Google to launch AI Research Lab in Bengaluru:

Google Pay has grown more than three times to 67 million monthly active users, driving transactions worth over $110 billion on an annualized basis across offline and online merchants.

The two-thirds of the transactions are coming from tier-II and -III cities and towns.

Google Pay competes with players like Paytm and PhonePe is introducing the Spot platform that will enable merchants to create branded commercial experiences and reach new customers.

Google already onboarded merchants like UrbanClap, Goibibo, MakeMyTrip, RedBus, Eat.Fit and Oven Story through its early access programme.

Google Pay is also rolling out tokenized cards in the next few weeks to offer a secure way of paying for things using a digital token on the phone rather than the actual card number. 

This is a free app for small and medium-sized merchants to enable digital payments where verification process is carried out remotely. The massive growth in digital payments, a vast majority of India’s over 60 million small businesses is still not benefiting from the growing digital economy.Google launched Jobs as a Spot on Google Pay to help job seekers find and prepare for entry-level positions.

Google is also introducing Job Spot with 24 early partners in retail like 24 Seven and Healthkart, delivery and logistics partners like Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo and hospitality providers like Fabhotels.

He is partnering with the National Skills Development Corporation for its Skill India programme.

The partnering state-run BSNL to bring high-speed public WiFi to villages in Gujarat, Bihar and Maharashtra.

Vodafone Idea for ‘Vodafone-Idea Phone Line’ to enable 2G customers of the telecom major get access to information without using data. 

The users can call a toll-free number to get answers to questions ranging from sports scores to traffic conditions or even getting help with homework.

The service, supported by Google Assistant will be available in Hindi and English.

First-ever arrested landing of LCA Tejas successfully executed by DRDO, ADA:

The first ever arrested landing of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was successfully executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) and Aeronautical Development agency(ADO) of DRDO at INS Hansa, Goa at a shore based facility centre. This achievement would pave way to take up aircraft carrier landing demonstration on Indian Naval Aircraft Carrier, INS (Indian Naval Ship) Vikramaditya.First-ever arrested landing of LCA Tejas successfully

Key points:

i. LCA(navy): It is the naval version of Tejas after it was developed for Indian Air Force(IAF). The arrested landing of the naval version of the LCA would be test on INS vikramaditya. INS vikrant which is also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1(IAC-1) will be delivered to the Indian Navy(IN) in 2021 and would also feature LCA on its board.

ii. Flight test team: Commander JA Maolankar (Chief Test Pilot), Captain Shivnath Dahiya, Landing Safety Officer(LSO) and Commander J D Raturi (Test Director) successfully executed the arrested landing after years of flight testing and 4 dedicated campaign tests.

iii. Makers involved: ADA, DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-Air Research and Development Command(HAL-ARDC), CSIR(Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) labs.

About DRDO:

Headquarters- New Delhi.

Minister responsible- Rajnath Singh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh).

Chairman- G.Satheesh Reddy.