Bihar to Become National AI Hub: Tiger Analytics Signs Landmark MoU for Mega AI CoE with MeitY and IIT Patna

Tiger Analytics, a global leader in AI and advanced analytics consulting, today announced the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Bihar at the India-AI Impact Summit 2026, organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The partnership aims to establish one of India’s largest Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence (AI CoE) in Bihar. The MoU was signed in the presence of senior government officials and industry leaders, marking a defining moment in Bihar's transformation into a national hub for AI innovations.

The Mega AI Centre of Excellence in Bihar marks an important step toward building a self-sustaining AI ecosystem that empowers talent, drives innovation, and creates long-term societal impact. The AI CoE will be developed in collaboration with IIT Patna (knowledge partner) and a consortium of key ecosystem stakeholders, with a shared vision of accelerating AI-led innovation, strengthening talent capabilities, and enabling AI adoption across government, academia and industry. It will serve as a hub for AI research, infrastructure development, citizen services and most critically, large-scale AI upskilling, equipping students, professionals and institutions across the state with capabilities needed to thrive in an AI-enabled economy.

As the designated Industry Partner, Tiger Analytics will contribute its global AI expertise to the Centre's core mandate: designing and delivering large-scale AI upskilling programmes for students, professionals, and government officials across Bihar; undertaking applied research in areas of direct relevance to the state's development priorities; and developing scalable, responsible AI solutions for public institutions and governance.

Speaking at the occasion of signing the agreement as the Industry partner for the Mega AI CoE at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Dr. Mahesh Kumar, CEO and Founder of Tiger Analytics, said, "Bihar has always been a land of intellectual heritage, and we believe it is ready to become a beacon of AI-led transformation. Our work with the Government of Bihar through the Mega AI Centre of Excellence is rooted in building real capability - in research, in upskilling, and in deployment - so that AI becomes a genuine engine of progress for Bihar and a model for the rest of India. This partnership provides the ideal platform to demonstrate what purposeful collaboration between government, academia and industry can achieve.”

Hon’ble Minister of Information Technology, Government of Bihar, Ms. Shreyasi Singh, added "The Bihar AI Mission is our commitment to ensuring that the benefits of artificial intelligence reach every corner of our state. The Mega AI CoE represents our resolve to position Bihar at the forefront of India's AI journey - not as a recipient of technology, but as a contributor to it. With partners like Tiger Analytics, we are building an ecosystem that will drive AI upskilling at scale and generate real impact across governance and industry."

As part of the AI Impact Expo held alongside the summit, Tiger Analytics participated at the Bihar Pavillion (Bihar Government’s booth), highlighting how AI can be applied at scale across public systems, supported by the company’s expertise in data engineering, advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI solution development.

As India accelerates its AI journey, Tiger Analytics continues to partner with institutions and governments to translate AI’s promise into real-world progress.

About Tiger Analytics

Tiger Analytics is a global leader in AI and analytics, helping Fortune 1000 companies solve their toughest challenges. We offer full-stack AI and analytics services & solutions to empower businesses to achieve real outcomes and value at scale. We are on a mission to push the boundaries of what AI and analytics can do to help enterprises navigate uncertainty and move forward decisively. Our purpose is to provide certainty to shape a better tomorrow. Our team of 6000+ technologists and consultants are based in the US, Canada, the UK, India, Singapore, and Australia, working closely with clients across CPG, Retail, Insurance, BFS, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, and Healthcare. Many of our team leaders rank in the Top 10 and 40 Under 40 lists, exemplifying our dedication to innovation and excellence. We are a Great Place to Work-Certified™ (2022-24), recognized by analyst firms such as Forrester, Gartner, HFS, Everest, ISG, and others. We have been ranked among the ‘Best’ and ‘Fastest Growing’ analytics firms lists by Inc., Financial Times, Economic Times, and Analytics India Magazine.

Capgemini Partners with India–France Year of Innovation 2026 to Accelerate Cross-Border Collaboration

Capgemini today announced its platinum partnership with the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, reinforcing the company’s commitment to accelerating innovation and strengthening cross-border collaboration between the two countries. As part of this collaboration, Capgemini has developed a digital platform that connects innovators across India and France, creating a single environment for organizations to partner, connect, learn, and stay updated on programs and events in both countries.

Capgemini’s selection as a partner is underpinned by its global innovation capabilities, and its proven track record in building global ecosystems that connect organizations with emerging technologies, start-ups and academic institutions - to empower enterprises to accelerate real-world innovation and turn ideas into scalable impact. The company’s continued investments in advanced technologies, supported by a significant number of employees being trained in generative AI, further positions Capgemini to support innovation initiatives at scale.

“India and France are deepening their collaboration in emerging technologies, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, where both countries share a common vision and long‑term strategic interests. This makes 2026 a significant milestone in their innovation journey. As an AI‑powered business and technology company and a proud partner for the Year of Innovation, Capgemini brings its expertise in supporting complex, multi‑stakeholder initiatives across geographies. We combine our technology leadership with extensive experience in large ecosystem engagements to help organizations collaborate in a more structured, seamless, and effective way,” said Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer of the Capgemini Group.

With deep expertise in technology-led transformation and ecosystem orchestration, Capgemini is adept at enabling structured engagement, greater visibility, and seamless knowledge exchange across diverse stakeholder groups.

BSNL Powers Up with AI, Developing Indigenous Small Language Models

BSNL’s Chairman and Managing Director, Robert J. Ravi, has confirmed that the state-run telecom operator is developing in-house small language models (SLMs) to strengthen its AI capabilities. The move is part of BSNL’s broader strategy to leverage artificial intelligence for network management, customer experience, and churn reduction.

Key Highlights

• AI-driven transformation: BSNL is banking on AI to optimize telecom solutions, improve service delivery, and enhance customer satisfaction.
• In-house SLMs: Instead of relying solely on external large language models, BSNL is building its own smaller, domain-specific models tailored for telecom operations.
• Strategic focus areas:
  • Network management – predictive maintenance, traffic optimization.
  • Customer experience – personalized support, faster resolution.
  • Churn reduction – analyzing usage patterns and proactively addressing customer concerns.
• Leadership vision: Ravi emphasized that AI workloads will dominate the telecom sector in the 5G era, making indigenous AI development critical for BSNL’s competitiveness.

This signals BSNL’s intent to position itself not just as a telecom provider but as a tech-driven enterprise, aligning with India’s push for indigenous AI stacks and digital sovereignty.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how BSNL’s Small Language Models (SLMs) differ from traditional Large Language Models (LLMs), and why this distinction matters in telecom:

Key Differences Between SLMs and LLMs

Aspect	Large Language Models (LLMs)	Small Language Models (SLMs)	Why BSNL Prefers SLMs
Scale	Billions of parameters, massive datasets	Fewer parameters, domain-specific training	Easier to train and deploy for telecom-specific tasks
Resource Needs	Require huge compute power, GPUs, cloud infrastructure	Lightweight, can run on local servers or edge devices	Cost-effective for a state-run telco with limited budgets
Speed & Efficiency	Slower inference, high latency	Faster response times, optimized for real-time tasks	Critical for customer support and network management
Generalization	Broad knowledge across domains	Narrow focus on telecom operations	Better accuracy for BSNL’s internal use cases
Deployment	Cloud-heavy, centralized	Edge-friendly, can be embedded in telecom infrastructure	Supports 5G rollout and localized AI workloads
Cost	Expensive to train and maintain	Lower training and operational costs	Aligns with BSNL’s need for affordable innovation

Why This Matters for BSNL

• Telecom-specific optimization: SLMs can be fine-tuned for tasks like predictive maintenance, call routing, and churn analysis.
• Digital sovereignty: Developing in-house models reduces dependence on foreign AI providers.
• Scalability in 5G era: Lightweight models can be deployed across BSNL’s vast network infrastructure without overwhelming resources.
• Customer experience: Faster, domain-specific AI responses improve support and reduce churn.

In short, BSNL’s SLMs are leaner, cheaper, and more focused, making them a strategic fit for telecom operations, whereas LLMs are powerful but resource-heavy and overly broad for BSNL’s needs.

Festo Marks 40 Years in India, Announces New GCC, 600 Jobs, and Strategic Investment in Bengaluru

Festo, a global leader in automation technology and technical education, today marked 40 years in India and inaugurated its new Global Capability Centre in Bengaluru, advancing Industry 4.0, automation, and smart manufacturing, while creating capacity for 600 people and driving strategic investment in the region.

The newly inaugurated 71,000 square feet Global Capability Centre near Electronics City, Bengaluru established and marks a strategic step in Festo’s global growth journey. The GCC, home to highly skilled professionals, will serve as a strategic hub for advanced engineering, digital solutions, software development, data analytics, and process excellence, supporting Festo’s operations worldwide.

Furthermore, the new Bengaluru GCC will build on the skills of existing employees supporting global process optimization and innovation.

Celebrating four decades of innovation and growth built on trust, innovation, and shared progress Ravi Sastry, Managing Director remarked “Our GCC in Bengaluru is aligned with Festo’s vision of automation for a sustainable future, the centre will play a significant role to drive global R&D initiatives while fostering collaboration with India’s rich technology and engineering talent pool.”

India has been a key growth market for Festo for four decades. The company remains focused on empowering industries, enabling skills for tomorrow through technical education and shaping the future of automation through innovation, partnership, and long-term impact. Following this milestone, our team in India will grow in 2X. — said Alok Maheshwari, Head of GCC, Festo India.

Reflecting 40 years of growth and achievement on his visit to India, Sebastian Beck, Member of Management Board HR & Finance, Festo, celebrated the launch of Festo GCC, “Forty years of Festo in India is a powerful reflection of our long-term vision and belief in the country’s industrial and technological potential. What began as a market presence has evolved into a strong partnership built on trust, engineering excellence, and shared values. As we look ahead, India will continue to play a strategic role in shaping Festo’s global innovation, digital capabilities, and sustainable growth.”

Festo entered the Indian market in 1963 and established its incorporated presence in 1986. Over the last four decades, Festo India with over 1,000 employees has played a key role in advancing industrial automation, technical education, and Industry 4.0 readiness, working closely with 25,000 customers, institutions, and industry partners to deliver innovative automation solutions and develop future-ready talent.

About Festo

Festo is an independent family-owned company and a global player in automation technology and technical education, with headquarters in Esslingen a.N. (Germany) - with over 20,000 employees at around 250 locations worldwide, a turnover of around 3.5 billion euros and an R&D rate of over 8%. As a partner in motion, Festo offers integrated and seamless pneumatic, electric and digital drive technologies across all industries - including software and AI solutions as well as customized training concepts - for 300,000 customers in over 35 industries in automation and 56,000 education customers worldwide.

IN-SPACe Announces Upto Rs 6 Crore AI INSPIRED Fund to Drive AI Integration in Space Exploration

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) today announced the launch of the AI INSPIRED Opportunities in Space Sector programme, a new call for proposals under its INSPIRED initiative, during the India AI Impact Summit held in Delhi. The programme is aimed at accelerating artificial intelligence driven innovation across India’s private space ecosystem through targeted financial and institutional support. The funding support will be provided as grant in aid under the IN-SPACe Seed Fund Scheme.

The announcement was made by Dr. Vinod Kumar, Director, Promotion Directorate, IN-SPACe, while speaking at the session titled “Beyond Earth: How AI is Powering the Next Era of Space Exploration”. IN-SPACe also served as the knowledge partner for the session.

Sharing his thought on this announcement, Dr Vinod said, “Both space and artificial intelligence are burgeoning sectors, and their convergence holds strong potential to transform how we explore and operate in complex and remote environments through autonomous and intelligent decision making. We will support selected entities with proposal development, access to resources, mentorship, skills, and solution building support. We are keen to see how non-government entities use this opportunity to develop solutions that serve national priorities over the long term."

The AI INSPIRED (INnovating Space Performance with Intelligent Resilient Engines Development) Opportunities in Space Sector programme is designed to support the integration of AI with space exploration and applications, with a total outlay of upto Rs 6 crore with maximum of Rs 1 crore to each selected grantee. It seeks proposals that apply artificial intelligence across key areas of space activity, including intelligent onboard and in orbit systems, AI enabled use of space derived data for Earth based applications, and technology led approaches that improve efficiency, reliability and access in space operations. The initiative is intended to promote practical and high impact innovation that connects AI capabilities with space technologies and downstream use cases.

Applications are invited from space start ups and Micro and Small Industries working on innovative AI based solutions relevant to the space sector in three tracks - Edge Intelligence in Orbit, Space for Earth Intelligence, and Smart Access to Space. Up to six grantees will be selected, with each eligible to receive grant in aid support of up to Rs 1 crore to advance their projects.

Interested applicants may submit their proposals through the official IN-SPACe website. The last date for receipt of completed applications is 20 March 2026.