India Hosts First ISO Space Systems Plenary, Driving Global Standards for Sustainable Space Economy

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), hosted the 36th Plenary of ISO TC 20/SC 14 on Space Systems and Operations, along with associated Working Group meetings, for the first time. The international event is being held from May 4 to May 8, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, with BIS serving as the National Standards Body and official host.

The plenary saw participation from over 200 delegates across 33 member nations in a hybrid format, including around 55 delegates from 10 countries attending in person. Over the five days, specialised working groups will deliberate on key areas driving a sustainable and commercially viable space economy, including orbital debris (WG 7), space environment (WG 4), downstream space services (WG 8), and design engineering (WG 1).

In conjunction with the plenary, IN-SPACe and BIS will organise the International Workshop on Space Systems Standardisation on May 7, 2026, featuring four panel discussions covering the complete lifecycle of space systems, including topics such as engineering, production and validation from concept to launch; programme management, quality and materials for ensuring reliability; challenges and standards in space operations and environmental management; and the need for safe orbits alongside sustainable space services to address emerging challenges.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe, in his inaugural address, said, “The Indian space sector is undergoing a paradigm shift from a state-operated model to a private sector-driven space economy. Hosting this plenary in India at this juncture has provided a valuable opportunity for the Indian space industry to contribute to global standard formation. Adopting and aligning with these standards will enable the development of globally competitive and interoperable space systems.”

He also thanked BIS and the Department of Consumer Affairs for hosting the plenary and expressed confidence in the sub-committee’s progress towards advancing the standards under development.

Rajeev Jyoti, Director (Technical), IN-SPACe, and Chairman of the BIS TED 14 Committee, welcomed delegates during the inaugural session and encouraged active participation, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across the working group meetings.

He highlighted that IN-SPACe, in coordination with BIS, represents India in ISO plenary and working group discussions, contributing to the adoption and localisation of global standards as Indian Standards. He also urged stakeholders to actively engage in the workshop and share inputs to strengthen the evolving framework for space systems standardisation.

Carrier Invests ₹1000 Cr in Andhra Cooling Plant

The Government of Andhra Pradesh will tomorrow mark a significant milestone in its industrial and digital infrastructure journey with the groundbreaking of Carrier’s advanced chiller manufacturing facility at Sri City.

This investment represents Andhra Pradesh’s strategic pivot from being a destination for data centers to becoming a global hub for manufacturing the critical components that power the digital economy.

Andhra Pradesh is rapidly emerging as one of India’s most significant data center destinations, anchored by large-scale global investments and a forward-looking policy framework. In recent weeks alone, a landmark $15 billion Google AI data center hub—one of the largest digital infrastructure investments in India—has broken ground in Visakhapatnam, with a planned 1 GW hyperscale capacity . This is complemented by proposals such as Reliance Industries’ ₹1.6 lakh crore 1.5 GW data center cluster, alongside multiple commitments from global and domestic players. With an overall pipeline estimated at over ₹6 lakh crore and a targeted capacity of ~6 GW, Andhra Pradesh is positioning itself well ahead of the current national capacity, building a scale that few regions globally can match . This momentum, backed by progressive policies such as dedicated power frameworks for data centers, is transforming the state - particularly Visakhapatnam - into a premier hub for AI, cloud, and digital infrastructure.

Carrier’s entry further strengthens this ecosystem - bringing advanced cooling technologies that are indispensable for next-generation data centers, AI infrastructure, and high-performance computing environments.

From Data Centers to a Full Manufacturing Ecosystem

Andhra Pradesh has already established itself as a leading destination for large-scale data center investments, with a rapidly growing pipeline of AI-native facilities. However, the state’s vision goes beyond hosting these assets.

The focus is now on building a complete value chain - from data center infrastructure to component manufacturing, including:

• Cooling and thermal management systems
• Power and energy management solutions
• Precision engineering components
• Electronics and control systems

By integrating manufacturing with digital infrastructure, Andhra Pradesh aims to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that reduces import dependency, boosts exports, and positions India as a global leader in data infrastructure manufacturing.

Sri City: The Nucleus of the Cooling & Manufacturing Cluster

Sri City’s evolution into a major HVAC and electronics hub makes it central to this strategy. With:

• ₹12,000 crore invested in cooling and AC manufacturing. 
• 25,000 direct jobs created in the segment
• A strong supplier base contributing ₹4,600 crore in investments
• Nearly 60% projected share in India’s AC production by 2027

the ecosystem is already demonstrating scale, depth, and global competitiveness.

Carrier’s facility will further catalyse supplier networks, innovation, and export-oriented manufacturing, reinforcing Sri City’s position as a critical node in the global supply chain.

Quote from Shri Nara Lokesh, Hon’ble Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications, and HRD, "Andhra Pradesh is not content with being just a host for data centers - we are determined to become the engine that powers them. The groundbreaking of Carrier’s facility at Sri City marks a defining moment in our journey to build a full-stack data infrastructure ecosystem - from energy and data centers to the manufacturing of the components that sustain them. With world-class industrial ecosystems like Sri City, strong policy support, and our unwavering focus on speed and scale, Andhra Pradesh is positioning itself as a global hub for next-generation manufacturing and digital infrastructure.”

A Strategic Leap Forward

This curtain raiser sets the stage for a landmark event that signals Andhra Pradesh’s intent to lead not just in digital infrastructure, but in industrial innovation aligned with the future of AI, cloud, and data economies.

The Carrier groundbreaking is expected to catalyse further investments, deepen global partnerships, and accelerate the state’s journey toward becoming India’s data center capital—and the manufacturing backbone behind it.

Persistent Partners with IIT Kharagpur to Establish AI Innovation Lab for Research, Talent and National-scale Innovation

Persistent Systems (BSE: 533179 and NSE: PERSISTENT), a global Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization leader, today announced that its affiliate has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) to launch an AI Innovation Lab in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE).

Aligned to Persistent’s AI-first strategy and a shared vision of “AI for All,” the Lab will serve as a long-term platform to advance AI research, deepen industry-academia collaboration and build future-ready talent. The initiative reflects a shared ambition to strengthen India’s role in the global AI landscape by preparing talent for the AI world through research excellence and responsible innovation.

The facility will host advanced computational, laboratory and instructional capabilities to accelerate research and applied development, with a focus on developing robust, safe and responsible AI systems across areas such as healthcare analytics, educational technology and financial intelligence.

Through an integrated approach spanning theory, systems development and deployment, the Lab will support scalable solutions while strengthening the link between research, engineering and real-world impact. This approach is expected to contribute to Persistent’s AI capability stack, including reusable frameworks, domain insights and talent pipelines that can be leveraged across engagements.

Beyond research and teaching, the Lab will promote international collaboration and cross-domain engagement, serving as a hub for knowledge exchange across academia, industry and policy stakeholders. By nurturing skilled talent and enabling impactful research, it will contribute to India’s evolving AI ecosystem and expand access to foundational technologies across sectors.

Dr. Anand Deshpande, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director, Persistent, “India’s AI promise will be built on original research, deep engineering, and work on real problems that shape everyday life. The Persistent AI Innovation Lab at IIT Kharagpur will work closely with faculty and students to advance research while remaining rooted in India-centric challenges. That is how we will prepare graduates who are capable, grounded and ready to make a difference.

IIT Kharagpur shaped my career and my way of thinking. I remain deeply grateful for that foundation. This initiative is a way to give back. Supporting the CSE@50 Mission as the Department approaches its golden jubilee in 2030 feels both natural and deeply personal.

I hope this Lab becomes a place where young researchers feel the same spark I once felt and go on to build things that make India and the world better.”

Prof. Siddhartha Mukhopadhyay, Dean – Alumni Affairs, IIT Kharagpur, “This partnership brings industry perspective into our academic ecosystem while giving our students and faculty deeper exposure to real-world challenges. It reflects the growing importance of academia-industry collaboration in advancing responsible and impactful AI at scale.

On behalf of the institute, I deeply appreciate this wonderful contribution made by the Deshpande family as well as Persistent Systems and remain thankful for their love and support for the institute.”

Prof. Niloy Ganguly, Head of Department – Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, “This partnership with Persistent Systems will create an environment where academic curiosity meets engineering discipline and industry relevance. It is especially meaningful that this initiative is led by Dr. Anand Deshpande, an alumnus of our very own CSE Department, whose journey from the Department to building a global technology leader embodies the spirit we strive to nurture.”

SAP to Acquire Dremio, Building Iceberg‑Native Lakehouse to Power Agentic AI at Enterprise Scale

SAP SE has announced plans to acquire Dremio, a leading open-source data lakehouse platform, to strengthen its Business Data Cloud and accelerate agentic AI capabilities. The deal, expected to close in Q3 2026 pending regulatory approval, will make SAP’s platform Apache Iceberg-native, enabling seamless integration of SAP and non-SAP data.

Dremio is a U.S.-based data lakehouse company headquartered in Mountain View, California, founded in 2015 by Tomer Shiran and Jacques Nadeau. It has raised over $420 million from major investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and Sapphire Ventures.

Dremio positions itself as the Agentic Lakehouse, an Apache Iceberg-native data platform designed for AI agents and enterprise analytics. It enables federated queries across multiple data sources without ETL pipelines, providing a unified semantic layer that adds business context for AI and human users alike.  

Key Highlights of the Acquisition

• Acquirer: SAP SE (NYSE: SAP)
• Target: Dremio, an open, high-performance data lakehouse platform
• Announcement Date: May 4, 2026
• Closing Timeline: Expected Q3 2026, subject to regulatory approval
• Financial Terms: Not disclosed
• Strategic Goal: Enhance SAP Business Data Cloud and SAP HANA Cloud to unify SAP and non-SAP data for real-time analytics and AI workloads

Why SAP is Acquiring Dremio

• Data Fragmentation Challenge: Many enterprise AI projects fail due to fragmented, proprietary data formats lacking business context.
• Dremio’s Solution: Provides an Apache Iceberg-native lakehouse that eliminates data movement and format conversion.
• Agentic AI Enablement: Accelerates AI-ready context, reducing integration friction and compliance risks.
• Serverless Architecture: Elastic scaling improves economics of enterprise analytics by removing fixed capacity requirements.

SAP’s Broader AI Strategy

• Alongside Dremio, SAP is also acquiring Prior Labs, a pioneer in Tabular Foundation Models (TFMs).
• SAP is committing over €1 billion to scale Prior Labs globally.
• The combination of Dremio’s open lakehouse and Prior Labs’ TFMs positions SAP to deliver enterprise-scale agentic AI solutions.

Industry Impact

• Open-Source Commitment: SAP will continue investing in Apache Iceberg, Apache Polaris, and Apache Arrow.
• Competitive Landscape: Dremio differentiates itself from SAP’s existing partners like Snowflake and Databricks.
• Customer Base: Dremio is trusted by Shell, TD Bank, and Michelin.

Summary

SAP’s acquisition of Dremio marks a strategic leap in enterprise AI, addressing the critical bottleneck of fragmented data. By embedding Dremio’s Iceberg-native lakehouse into SAP Business Data Cloud, SAP aims to deliver governed, AI-ready intelligence at scale, while reinforcing its commitment to open-source innovation.

Delhi’s Air Quality Improves; CAQM Revokes Stage‑I GRAP Measures in NCR

Delhi’s air quality has improved sharply, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to revoke Stage‑I restrictions of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across NCR with immediate effect. The daily average AQI dropped from 175 on May 3 to 88 on May 4, aided by rainfall and favourable weather conditions.

Key Developments

• Revocation of Stage‑I GRAP: Effective May 4, 2026, all Stage‑I curbs (invoked on April 16) have been lifted across Delhi‑NCR.
• AQI Levels: Delhi’s AQI improved from 175 (‘Moderate’) on May 3 to 88 (‘Satisfactory’) on May 4, according to CPCB data.
• Forecasts: IMD and IITM predict AQI will remain in the Satisfactory to Moderate range in the coming days.

Restrictions Lifted

• Ban on coal and firewood in tandoors at hotels, restaurants, and open eateries.
• Limited use of diesel generators (now permitted beyond emergency situations).
• Heightened dust mitigation measures under Stage‑I relax.

Government Directives

• Agencies in NCR must continue implementing statutory directions, advisories, and pollution control measures issued by MoEF&CC, CPCB, DPCC, and State Governments.
• Dust mitigation and compliance with crop residue management rules remain critical to sustain improved AQI.
• CAQM will closely monitor AQI trends and re‑impose measures if pollution levels rise.

Broader Context

• GRAP Framework: 
• Stage‑I: AQI 201–300 (Poor);
• Stage‑II: AQI 301–400 (Very Poor);
• Stage‑III: AQI 401–500 (Severe);
• Stage‑IV: AQI > 450 (Severe+).
• Recent Enforcement: In April 2026, CAQM imposed ₹61.85 crore in penalties on six coal‑based thermal power plants for failing to comply with biomass co‑firing rules.

Conclusion

The revocation of Stage‑I GRAP reflects Delhi’s improving air quality and the impact of favourable weather. However, CAQM has stressed that sustained vigilance and strict compliance with pollution control measures are essential to prevent deterioration. The Commission will continue to review AQI levels and forecasts to decide on future interventions.