MeitY Launches ₹50 Lakh Blockchain India Challenge to Drive Digital Governance Innovation

Blockchain India Challenge, launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in February 2026, is a national initiative designed to accelerate blockchain-based digital governance solutions. Here’s a clear breakdown:

Key Highlights

• Organizer: MeitY in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• Launch Date & Venue: February 23, 2026, New Delhi.
• Objective: Harness blockchain and Web3 innovation to improve citizen-centric digital governance services.

Competition Structure

• Prototype Stage
  • Prize: ₹1.5 lakh each
  • Up to 40 participants
• Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Stage
  • Prize: ₹4 lakh each
  • Up to 30 participants
• Deployment Stage
  • Prize: ₹10 lakh each
  • Up to 20 participants

🏆 Grand Winners: ₹50 lakh each, across 10 use case categories.

Focus Areas

• Citizen-centric solutions for governance
• Transparency and efficiency in public services
• Leveraging blockchain for secure, scalable, and trusted digital platforms

Why It Matters

• This initiative positions India as a global leader in blockchain adoption for governance.
• Empowers startups to pilot real-world solutions that could redefine how citizens interact with government services.
• It’s not just about tech—it’s about trust, accountability, and innovation in public systems.

The details are available at https://challenge.cdac.in

Performance-Based Environmental Governance: Andhra Pradesh Introduces Recognition-Linked Incentives for GreenCo and IGBC Projects

The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board introduced a structured incentive framework to encourage industry participation in the GreenCo Rating System. Under this mechanism, units holding valid GreenCo ratings became eligible for a one-year extension of Consent to Operate (CTO), subject to the absence of reported noncompliance during the consent period. GreenCo-rated units were also accorded formal recognition through annual State-level awards, while products manufactured by such units were positioned to receive preference in State Government tendering processes, in line with applicable procurement policies. Additionally, rated companies were provided enhanced visibility through exclusive mentions on the official websites of APPCB and CII GreenCo, highlighting their sustainability achievements and environmental performance.

Under the APPCB–IGBC facilitation framework, building projects in Andhra Pradesh pursuing or achieving IGBC certification were made eligible for a range of incentives, including streamlined and fast-tracked processing of Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO), prioritized regulatory clearances to minimize procedural delays, and a one-year extension of CTO for eligible IGBC-certified Hotels, Hospitals (Red Category), and large Township/Area Development projects. In addition, certified projects received formal recognition and enhanced visibility through APPCB platforms, reinforcing a performance-linked regulatory approach that rewards sustainable building practices.

At the APPCB–CII Andhra Pradesh Conference on “Circular Economy & Green Industry: Strategies for Sustainable Growth and Resource Efficiency” held in Visakhapatnam, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) announced a structured set of recognition-based incentives and regulatory facilitation measures to encourage industries to participate in the GreenCo Rating System. The initiative marked a strategic shift toward performance-driven environmental governance, aimed at rewarding industries that demonstrate measurable improvements in resource efficiency and sustainability.

Addressing the gathering, Dr P Krishnaiah, I.A.S (Retd.), Chairman, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, outlined the Board’s intent to differentiate and incentivize environmentally responsible industries. “APPCB is committed to moving beyond a compliance-only framework toward a performance-driven regulatory model. Industries that achieve GreenCo ratings and demonstrate measurable excellence in energy efficiency, water stewardship, waste reduction, and circular practices will receive recognition-based incentives and regulatory facilitation from the Board.” He further stated “Our objective is to create a positive reinforcement mechanism where environmental leadership is acknowledged and supported. By linking GreenCo performance with facilitative measures, we aim to encourage industries to voluntarily exceed statutory requirements and embed sustainability into core operations.”

The incentive framework announced by APPCB included regulatory facilitation for higher-rated GreenCo industries, enhanced visibility and formal recognition, and structured engagement mechanisms to promote best practice replication across industrial clusters. The measures were designed to reduce procedural uncertainties, reward transparent environmental performance, and foster healthy competition among industries.

Speaking on the broader sanitation and circularity agenda, Sri Pattabhi Ram, Chairman, Swachh Andhra Corporation, emphasized the importance of industrial participation in resource circularity. “Circular economy cannot be achieved without active industry participation. Incentivizing industries through credible rating systems such as GreenCo strengthens accountability and drives measurable impact in waste reduction, recycling, and material recovery. Recognition-linked facilitation sends a strong signal that sustainability leadership will be institutionally supported.” He added, “When industries see tangible regulatory benefits tied to environmental performance, sustainability transitions from being a cost centre to becoming a strategic advantage.”

Highlighting the technical robustness of the framework, Sri N Muthusezhiyan, Deputy Executive Director, CII Green Business Centre, noted that the GreenCo Rating System provided a comprehensive metrics-based pathway for industries to improve across critical sustainability parameters. “GreenCo enables industries to benchmark and enhance performance across energy productivity, renewable energy adoption, water efficiency, waste management, material conservation, and green supply chains. APPCB’s incentive-linked approach creates a powerful multiplier effect by aligning regulatory facilitation with measurable sustainability outcomes.” He further observed, “Andhra Pradesh has set an important precedent by formally recognizing environmental performance as a criterion for regulatory engagement. This approach will accelerate the adoption of structured sustainability frameworks and position the State as a leader in performance-based environmental governance.The announcement underscored Andhra Pradesh’s intent to integrate circular economy principles into mainstream industrial regulation. By embedding incentives within a credible sustainability rating framework, APPCB reinforced its commitment to promoting resource-efficient, responsible, and globally competitive industries across the State.

Motherson and Marelli Launch India’s First Advanced Automotive Lighting Plant in Sanand

Motherson has inaugurated a world-class manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat, India. Established as a strategic joint venture with Marelli, this advanced plant is dedicated exclusively to producing cutting-edge exterior lighting systems, further strengthening the group’s capabilities in automotive component manufacturing.

Starting from left to right: Mr Vishal Kabadi, President, Lighting and Electronics, and Precision Metal and Modules Division (Motherson); Mr Laksh Vaaman Sehgal, Vice Chairman (Motherson); Mr Sudhir Chikle, Chief Purchasing Officer (Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd); Dr Frank Huber, President, Lighting business (Marelli)

The new automotive lighting facility spans 8,200 square meters and utilises the latest technologies to serve the rising demand for premium lighting solutions. It is the first facility in India capable of manufacturing edge-to-edge single-piece long lighting parts, powered by high-tonnage multi-colour moulding machines (2,000T to 2,700T).

This plant achieves several milestones for the Indian industry: localising the slimmest headlamp module, enabling the first single-piece, end-to-end Daytime Running Lights (DRL) and Rear Combination Lamps (RCL) in the country. In line with its commitment to sustainability, the plant features rooftop solar power, with plans underway to source open-access green power.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr Laksh Vaaman Sehgal, Vice Chairman, Motherson, said: "The inauguration of our cutting-edge automotive lighting plant underscores Motherson’s unwavering commitment to innovation, excellence, and customer-centricity. This strategic investment strengthens our ability to deliver advanced, future-ready lighting solutions while meeting the evolving needs of our customers. We deeply appreciate the trust and support of our customers, which has been instrumental in achieving this significant milestone.”

Frank Huber, President of Marelli’s Lighting business, said, “Our new facility in Sanand is a key milestone in bringing advanced lighting technologies to our customers in India. Together with our partner Motherson, we are uniting global innovation with strong local manufacturing capabilities to deliver cutting-edge solutions for the Indian market. Our joint venture continues to be a great success—built on Marelli’s global technology leadership, Motherson’s great infrastructure, execution excellence and deep customer relationships on the subcontinent, and the significant autonomy both partners have entrusted to the MMLI team since its establishment in 2008.”

KFin Technologies Launches Instant Healthcare Payments Under NPS Swasthya Scheme

KFin Technologies Limited (KFintech), a Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) under the National Pension System (NPS), is enabling instant withdrawal under the NPS Swasthya Scheme. This solution is being developed in collaboration with Apollo 24/7, and is available as a payment option on the Apollo 24/7 Payment App or portal. Subscribers can link their NPS Swasthya account with the Apollo 24/7 Payment app and pay for medical expenses as fast as making an UPI payment.

Under this Scheme subscribers can pay eligible medical expenses through their NPS Swasthya contribution while their remaining retirement corpus continues to stay invested for the future. This helps individuals deal with real life healthcare needs while maintaining financial discipline for retirement.

KFintech, in its role as the CRA, is responsible for account validation, transaction processing, and settlement within the NPS system. When an eligible healthcare payment is made through the designated partner network, the request is securely validated, the required units are redeemed as per applicable rules, and the payment is directly settled to the healthcare provider. This ensures a smooth, transparent, and compliant experience for subscribers.

Registration for investments in NPS Swasthya is available on the Apollo 24/7 App and also on ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Website.

Commenting on the launch, Sreekanth Nadella, Managing Director and CEO, KFin Technologies Limited, said, “The NPS Swasthya Proof of Concept reflects a progressive step towards advancing financial inclusion by making retirement solutions more responsive to essential life stage needs such as healthcare, within a regulated framework. Enabling such flexibility within a long-term retirement system requires a robust technology and recordkeeping infrastructure to ensure governance, transparency, and rule-based processing, rather than discretionary access to funds. As the Central Recordkeeping Agency, KFintech’s digital architecture ensures secure validation, compliant unit redemption, and auditable transaction flows, thereby delivering a seamless experience for subscribers while safeguarding the continuity and integrity of their retirement corpus.”

This initiative underscores the role of technology led recordkeeping infrastructure in supporting regulatory innovation within the NPS ecosystem, enabling seamless execution, strong governance, and improved accessibility for subscribers under the Sandbox framework.

Lockton Introduces AI-Powered Employee Wellbeing Solution ‘LocktonThrive’ in Partnership with AdvantageClub.ai

Lockton, the world’s largest independent insurance brokerage, today announced the launch of ‘LocktonThrive’, its proprietary employee wellbeing solution powered by Lockton Services India Private Limited designed to help organisations deliver a unified, personalised, and digital-first wellbeing experience to their workforce.

Developed in partnership with AdvantageClub.ai, an AI-powered employee engagement, rewards and recognition platform enables employers to consolidate all corporate wellbeing services into a single, customisable interface.

Designed as a plug-and-play solution, the digital plaform simplifies wellbeing programme management for employers while improving employee participation. The platform brings together physical, mental, social, and financial wellbeing initiatives, supported by AdvantageClub’s technology-led engagement ecosystem, including rewards and recognition, flexible wellbeing solution, wellbeing challenges, and incentives.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Cedric Luah, Head of People Solutions, Lockton Asia, said, “Employee wellbeing has evolved into a true strategic priority for organisations, far beyond a traditional benefits conversation. As workforces face rising stress, shifting expectations, and increasingly diverse needs, wellbeing now plays a critical role in strengthening engagement, productivity, and long-term workforce strength. Our partnership with AdvantageClub.ai brings together advisory expertise and seamless digital integration to help employers build a more connected, data-driven wellbeing strategy – delivering measurable outcomes and supporting long-term workforce resilience.”

Sourabh Deorah, CEO and Co-Founder, AdvantageClub.ai, added, "I’ve always believed that employee wellness shouldn't feel like a complicated puzzle. Our vision at AdvantageClub.ai is to make workplaces healthier by integrating all the pieces and empowering users with choices. Partnering with Lockton allows us to do exactly that at scale! By powering LocktonThrive, we’re giving employees a single, easy-to-use platform to manage their health across physical, mental, financial, and family care. This will not only make it easy for employees but will also increase adoption by removing inefficiencies. We are essentially taking the 'work' out of wellness for HR teams, and I’m excited to see how this partnership helps the working population across India to be their best selves every day!"

This partnership underscores Lockton India’s focus on advancing how organisations approach employee wellbeing. By combining strategic consulting with digital enablement, the collaboration supports employers in responding to shifting workforce expectations and embedding wellbeing more meaningfully into their people strategies.

About Lockton

What makes Lockton stand apart is also what makes us better: independence. Lockton’s private ownership empowers its 13,100+ Associates doing business in 160+ countries to focus solely on clients’ risk and insurance needs. With expertise that reaches around the globe, Lockton delivers the deep understanding needed to accomplish remarkable results.

Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has a strong presence in Asia, operating in over 24 offices across 12 countries, including key markets such as China, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. Lockton consistently ranks among the top global insurance brokers and is celebrated for its best-in-class client service and industry leadership. For more information, visit www.lockton.com

About AdvantageClub.ai

AdvantageClub.ai is a global AI-powered employee engagement, rewards, and wellness platform with offerings like rewards & recognition, wellness solutions including OPD plans, Annual health checkup, wellness challenges, sales incentive automation, flexible wellbeing solution, surveys, moments that matter, and communities on a single platform. It provides end-to-end solutions to facilitate employee engagement by digitizing the company’s R&R policies, allowing them to drive better employee retention and happiness. AdvantageClub.ai has over 15 million users, with presence in over 100+ countries, 1200+ clients, and 10,000+ brand options. Established in 2016, AdvantageClub.ai is the brainchild of UCLA postgraduates, Sourabh Deorah and Smiti Bhatt Deorah, who identified employee engagement as a space to create disruption using AI, data mining, and analytics. Headquartered in San Francisco, AdvantageClub.ai has an impressive client portfolio featuring Air India, Biocon, Concentrix, HCL, Hexaware, L&T, Tech Mahindra, Tata Steel, Teleperformance, and many more.