Sharjah, Jan 13: Congress President Rahul Gandhi Sunday called on Sharjah ruler Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi and held a "cordial discussion" with him on a range of issues to strengthen the bilateral ties.

Gandhi was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a two-day maiden visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi during which he met the country's top leadership and addressed the Indian community besides meeting with the business leaders and students.

He met the Sharjah ruler before his departure to India.

"It was a pleasure to meet with Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi, the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah. We had a cordial discussion that covered a range of issues. I look forward to working with him to strengthen the bonds between our countries," the Congress president said in a tweet.

Gandhi Friday had an "excellent meeting" with Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during which he assured the Dubai ruler that he was committed to an even stronger bilateral ties.

Earlier, he addressed Indian workers and interacted with business leaders. Gandhi also interacted with representatives of the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC), Dubai and met the Punjabi community.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has approved the establishment of a CoE for AI in Biotechnology at IBAB in Electronics City (Phase 1), here.

The decision, taken by the state Cabinet on Thursday night, marks a significant step towards strengthening Karnataka’s leadership in emerging technologies, IT and biotechnology, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.

The centre will be established over four years with a total outlay of Rs 20 crore, in partnership with the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), according to a statement from the minister’s office.

"Karnataka has consistently been at the forefront of technological innovation. As we enter the decade of deep tech, our focus is on building future-ready capabilities at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology," Minister for IT and Biotechnology said.

"This Centre of Excellence will strengthen our research ecosystem, accelerate innovation and enable Karnataka to lead in high-impact next-generation technologies," he added.

Priyank added that the state government, through the Departments of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, is actively investing in emerging technologies and taking steps to strengthen Karnataka’s AI and deep-tech ecosystem.

The minister said the Cabinet has also approved the transfer of a 51 per cent stake in the Karnataka Technology & Innovation Museum Foundation (KTIMF) to the Unboxing BLR Foundation.

KTIMF was established by the Government of Karnataka as a not-for-profit organisation to promote innovation, technological awareness, startup culture and public engagement in science and technology, aligned with the state’s vision of building a robust innovation ecosystem, he said.

The Technology & Innovation Museum will be developed at the NGEF campus in Baiyappanahalli, Bengaluru, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with a total project cost of Rs 100 crore. Of this, Rs 49 crore will be contributed by the state government and Rs 51 crore by the private partner, he said.