High-power computing AI cloud being developed for armed forces: Par panel on defence
New Delhi (PTI): A parliamentary panel on defence has said that a "high-power computing AI cloud" is being developed effectively for the armed forces, and recommended that all technology-related programmes must follow laid-down time lines of their delivery to enable the forces to use and adapt themselves in a timely manner.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, in its report presented in Parliament on Tuesday, also recommended that the efforts made by the Army towards women empowerment will "remain unabated" in the years to come so that a "level playing field for the women shall be created".
The report is titled "Action Taken by the Government on the Observations/ Recommendations contained in the Eighth Report of Standing Committee on Defence (18th Lok Sabha) on Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Defence for the year 2025-26 on Army, Air Force, Navy, Joint Staff, Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme and Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services."
In its report, the panel said, "During the oral evidence, a representative of the Navy informed the Committee that there are plans to increase the number of ships and submarines to 234 in the next few years."
"At present, there are a total of 61 ships under construction, which will be inducted into the Navy by the year 2030. The Navy submitted that out of this, 60 ships are being built in our Indian shipyards. The Committee have also been informed that apart from under-construction projects, the Navy has been given the government's Acceptance of Necessity for these inductions of which construction will start in the next one to two years," it said.
Appreciating the efforts made by the Navy towards achieving indigenisation, the panel recommend that concerted efforts be made to expedite completion of the ongoing projects so that the Navy attains "greater degree of 'Aatmanirbharta' in near future".
The Defence Ministry, in its action taken reply, has said that currently, 60 of the 61 warships under construction are being built in India, while contract conclusion in respect of 62 more ships and submarines, and 120 fast interceptor craft, to be built in domestic shipyards, is also at an "advanced stage".
Achieving higher indigenous content across weapons, sensors and equipment that supports the growth of the Indian shipbuilding sector continues to be a key focus area. Ongoing shipbuilding projects are being actively pursued with concerned shipyards for timely fructification, the government said.
"To achieve timely completion of ongoing projects, the production directorate at NHQ (naval headquarters) are reviewing the progress of these ongoing projects through Warship Oversee Team (WOT) using a structured review mechanism. In the last 10 years, an average of 65 per cent of the total expenditure has been focused towards indigenous procurement. During FY 2023-24, the ratio of 83.91:16.09 between Indian and foreign sources has been achieved," it told the panel.
The Committee had expressed hope that the country marches ahead in indigenous content in ship design and construction so as to achieve the goal of self-reliance, thereby supporting the domestic industrial-military ecosystem.
The panel further said it has been informed that a "high-power computing AI cloud is being developed effectively for all the three Services."
"The Committee understand that conventional wars were fought in only three modes i.e., land, air and water, but recently there is a paradigm shift in the technology used in fighting a war.
"There have been innovations and experiments in western countries, and the use of drones, including sea-drones, space, cyberspace, kinetic and non-kinetic format etc. has enveloped the sphere of war, which can be fought from very distant locations through a remote-controlled methodology," it said.
The panel said it is "confident that the technology-related National Missions, National Quantum Mission and high-power computing AI cloud will definitely enable our armed forces to develop a robust digital infrastructure, besides improving the existing weaponry".
"While appreciating all these critical developments, the Committee, can here, only recommend that all the initiatives/programs must follow laid-down time lines of their technological delivery to enable the Forces to use and adapt themselves in a timely manner," it added.
The government has replied that modernisation of the Indian Army is progressing as part of a "deliberate and comprehensive 'Integrated Capability Development Plan' ensuring induction of modern military platforms as well as rapid embracement of new technologies to ensure 24x7 operational readiness in defence of the country".
The Committee also said it is "happy to learn that a number of steps have been taken to ensure induction of more women in Indian Army".
On the IAF, he said, during deliberations, a representative of the Indian Air Force apprised the Committee that the "capability of Su-30 is being upgraded through indigenous upgraded programme and will be executed by HAL, DRDO and private industry under the supervision of IAF".
On Navy's manpower, it said, during deliberations, a representative of the Navy informed the Committee that the "Indian Navy has 10,045 officers, 59,828 sailors, 11,634 Agniveers and 32,171 defence civilians".
"The Committee have been informed that all personnel are fully trained for their work and are fully capable of maintaining combatability and operational preparedness of the Navy," it said.
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JioHotstar to invest Rs 4,000 crore for South Indian content push; unveils 25-title slate
Chennai (PTI): Streaming service JioHotstar on Tuesday announced that it will invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years to strengthen South India’s creative economy, unveiling a 25-title slate as part of a major push for regional content.
In one of the biggest announcements by an Indian streaming platform for the southern markets, the company showcased its “South Unbound” vision at a high-profile event here.
Sushant Sreeram, Head – SVOD Business & Chief Marketing Officer at JioStar, said the investment forms part of a broader collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government.
“Earlier today, JioHotstar formalised a Letter of Intent with the Government of Tamil Nadu in the presence of the Chief Minister M K Stalin. This outlines a shared commitment to invest in talent, expand infrastructure and build a future-ready creative economy from the South.
"As part of this vision, JioHotstar will invest Rs 4,000 crore to nurture creators, strengthen the production ecosystem and build a pipeline of stories that are ready for India and ready for the world,” he said.
Calling South India the “heartbeat of Indian storytelling”, Sreeram said the investment signalled the platform’s long-term commitment to local creators.
"JioHotstar started as a dream — to build entertainment rooted in India’s storytelling heritage and powered by cutting-edge technology. The resplendent storytelling traditions of the South motivate us to keep championing authentic, rooted narratives while offering greater accessibility and choices for every viewer," he said.
The event was attended by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, veteran actor and MP Kamal Haasan, senior state officials, and leading stars and filmmakers from across the southern industries.
Deputy CM Stalin said the partnership will generate “1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs”.
“Cinema in Tamil Nadu has always been a force for social change. OTT is not replacing cinema; it is expanding it. Today, a filmmaker in Madurai or Salem can upload a story and reach audiences across the world. The cultural and economic impact of this partnership will be massive," he added.
aasan said Indian media and entertainment was undergoing a fundamental transformation driven not by technology alone, but by the audience itself.
“We gather at a moment when India’s media and entertainment is not merely growing, it is transforming. For the first time, this shift is not driven by device or format, but by the audience itself,” he said, adding that storytelling today is “screen agnostic”.
“Regional is becoming the new national, and ethnic the new international. Stories born in Madurai, Malappuram or Machilipatnam are no longer regional cinema; they are national cultural events,” Haasan said, giving the example of movies such as “Kantara”, “Drishyam”, “Baahubali”, “Pushpa” and Tamil hits like “Vikram”.
The event was also attended by Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Aishwarya Rajesh and others -- along with directors Jeethu Joseph and Ahammed Khabeer
The streamer's ambitious content slate, unveiled as part of its “South Unbound” initiative, includes sequels to blockbuster franchises, new long-format shows, films, adaptations, and high-engagement reality formats.
The Tamil slate features a mix of returning favourites and new originals, led by "Bigg Boss Tamil", now hosted by Vijay Sethupathi, and "Good Wife S2", the legal drama starring Priyamani.
The lineup also includes "LBW – Love Beyond Wicket", a relationship drama; the family comedy "Cousins and Kalyanams"; the psychological drama "Resort"; and "Heartbeat S3", which brings back Anumol, Karthik Kumar and Deepa Balu.
Other Tamil offerings include "Lingam", an action-drama; "Love Always", a multigenerational love story; the marquee title "Kaattaan" starring Vijay Sethupathi and Milind Soman; and "Second Love", a non-fiction relationship series.
In Telugu, the platform returns with "Bigg Boss Telugu" hosted by Nagarjuna, alongside new originals such as "Moodu Lantharlu" starring Aishwarya Rajesh; the police procedural "Vikram on Duty"; "Varam", a mystical relationship drama; and the hit comedy-drama "Save The Tigers S3" with Chaitanya Krishna.
The slate further includes "Vishakha", the Telugu adaptation of "Aarya" led by Kajal Aggarwal; the relationship-based non-fiction format "Mad for Each Other"; and the Telugu debut of the iconic adventure franchise "Roadies".
From Malayalam, the platform brings back "Bigg Boss Malayalam" hosted by Mohanlal; "Kerala Crime Files S3" featuring Aju Varghese; the mystery drama "Secret Stories: Roslin"; "Anali", "1000 Babies S2" with Neena Gupta and Rahman; and the hard-hitting drama "Pharma" starring Nivin Pauly.
The Kannada lineup includes "Bigg Boss Kannada" hosted by Kichcha Sudeepa; "Batchmates", a nostalgic friendship drama; and the food-and-humour-based non-fiction series "Comedy Cooks".
Across languages, the platform also announced new films such as "Lucky The Superstar", featuring GV Prakash, Anaswara Rajan and Meghna Sumesh, and "Kenatha Kaanom", positioned as broad-appeal mainstream entertainers.
