AI & ML to Power Rajasthan’s Mineral Exploration: State Partners with IIT Hyderabad

• Rajasthan Govt. engages IIT Hyderabad to build AI-driven mineral exploration system. 
• Rajasthan state ties up with IIT-Hyderabad to deploy AI & ML for critical mineral mapping across its 39 districts. 
• IIT-Hyderabad to develop advanced AI mineral prediction platform for Rajasthan in ₹ 8.5+ Cr partnership.

In a major step toward modernising India’s mineral exploration ecosystem, the Government of Rajasthan signed an ₹ 8.5+ Cr MoU with IIT Hyderabad (IITH) during the Pravasi Rajasthani Divas 2025 held at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre. The agreement, finalised in the presence of the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Union Minister of Coal and Mines and Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, aims to develop an AI- and ML-driven predictive system for identifying critical and strategic minerals across the state. The partnership positions Rajasthan among the first states in India to deploy advanced computational geoscience tools for mineral intelligence and exploration planning.

Under this collaboration, IITH will build a comprehensive prediction model that integrates geological, geochemical, geophysical and multispectral satellite datasets from 39 districts to generate AI-based mineral prospectivity maps. The system will help identify potential zones for minerals such as lithium, copper, graphite, zinc, nickel, cobalt, rare earth elements and other critical resources, supporting the state’s long-term mineral development strategy. The project will be executed in four phases over 18 months, with district-wise analytics, data dashboards and decision-support tools delivered to Rajasthan State Mineral Exploration Trust (RSMET).

Speaking about the initiative, T. Ravikant, Principal Secretary, Department of Mines, Geology & Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan, said: “The state will apply AI and ML for the exploration of critical and strategic minerals under the national programmes of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India. This initiative marks a major advancement in how Rajasthan will identify and utilise its mineral wealth."

On the collaboration with IITH, he added: “A letter of intent has been signed between RSMET and IITH for data exchange and modelling. The project with IITH will be completed in four phases over about 18 months, and its outcome is expected to support a mineral development model and a long-term road map for the state."

Welcoming the partnership, Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IITH, who was present during the exchange of the MoU, said: “This collaboration brings IITH into the mainstream of India’s critical mineral and resource intelligence mission. By combining advanced AI/ML techniques with geoscience, we are creating tools that will help India become a global leader in exploration technologies. This MoU aligns with our commitment to build solutions for Atmanirbhar Bharat and strengthen the nation’s technological leadership in mineral exploration for the future along with the ongoing relevant projects of the Institute like Australia-India Critical Minerals Research Hub (AICMRH) Bilateral Project, CoE on Critical Minerals as complete indigenization of manufacturing sector in our country is mainly dependent on availability of all kinds of minerals locally within our country.

This project will be led by Dr. C. Krishna Mohan, Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Hyderabad, in collaboration with Critical Mineral Trackers, a startup based at the Technology Research Park at IIT Hyderabad. The initiative is expected to reshape mineral exploration practices in Rajasthan, accelerate the discovery of critical minerals vital for India’s clean energy and manufacturing goals, and create a scalable AI-driven model that can be adopted by other states. With global demand for lithium, rare earth elements, and battery metals rising sharply, officials believe this effort positions both Rajasthan and India strategically within the future mineral supply chain.

About IIT Hyderabad:

IITH, established in 2008, has reached a respectable position in academics, research, technology development and startups in a short span of 17 years. In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF-2025), IITH is ranked 7th among Engineering institutes (crossing a first generation IIT), and is ranked 6th in Innovation, while it has maintained its rank within the top 10 Engineering Institutes ever since NIRF was launched. IITH is ranked 664 and 270 in the QS World and Asian University Ranking 2026, respectively (among the top 10% of global institutions in citations per faculty). IITH secured 46 positions by 31 faculties in the Global Top 2% Scientists World list 2025 released by Stanford University (SU) in collaboration with Elsevier across two categories. IITH has been striving for excellence with a motto of "Inventing & Innovating in Technology for Humanity (IITH)"

With 340 full-time faculty, 360+ non-teaching staff and 5,700+ students (PG+PhD students accounting for about 60%), IITH has a strong research focus with 5210+ R&D projects worth of Rs. 1640+ Cr (Rs. 335+ Cr funding in 2024-25, i.e. Rs. 1+ Cr per faculty, one of the largest per capita funding among IITs), 12,750+ publications, 2,44,300+ citations, 154 h-index, 630+ patents (210+ Patents in 2024, the largest per capita patents filed among IITs), and about 335+ Startups (that have generated 1100+ jobs with a revenue of Rs. 1500+ Cr).

About Rajasthan State Mineral Exploration Trust (RSMET)

The Rajasthan State Mineral Exploration Trust (RSMET) is a dedicated entity under the Department of Mines & Geology, Government of Rajasthan, established to promote systematic, scientific, and technology-driven mineral exploration across the state. The Trust is mandated to undertake high-priority exploration of critical, strategic, and deep-seated minerals, support advanced geoscientific studies, and facilitate resource assessment for future mining projects. RSMET plays a key role in strengthening Rajasthan’s mineral sector by funding and coordinating exploration activities, adopting modern techniques such as remote sensing, geophysical surveys, and predictive modelling, and enabling the state to build a long-term roadmap for mineral security and sustainable development.

Haryana’s Clean Air Push with World Bank

Air pollution is one of the biggest problems in Haryana, especially in areas near Delhi. To fight this, the Haryana government has teamed up with the World Bank on a massive ₹3,600 crore project called the Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development.

Here’s what it means in simple terms:

• Cleaner factories: About 1,000 industries will get help to switch from dirty fuels to cleaner options like natural gas.
• Less smoke from generators: Diesel generators will be converted to hybrid systems that pollute less.
• Greener buses: The state will buy electric buses to cut down on traffic pollution.
• Farm solutions: Farmers will be encouraged to stop burning crop stubble, which causes huge smoke clouds every winter.
• Better monitoring: New systems will track air quality more closely so rules can be enforced.

Why it matters: This project could make the air healthier to breathe, reduce diseases, and even create new green jobs. It’s one of Haryana’s biggest-ever environmental efforts, and if it works, it could inspire other states to follow.

---

Technical Policy Brief: Haryana–World Bank Clean Air Project

Project overview

• Name: Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development
• Funding: ₹3,600 crore (part of a $600 million World Bank programme for Haryana & Uttar Pradesh)
• Duration: 5 years
• Objective: Reduce air pollution across the NCR airshed through industrial, agricultural, and transport interventions.

Key interventions

• Industrial transition:
  • Incentivize 1,000 industries to replace coal/FO-based boilers with PNG/CNG/gaseous fuel systems.
  • Retrofit 1,000 diesel generator sets to hybrid/dual-fuel modes.
• Transport sector:
  • Procurement of electric buses.
  • Promotion of clean mobility infrastructure.
• Agriculture:
  • Enforcement against stubble burning.
  • Support for alternative residue management technologies.
• Monitoring & governance:
  • Strengthen air quality monitoring networks.
  • Enhance enforcement capacity at state and district levels.

Expected outcomes

• Health: Reduction in respiratory and cardiovascular disease burden.
• Economic: Increased productivity, improved investment climate.
• Environmental: Significant reduction in PM

Ryght AI Secures Accenture Investment to Transform Clinical Research

Accenture has invested in Ryght AI to modernize clinical research for life sciences companies, leveraging agentic AI to accelerate drug development and reduce trial delays.

Key Highlights

• Investment Date: December 11, 2025
• Investor: Accenture Ventures
• Target: Ryght AI, a platform provider focused on clinical research innovation
• Goal: Transform how clinical trials are designed and executed, speeding up patient access to new therapies

Why This Matters

Clinical trials are notoriously slow and expensive, with bottlenecks in:

• Site selection – often manual, adding weeks or months to timelines.
• Patient enrollment – delays that stall drug development.

By integrating agentic AI (AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making and task execution) with enterprise technology, Ryght AI aims to:

• Automate site selection and trial design.
• Improve patient recruitment efficiency.
• Shorten timelines for bringing treatments to market.

Strategic Impact

• Life Sciences Companies: Gain tools to manage increasingly complex trials.
• Patients: Faster access to innovative therapies.
• Accenture: Strengthens its position in digital health and AI-driven transformation.

Ryght AI also incorporates digital twin technology, creating virtual models of clinical trials to simulate outcomes before execution. This reduces risk and enhances trial design.

Risks & Challenges

• Data Privacy: Clinical research involves sensitive patient data; AI-driven automation must comply with strict regulations (HIPAA, GDPR).
• Adoption Curve: Pharma companies may resist shifting from traditional trial methods.
• AI Reliability: Agentic AI must prove trustworthy in high-stakes medical contexts.

In short: Accenture’s investment in Ryght AI is about using agentic AI to tackle the inefficiencies of clinical trials, combining automation and simulation to accelerate drug development and patient access.

Wipro Expands Google Cloud Partnership with Gemini Enterprise Rollout

• Adopts Gemini Enterprise across its global operations to speed up decision-making and improve employee experience
• Launches Google Cloud Gemini Experience Zone at Wipro’s Partner Labs in Bengaluru

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading AI-powered technology services and consulting company, is expanding its longstanding partnership with Google Cloud to enhance enterprise productivity and drive global digital transformation with Gemini Enterprise.

Wipro Intelligence™*, the unified suite of AI-powered platforms, solutions and transformative offerings, anchors Wipro’s “Client Zero” approach, with the company first deploying and validating solutions and innovations internally to ensure they are optimized and enterprise-ready before client rollout. As part of this strategy, Wipro is implementing Gemini Enterprise across its core corporate functions, including finance, human resources, sales, delivery, and customer support to accelerate decision-making, enhance operational efficiency, and improve employee experience.

Gemini Enterprise is Google Cloud’s next generation agentic AI platform, and the new front door to AI in the workplace. Powered by Google’s world-class Gemini models, it provides an intuitive conversational interface that enables employees to interact with and analyze company data and applications and build no-code AI agents with enterprise-grade security and controls using natural language.

In addition to the internal adoption of Gemini Enterprise across its global operations, Wipro will leverage its deep industry expertise, consulting-led approach, and the Wipro Intelligence™ suite to enable joint enterprise customers to transition from fragmented AI pilots to secure, production-ready agentic solutions at scale.

Towards this partnership outlook, Matt Renner, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Google Cloud, recently inaugurated the Google Cloud Gemini Experience Zone at Wipro’s Partner Labs – a cornerstone of Wipro Intelligence™ – at the Kodathi campus in Bengaluru. This cutting-edge zone offers hands-on access to joint Google Cloud solutions, and showcases more than 200 production-ready AI agents across industries such as Healthcare, Banking, Insurance, Retail, Communications, and Manufacturing.

“Wipro’s commitment to innovation and enterprise transformation, powered by Gemini Enterprise, reflects a bold vision and long-term dedication to driving industry leadership and strategic impact,” said Matt Renner, President and Chief Revenue Officer, Google Cloud. “Through our expanded partnership, we are moving customers beyond experimental AI pilots to real-world outcomes, thereby delivering production-ready AI agents that create measurable business value.”

Sanjeev Jain, Chief Operating Officer, Wipro Limited, said, “By deploying Gemini Enterprise at scale across our operations, we are deepening our partnership with Google Cloud to reimagine the future of work, and setting a global benchmark for responsible AI adoption. This AI-powered transformation, with Wipro Intelligence™ at the core, will drive efficiency, agility, and growth – positioning Wipro and our clients to lead the next wave of enterprise innovation.”

*Wipro Intelligence™ is Wipro’s unified suite of AI-powered platforms, solutions, and transformative offerings, designed to empower enterprises to scale with confidence and lead in an AI-first world. The Wipro Innovation Network is an integral part of Wipro Intelligence™, bringing together Wipro's innovation labs, partner labs, AI-native partners, Wipro Ventures, Topcoder, research & academia, as well as deep-tech talent to harness frontier technologies such as Agentic AI, Embodied AI, and Quantum Computing to co-innovate with clients and bring Wipro Intelligence™ to life.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading AI-powered technology services and consulting company focused on building innovative solutions that address clients’ most complex digital transformation needs. Leveraging our consulting-led approach and the Wipro Intelligence™ unified suite of AI-powered platforms, solutions and transformative offerings, we help clients realize their boldest ambitions to build intelligent and sustainable businesses. The Wipro Innovation Network – part of the Wipro Intelligence™ suite – underpins our commitment to client-centric co-innovation and co-creation by bringing together capabilities from the innovation labs and partner labs, academia, and global tech communities. With over 230,000 employees and business partners across 65 countries, we deliver on the promise of helping our customers, colleagues, and communities thrive in an ever-changing world. For additional information, visit us at www.wipro.com.

RRP DEFENSE and Israel’s Meprolight Collaboration Brings Next-Gen Weapon Sights and Electro-Optics to India

RRP Defense Limited (BSE: 530929) and Meprolight Ltd., Israel, a global leader in electro-optics, night-vision and weapon-sight systems, are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration aimed at delivering next-generation defence technologies to the Indian market.

Under this collaboration, Meprolight and RRP Defense Limited will jointly work on the distribution, assembly, technology integration, and future localisation of Meprolight’s advanced product line in India. The partnership includes:

• Collaborative sales and distribution of Meprolight products within India for military and law-enforcement agencies.
• Co-development of pricing, commercial strategy, and payment terms, mutually agreed between both organisations.
• Technology transfer by Meprolight to support assembly, testing, and integration at RRP Defense’s Mahape facility under the Government of India’s Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.
• A long-term roadmap for local manufacturing of select electro-optic systems using indigenous components through RRP Electronics and other ecosystem partners.

Mr. Rajendra Chodankar, Chairman, RRP Defense Limited, said, “This collaboration with Meprolight affirms India’s growing capabilities in precision defence manufacturing. Integrating world-class electro-optic technology into our Mahape facility enables us to serve the Indian Armed Forces with domestically assembled, battle-tested solutions. Together with Meprolight, we are strengthening India’s defence ecosystem and advancing our role in the global supply chain.”

About RRP Defense Limited

RRP Defense Limited is a leading Indian defence manufacturer dedicated to advancing the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Under the leadership of technocrat-entrepreneur Rajendra Chodankar, the company has evolved from a trading entity into a deep-tech defence production enterprise.

RRP Defense focuses on indigenising critical systems in Electro-Optics, Thermal Imaging, and UAV technologies. The company has strengthened its ecosystem through the acquisition of RRP Drone Innovation and the formation of Vimananu Limited, enabling a full spectrum of Drone-in-a-Box and anti-drone solutions.

Through collaborations with Meprolight (Israel) and CYGR (France/USA), along with indigenous semiconductor support from RRP Electronics, the company is positioned to deliver high- precision, battle-ready systems to the Indian Armed Forces and global partners. 

About Meprolight Ltd., Israel

Meprolight is a globally recognised manufacturer of advanced electro-optic systems, night- vision devices, and weapon sights for defence, paramilitary, and law-enforcement agencies. With decades of battlefield experience and international deployment, Meprolight’s solutions are known for reliability, precision, and combat-tested performance.