparedness and take a stock of the availability of beds, medicines, ambulances and manpower like doctors, nurses and paramedics,” said the person cited above.

    AIIMS Jammu has a well-executed disaster plan. It is a referral centre and has to accept all patients. Pooch is nearly 250km from Jammu and healthcare infrastructure in Srinagar is very good and there are multiple big hospitals and medical colleges in various parts of Srinagar itself. AIIMS Jammu may get a referral patient only having emergency running 24/7,” said the second official.

    Other big medical institutions in Srinagar include Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Jhelum Valley Hospital, G.B. Pant Children’s Hospital and Lal Ded Maternity Hospital.

    Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with secretaries of various ministries and departments to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of recent developments concerning national security.

    “Secretaries have been directed to undertake a comprehensive review of their respective ministry’s operations and to ensure fool-proof functioning of essential systems, with special focus on readiness, emergency response, and internal communication protocols. Secretaries detailed their planning with a Whole of Government approach in the current situation,” the PMO statement said.

    “All ministries have identified their actionables in relation to the conflict and are strengthening processes. Ministries are ready to deal with all kinds of emerging situations,” it said.

    Queries sent to the health ministry’s secretary office and health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time. LiveMint

  • Disney profit grow amid strong streaming & US park revenue

    Disney profit grow amid strong streaming & US park revenue

    In an earnings quarter teeming with uncertainty around tariffs, Walt Disney’s (DIS.N), opens new tab quarterly results are looking like the happiest place on earth.

    The media giant exceeded expectations in its most recent quarter, bolstered by an unexpected boost in its Disney+ streaming business and strong results from its theme parks that suggested consumer resilience despite a turbulent global economic environment.

    “Despite questions around any macroeconomic uncertainty or the impact of competition, I’m encouraged by the strength and resilience of our business,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said.

    The entertainment giant released its earnings report shortly before announcing plans for a new theme park in United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi. Shares of the company rose nearly 10% in early trading as it posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.45 for the January-to-March quarter, beating the $1.20 analysts’ consensus as polled by LSEG.

    “At a time when so many businesses in the U.S. are worried about the potential impact of tariffs on consumer spending, on household budgets, Disney is feeling confident,” said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.

    The company – unlike many other blue-chip companies – voiced a lofty outlook for the rest of the year. Disney is leaning on its streaming business to grow profits as traditional television declines and to expand its popular theme parks and cruise line in the midst of a shaky U.S. economy.

    Revenue rose 7% to $23.6 billion. Analysts had expected $23.14 billion. Operating income came in at $4.4 billion.

    Disney forecast adjusted earnings per share of $5.75 for fiscal 2025, an increase of 16% from the prior fiscal year.

    The company reiterated guidance for 6% to 8% operating income growth in the parks-led Experiences division during the fiscal year, and for double-digit percentage operating income growth during that time in the entertainment unit.

    Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston told investors that “the outlook is actually still quite strong” for the company’s Experiences unit, with bookings up in the fiscal third and fourth quarters. Theme park attendance “is actually still quite good.” The lone exception is at Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland, where attendance has dropped, which he attributed to the Chinese economy.

    Iger said Disney’s newest cruise ship, Disney Treasure, has attracted “sky high” consumer ratings; and the new vessel to be ported in Singapore is already attracting interest. He predicted the cruise line would become a growth driver for the Experiences segment over the next three to four years.

    Disney said it picked up 1.4 million customers for the Disney+ streaming service during the just-ended quarter. Three months ago, it had warned of a modest decline in Disney+ subscribers following a price increase.

    Its Hulu service added 1.1 million customers during the quarter, and operating income at the streaming division rose to $336 million. A year earlier, operating income stood at $47 million.

    Iger told investors Disney is optimistic it can turn its streaming business into a “true growth business,” as it adds ESPN’s flagship live sports streaming, improves technology to allow for greater personalization, and invests in content outside of the U.S.

    The entertainment unit reported total operating income of $1.3 billion, a 61% increase from the prior year.

    Johnston told investors Disney continues to see “robust demand” from advertisers, particularly from restaurants and healthcare.

    Iger touted the box office performance of the latest Marvel movie, “Thunderbolts*,” and the strength of the coming film slate, which includes a new Pixar Animation movie, “Elio,” Walt Disney Animation’s “Zootopia 2,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

    At the Experiences unit, operating income rose 9% to $2.5 billion. The company also saw an increase in cruise ship bookings with the launch of a new vessel, the Disney Treasure.

    Disney stock has fallen 17% this year compared with a 4.7% decline in the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab. The shares have fallen 6.6% since April. Reuters