AI Meets Governance: IBM Launches Lucknow Centre

IBM has officially announced the inauguration of its AI GovTech Innovation Centre in Lucknow on February 22, 2026. The initiative is designed to position AI as core infrastructure for modern governance, helping governments tackle rising citizen expectations, regulatory complexity, and exponential data growth.

Key Highlights

• Purpose: The centre will serve as a collaborative platform to design, validate, and scale trusted AI solutions for governance, focusing on productivity, transparency, and service delivery.
• Location: Situated at Platinum Mall in Sushant Golf City, Lucknow, the facility has a 500-seat capacity and marks IBM’s first software lab in Northern India.
• Focus Areas: Generative AI and Agentic AI technologies, with applications tailored for government and enterprise use cases.
• Leadership Presence: The inauguration was attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and IBM India MD Sandip Patel.
• Strategic Vision: Yogi Adityanath emphasized that the centre will strengthen tech-driven governance and highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s ambitions in deep tech, robotics, drone technology, medical technology, and quantum computing.

Why It Matters

This centre positions Lucknow as a growing hub for GovTech innovation in India, aligning with the state’s roadmap to lead in AI and quantum computing. It also reflects IBM’s broader strategy to embed AI into public sector infrastructure, ensuring scalable and replicable solutions for governance worldwide.

“AI will define the next era of government effectiveness and economic competitiveness. Around the world, and especially in India, we are seeing governments move decisively from exploration to execution. It is encouraging to see this level of openness to responsible AI adoption,” said Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, IBM. “The Lucknow center brings together IBM’s global AI leadership and a strong local talent ecosystem, with proximity to leading engineering and academic institutions. Together, this enables us to translate AI ambition into measurable public impact,” he added.

Tata Power-Warwick Collaboration to Drive Research in Digital Energy Systems, Storage, and Advanced Manufacturing

The University of Warwick has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Power, India’s leading integrated power companies, to deliver research and innovation in grid modernization, fast charging, power storage, industrial decarbonisation, digital energy systems, optimisation and advanced manufacturing approaches.

The collaboration will also explore industry-aligned executive education programmes, capability development initiatives, exchange opportunities, technical workshops, and joint case study development. Together, these efforts mark an important step toward strengthening long-term research capability, talent development, and global academic engagement aligned with Tata Power’s strategic priorities.

Notably, in 2025, Tata Group and the University of Warwick were awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s highly esteemed Lord Bhattacharyya Award for their pioneering partnership (more information here).An example of a systems-level approach to large-scale decarbonisation can be seen in WMG’s work with the Port of Dover (more information here).

The agreement builds upon decades of expertise established at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) - one of the University’s largest academic departments - and the School of Engineering. The University also announced a renewed focus on energy systems, which will support the partnership.

Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Warwick, said: “We strive to make a better world through our world-leading research and education. Our partnership with Tata Power marries our academic excellence with leading industry expertise to help advance a more sustainable future for people, places, and our planet.”

The University has long-established research groups focused across the energy spectrum, from semiconductors, to components, power electronics, machines and drives (PEMD) to full energy systems. By increasing collaboration across these areas, and focusing on power supply, the University will be able to support partners, such as Tata Power, in decarbonisation. This will include the shift from fossil fuels to electrification, grid innovation, advanced power storage and a system-level focus.

“Tata Power is committed to transforming India’s energy landscape,” said Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO and MD of Tata Power and Honorary Professor at WMG. “Our vision is to empower a billion lives through sustainable, affordable, and innovative energy solutions, and we are making strong progress toward that goal. We are building a consumer-centric green energy future anchored in decarbonization, reliable and affordable power, and long-term sustainability. Our agreement with the University of Warwick -an institution with a distinguished track record in electrification and sustainability will further accelerate our ambitions and strengthen the pathway to achieving them.”

Established research programmes within WMG and the School of Engineering already support advances in sustainable energy, including circular materials, battery innovation, wind energy, artificial intelligence, and industrial decarbonisation, contributing to national and international targets to reduce carbon emissions and costs.

“Applying excellent research to deliver industrial and societal impact has been part of WMG’s mission for the past 45 years,” said Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG. “And our celebrated partnership with the Tata Group stretches back decades. It is a partnership built on extensive collaboration across research, education and innovation, and it’s exciting to see how that legacy continues to deliver positive global impact.”

“Research relationships with India, including Tata, have always been incredibly valuable to us,” added Professor David Greenwood, Director for Industrial Engagement and CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult at WMG. “With a free trade agreement now in place between the UK and India, now is the ideal time to work together on critical challenges of energy, industry and the environment, while exploring new research, education and engagement opportunities.”

Systems-level thinking is crucial to achieving industrial decarbonisation in an efficient and economically viable way. WMG already has proven capability here, working with large-scale energy users, such as ports and airports, to provide a detailed route-map to investment and return. Meanwhile, the School of Engineering is committed to supporting the energy transition challenge, bringing a systems-level perspective and particular focus on advanced control and artificial intelligence (AI) for future power and energy systems.

“By applying artificial intelligence–enabled modelling and control techniques, we are developing solutions that enhance system stability, resilience, and efficiency,” said Professor David Towers, Head of the School of Engineering at the University of Warwick. “Our research spans national, regional, and microgrid-scale infrastructures, integrating renewables — particularly wind — alongside energy storage and hydrogen technologies. We look forward to working with Tata Power to translate these capabilities into scalable, industrially relevant decarbonisation pathways.”

World’s First Category 5 Cyclone of 2026 Emerges in Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean has witnessed a dramatic weather event: Tropical Cyclone Horacio has exploded into a Category 5 storm, the most powerful classification for tropical cyclones. With sustained winds exceeding 252 km/h (157 mph), Horacio is now the strongest storm on Earth in 2026.

A Category 5 storm is the highest and most destructive classification on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph (252 km/h) or higher. These storms cause catastrophic damage, often rendering affected areas uninhabitable for weeks or months

What Happened

• Horacio intensified at an unprecedented pace, leaping from about 104 km/h to 257 km/h in just 24 hours.
• Its central pressure dropped sharply from 963 mb to 930 mb, a hallmark of explosive strengthening.
• Satellite images reveal a well-defined eye, confirming its Category 5 status.

Where It Is

• The cyclone is currently swirling over the South Indian Ocean, south of Madagascar.
• India is not in its direct path, but meteorologists are tracking its movements closely.
• For now, no immediate landfall threat exists, though nearby island nations could face dangerous seas and weather.

Why It Matters

• First Category 5 cyclone of 2026: Horacio sets the tone for what could be an active storm year.
• Climate connection: Warmer ocean waters, linked to climate change, are believed to be fueling such rapid intensification.
• Global concern: Scientists warn that extreme storms like Horacio may become more frequent as oceans continue to heat up.

The Bigger Picture

Cyclone Horacio is more than just a weather event—it’s a wake-up call. Its explosive growth highlights how climate change is reshaping storm behavior, making them stronger and faster to intensify. While Horacio may stay out at sea, its sheer power underscores the importance of preparedness for coastal nations and continued research into how warming oceans drive extreme weather.

GNA Energy Goes Live with Vidyut AI to Power Smarter Electricity Markets

India’s leading over-the-counter (OTC) power trading platform GNA Energy, has gone live with Vidyut AI, an AI-enabled intelligence platform built to operate in sync with the Ministry of Power’s India Energy Stack (IES) framework. Rolled out last week, the platform is designed to convert complex power-sector data into real-time, decision-ready insights for market participants.

While Vidyut AI operates at the utility and market level, its benefits ultimately flow to consumers. By enabling smarter power procurement, improved demand forecasting and better management of grid imbalances, the platform can help reduce avoidable costs and improve supply stability. Over time, this translates into fewer disruptions, more predictable tariffs and smoother integration of renewable energy — strengthening the reliability and efficiency of electricity for households and businesses alike, according to GNA Energy.

Vidyut AI transforms structured operational and market datasets into automated summaries, trend analyses and downloadable reports — enabling faster, data-backed decisions across the electricity value chain at a time of rising short-term trading volumes and tighter regulatory oversight.

For distribution companies (DISCOMs), the platform provides real-time access to procurement data, DSM exposure, open access transactions and demand forecasting analytics. Generators can track bid performance, dispatch trends, clearing prices and revenue optimisation metrics. Transmission utilities and system operators gain visibility into congestion and grid analytics, while traders can use natural-language search tools to compare contracts and monitor price movements. Regulators and policymakers can leverage automated trend analysis for quicker impact assessment.

“India’s power sector generates enormous volumes of operational and market data every day. Vidyut AI transforms this complexity into clarity. By enabling instant access to actionable intelligence, we are empowering utilities, generators and market participants to make smarter, faster decisions,” said Sanjeev Kumar, Managing Director, GNA Energy.

Built on a secure, enterprise-grade architecture with a focus on transparency and compliance, Vidyut AI aligns with the government’s broader push toward digitisation and data-backed governance under the India Energy Stack initiative.

GNA Energy is a CERC-regulated OTC platform focused on building next-generation digital infrastructure for India’s electricity markets.

World’s First AI-Driven 5G Network Slicing Demo by Nokia, AWS, du & Orange

Nokia and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have unveiled what they call the industry’s first agentic AI-powered 5G-Advanced network slicing solution, showcased at MWC26 in Barcelona with operators du and Orange.

This breakthrough innovation inferences and leverages open Internet data, including traffic, events, locations, maps and operator data for network slicing business.

du and Orange first to explore this innovative slicing solution that adapts automatically to support customer demand.

Key Highlights

• Agentic AI integration: The system uses AI agents to continuously analyze real-world data such as traffic conditions, live events, weather, maps, and incidents.
• Adaptive slicing: This allows telecom operators to dynamically adjust network slices in real time, ensuring premium services that respond intelligently to changing conditions.
• Intent-based services: Enterprises can define service-level intents (like guaranteed latency or bandwidth), and the AI automatically tunes radio access network (RAN) policies to meet those requirements.
• Live deployment: du and Orange are the first operators to test this in their live 5G networks, demonstrating practical use cases for enterprise campuses and industry-specific applications.
• Business impact: The solution promises new revenue opportunities by enabling differentiated, premium connectivity services that adapt autonomously to customer demand.

This move positions Nokia and AWS at the forefront of AI-driven telecom innovation, competing with similar agentic AI initiatives from Ericsson and others.