Current Affairs - Technology

India inaugurated its first MWh-scale Vanadium Flow Battery at NTPC NETRA, Greater Noida, marking a significant advancement in renewable energy storage technology. The 3 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) system was launched on November 11, 2025, by Shri Manohar Lal, Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs. This innovative system enables long-duration energy storage (LDES), crucial for integrating intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, VRFBs are non-flammable, durable, and allow scalable power and energy capacities. The project enhances India’s energy security, reduces dependence on imported materials, and strengthens its clean energy transition goals.

Google introduced its 7th-generation Ironwood TPU, a cutting-edge AI processing unit designed to enhance the company’s cloud computing and machine learning capabilities. The Ironwood TPU is optimised for training and deploying large-scale AI models such as chatbots and digital assistants. Each Ironwood pod interconnects 9,216 TPUs, significantly reducing data bottlenecks and enabling seamless scaling of massive workloads. This innovation underscores Google’s commitment to advancing AI infrastructure and positioning itself as a formidable competitor to Nvidia in the field of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence development.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier R&D centre under the Department of Telecommunications, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIT Gandhinagar to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to telecom and cybersecurity research. This collaboration aims to integrate C-DOT’s technological expertise with IIT Gandhinagar’s strong academic and research foundation. The CoE will focus on advancing innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum communication, and next-generation mobile networks, thereby enhancing India’s capabilities in secure and future-ready telecom infrastructure and fostering deeper academia-industry cooperation.

Atomesus is an Indian AI platform developed by the Indus Valley Group, designed to be the world’s most affordable and secure homegrown AI system. Built by young innovators with ISRO-linked experience, it employs a hybrid intelligence model that merges proprietary technologies with India-based secure integration. The project emphasises data sovereignty and aims to democratise access to AI for students, startups, and enterprises worldwide. By focusing on affordability, accessibility, and local innovation, Atomesus seeks to position India as a global leader in ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence development.

The Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT) has patented an advanced machine learning system designed to accurately decode rainfall information from radar signals. Developed at the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research (ACARR), the innovation employs a Hybrid Adaptive Bi-Gaussian Algorithm integrated with a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to distinguish between raindrop and turbulence echoes in real time. This AI-driven approach enhances the precision of monsoon monitoring and flood forecasting, significantly improving Kerala’s climate resilience and contributing to the advancement of atmospheric and environmental research in India.