Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, a private space launch company, has raised $60 million (around Rs 570 crore) from Ram Shriram’s Sherpalo, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, BlackRock, the founders of renewable energy company Greenko Group, Arkam Ventures, Playbook Partners, Shanghvi Family Office, and other investors, it announced on May 7.

While the founders of Playbook Partners and Shanghvi Family Office are all new investors in the company, Sherpalo, GIC, BlackRock, the Greenko Group, and Arkam Ventures are all existing backers of Skyroot Aerospace. The round was co-led by  Sherpalo and GIC.

Skyroot is valued at $1.1 billion, up from around $519 million in 2023. Skyroot is now among India’s most well-funded space-tech startups and is also the first unicorn, a private company valued at $1 billion or more, to emerge from the industry. 

China and India will be among guests joining the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, where 14 teams will be divided into two divisions competing over 15 days, according to a recent draft.
The proposed organizational plan for the tournament was initially to be announced at the 76th FIFA Conference held in Vancouver, Canada, on April 30. However, FIFA eventually released only a draft.

Accordingly, the tournament includes 11 Southeast Asian national teams, along with three guests: China, India, and Hong Kong. The 14 teams are divided into two divisions based on their FIFA rankings before the draw, The Straits Times reported.

Humanoid robots are supposed to help humans at work, whether in boardrooms, factories or warehouses. But what if they started searching for enlightenment too? It sounds unusual, but something similar is now happening in South Korea. In the capital city of Seoul, a temple has introduced its first humanoid robot monk, named Gabi.

The humanoid was introduced on Wednesday during a Buddhist ceremony held at Jogye Temple in Seoul ahead of Buddha’s Birthday celebrations. Dressed in traditional grey-and-brown monk robes, the four-foot-tall robot joined chanting monks, bowed during rituals and even responded to questions during the ceremony.

But why is a robot walking the path of spirituality? Well, Gabi was introduced as part of an initiative by the Jogye Order, which is South Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, to modernise Buddhism and connect with younger generations in an increasingly digital society.

The International Education group at Cambridge University Press & Assessment (Cambridge) today announced science teacher, Soma Mandal, as the regional winner of the 2026 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards in the South Asia region. Soma was selected by the judges for her dedication to empowering pupils to participate in the 'worldwide fight against climate change'.

Soma is one of nine regional winners of the global Cambridge competition that celebrates the achievements of teachers around the world. As a regional winner, Soma will win £500 worth of books for her class, a trophy, and receive publicity for herself and her school during the coming year. She will also appear on a 'Thank you' page at the front of a range of new Cambridge textbooks, available to the public from November 2026.

With over 10 years' teaching experience, Soma is dedicated to positioning climate education at the heart of student learning. A master's graduate in environmental science, she developed a climate-focused curriculum at her school, GD Goenka Public School, Delhi, in which she inspires students to emerge as confident agents of climate action and sustainable change.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched JANANI (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care) as a significant step towards strengthening maternal and child healthcare services in the country. JANANI is a digital platform designed to comprehensively monitor and maintain digital health records of women during their reproductive age.

The Ministry said that, till date, one crore 34 lakh beneficiaries have registered in this platform. It aims to ensure seamless tracking of maternal and child health services, covering antenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, newborn care, home-based newborn and young child care, and family planning.

Andhra Pradesh has secured a landmark defence and aerospace project with the Government of India formally extending full support for the establishment of a world-class Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Complex at Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district.

The facility, to be set up by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will play a pivotal role in India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme and future indigenous combat aviation platforms. The Ministry of Defence has conveyed in-principle approval following proposals from the government.

The initiative is aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Andhra Pradesh’s Defence and Aerospace Policy 4.0, positioning the State as a preferred destination for advanced manufacturing and defence technology.

India and Vietnam are holding discussions on the possible sale of several defence platforms, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, as both countries move to elevate bilateral ties during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to New Delhi.

Speaking after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lam on Wednesday, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, P Kumaran, said defence cooperation between the two countries is expanding across multiple areas. He noted that BrahMos remains one of the platforms under discussion, while emphasising that a stronger Vietnam contributes to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

India also offered assistance in the maintenance, repair and modernisation of Vietnamese military platforms, including Sukhoi Su-30 fighter aircraft and Kilo-class submarines operated by the Vietnamese armed forces.

Delhi will host the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026 at the Thyagraj Stadium, with players from more than 35 countries expected to participate. Jointly organised by the Delhi government and the Table Tennis Federation of India, the championship will be held from July 27 to August 2.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that Delhi has a long legacy of hosting international sporting events and the championship will further strengthen the city’s position on the global sporting map. She said, Delhi government is committed to ensuring world-class infrastructure, seamless arrangements and an excellent sporting environment for players and spectators alike.

Participants from countries like England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Scotland, Wales, Nigeria, Kenya, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago are likely to take part in the tournament. The seven-day championship will feature competitions across multiple categories, with the finals scheduled for August 2.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

As per a notification issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shashi Shekhar Vempati shall hold the CBFC office for a period of three years from the date of joining.

"Shashi Shekhar Vempati brings with him extensive experience in media, broadcasting, and public communication. His appointment is expected to further strengthen the functioning of the CBFC," stated a press release from the Ministry.

India and Vietnam set a $25 billion annual trade target by 2030, up from $16 billion last fiscal, and elevated ties to an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership in a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President To Lam on Wednesday.

The talks focussed on areas including trade, investments, banking, defence, agriculture, health, ICT and critical minerals with 13 MoUs signed in diverse areas such as digital payments and cooperation in rare earth elements and emerging technologies.

“We have taken several important decisions today to take our bilateral trade to $25 billion by 2030. The MoU between our drug authorities will now increase access to Indian medicines in Vietnam. The export of Indian agricultural, fisheries and animal products to Vietnam is also going to become easier. Very soon, Vietnam will taste India’s grapes and pomegranates, and we will taste Vietnam’s pomelos,” Modi said in his speech at the joint press briefing with Lam following their bilateral talks. The Vietnamese President is on a three-day visit to India and is accompanied by a business delegation.