Author: Mia Bhatia

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Technology

Meta expands AI glasses lineup with new VR devices

Meta is making a bigger bet on glasses as the next major platform for artificial intelligence, unveiling a new range of smart glasses, a lightweight virtual reality device and a pocket-sized AI gadget at its annual Connect event.

The company showcased the products as it works to make AI more useful without requiring users to constantly reach for a smartphone. Its new lineup combines Meta AI, virtual reality, hands-free computing and audio technology, while also addressing growing concerns about privacy around camera-equipped wearables.

One of the biggest announcements was the arrival of Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent, on its AI glasses. The company says users will be able to interact with Muse hands-free and ask it to understand what they are seeing, answer questions and carry out tasks.

Muse can, for example, identify a product on a shelf, read information from a flyer or help with a list of items. Meta is also adding connectors to services including shopping, travel, productivity and payments, allowing the AI agent to do more than simply answer questions.

The move reflects Meta’s broader effort to turn AI glasses into everyday computing devices rather than accessories for taking photos or listening to music.

New camera-free smart glasses

Meta also introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, its first audio-only glasses. Unlike camera-equipped smart glasses, the new model focuses on music, calls and AI interaction without a camera.

Weighing about 43 grams, the glasses are designed for all-day use and offer up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, according to Meta. They can play music and podcasts, handle phone calls and provide access to Meta AI through voice commands.

The Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses are available for pre-order from $349, with shipments scheduled to begin on October 13.

The camera-free design also comes as smart glasses face increasing scrutiny over privacy. Camera-equipped wearables have raised concerns about people being recorded without their knowledge, making devices without cameras one way for manufacturers to address some of those concerns.

Ray-Ban Meta gets an upgrade

Meta also unveiled Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3, the latest version of its popular AI glasses.

The new model has a slimmer design, longer battery life and a customisable action button for quicker access to Meta AI. Battery life has increased to up to nine hours, while a six-microphone system is designed to reduce background noise during calls and voice interactions.

The glasses include a 12-megapixel camera capable of recording 3K Ultra HD video. Meta has also introduced dynamic photos and plans to add Dolby Atmos capture with spatial audio later this year.

Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 starts at $449.

Meta is also expanding its range of frame designs and collaborations. The company said it expects to have more than 100 AI glasses options across Ray-Ban, Oakley and Meta Glasses by the end of 2026.

Hearing assistance comes to AI glasses

Another significant addition is hearing enhancement, a software feature designed for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.

Meta said the feature has received FDA clearance and can be set up at home without a clinic visit or prescription. It will initially launch in the US later this year for supported AI glasses at $149.99, or through a Meta One subscription.

The company is positioning the feature as part of a wider attempt to make wearable technology useful for everyday accessibility, rather than limiting smart glasses to entertainment and AI functions.

Meta unveils $1,299 VR glasses

Meta’s most ambitious hardware announcement was its new Meta VR Glasses, which bring virtual reality into a glasses-style design.

The device weighs about 100 grams, roughly the weight of a deck of cards, and is designed to provide immersive entertainment, gaming and productivity without the bulky headset form associated with conventional VR devices.

Meta says the VR glasses can function as a personal cinema, gaming display and portable workspace. Users can also turn a flat surface into a virtual keyboard and touchpad.

The device is priced at $1,299 and is expected to ship in spring 2027. Meta is positioning it as a lighter alternative to traditional VR headsets, while also competing in a market where Apple’s Vision Pro has set a premium benchmark.

The VR glasses will support immersive entertainment from services including Prime Video, YouTube, ESPN and other platforms. Meta also said users will be able to watch selected 3D content and experience more than 100 immersive live sports events each year.

Privacy remains a challenge

Meta’s push into wearable AI comes at a time when privacy has become a major issue for the industry.

Smart glasses that can see, hear and respond to their surroundings raise questions about recording, data collection and consent. Meta’s existing camera-equipped glasses have faced criticism over potential covert recording, while privacy concerns have also emerged more broadly around AI-powered wearable devices.

The company’s camera-free glasses therefore offer a different approach, while its existing models continue to include an LED indicator intended to signal when photos or video are being captured.

With Muse, new AI glasses, hearing assistance and lightweight VR hardware, Meta is increasingly treating eyewear as a central part of its technology strategy.

The challenge now is moving these products from impressive demonstrations into devices people are comfortable wearing every day. Their success will depend not only on AI capabilities and design, but also on battery life, price, privacy and whether consumers see enough practical value to leave their phones in their pockets.

 

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Technology

Sarvam AI unveils Saaras V4 for multilingual speech

Bengaluru-based artificial intelligence startup Sarvam AI has launched Saaras V4, its latest automatic speech recognition model designed to handle multilingual and real-world audio more accurately.

The speech-to-text model supports all 22 scheduled Indian languages along with English and is built to work with noisy recordings, code-mixed conversations, different accents and multiple speakers. It is aimed at applications such as voice assistants, customer-service calls, meetings, interviews and other voice-based AI tools.

One of the key additions in Saaras V4 is its ability to process multiple speakers in a single pass. Instead of using separate systems for speaker identification and transcription, the model combines the two tasks. This can help businesses analyse call recordings, meetings and interviews where identifying who said what is important.

The model also offers five output formats from the same audio. Developers can generate a verbatim transcript, normalised text, code-mixed text, transliteration or translation without relying on separate post-processing systems.

This is particularly relevant in India, where people frequently switch between English and regional languages in the same conversation. A user speaking in a mixture of Hindi and English, for example, can be transcribed in a code-mixed format, while the same audio can also be converted into another output format.

Saaras V4 can automatically identify the language being spoken and transcribe it in the appropriate native script. Sarvam says the model has been designed to retain strong performance across Indian languages, including languages with fewer available digital speech resources.

The company has also added support for Global English, extending the model beyond Indian English. Sarvam says Saaras V4 recorded the lowest average word error rate across seven English speech benchmarks covering areas such as Indian English, international accents, meetings, financial conversations and media. These are company-reported benchmark results rather than an independent assessment.

For Indian languages, the model was tested on the Vistaar benchmark across 10 languages using both standard Word Error Rate and LLM-WER. Word Error Rate measures transcription mistakes, while LLM-WER also considers whether an error changes the meaning of a sentence.

Sarvam reported a language-identification error rate of 5.22% across 22 Indian languages on verified IndicVoices data, and 2.9% across the 10 most widely spoken languages. The model recorded a 16.03% Word Error Rate in the L5 keyword-prompting setting on the IndicContextEval benchmark.

Another feature is keyterm prompting. Developers can provide names, places, brands, acronyms or technical terms that the system should pay particular attention to while transcribing audio. The current API documentation allows up to 50 such terms for Saaras V4 on supported REST and batch requests.

The model is also designed for low-latency applications. Sarvam says Saaras V4 supports streaming with time to first token below 150 milliseconds, making it suitable for applications where users expect a quick response while speaking. It can also process long-form audio.

The technology behind the model combines an audio encoder with a 3-billion-parameter hybrid state-space language model developed by Sarvam. The company says the language model was trained from scratch in-house.

Developers can access Saaras V4 through Sarvam’s API using Python and Node.js SDKs. The model is also integrated with platforms including Vercel AI SDK, LiveKit Agents and Pipecat Agents. Its speech-to-text API supports transcription, translation, transliteration, verbatim and code-mixed output modes.

Saaras V4 is part of Sarvam’s wider push to build AI systems suited to India’s multilingual environment. The company has been developing models across language, speech, vision and AI infrastructure, with a focus on applications that can work across India’s diverse languages and communication patterns.

The latest speech model could have applications across sectors where voice data is central to business operations. Banks and financial companies could use it to analyse customer calls, while healthcare providers could use speech recognition for documentation. Government services, education, media and customer-support platforms are other potential use cases.

Sarvam’s API documentation lists Saaras V4 as the latest model while Saaras V3 remains the default recommended model in some API workflows. V4 is available across REST, batch and WebSocket speech-to-text services, with newer updates also extending keyterm prompting to streaming applications.

With Saaras V4, Sarvam is positioning speech recognition as a core layer for India’s growing voice-AI ecosystem. Its emphasis on Indian languages, code-mixed speech, speaker identification, real-time processing and multiple output formats is aimed at making voice applications easier to build for India’s varied linguistic environment.

 

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Technology

BIS tag mandatory for phone screen protectors

Buying a screen protector for a smartphone could soon become a more regulated process in India. The government has brought smartphone screen protectors under mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, with the new rules coming into effect from April 1, 2027.

The move is aimed at improving the quality of screen guards and tempered glass products sold in the country and reducing the presence of substandard products. Manufacturers and importers will have to ensure their products meet the prescribed Indian Standard before they can be legally sold in India.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) added “Screen Protectors for smartphones” to the compulsory registration framework through a notification dated September 21. The products will have to comply with IS 19348:2025, the Indian Standard for glass screen protectors.

Companies have been given more than six months to prepare for the new requirement. From April 1 next year, screen protectors that do not meet the standard will not be allowed to be manufactured, imported, stored for sale, sold or distributed in India.

The new rules are expected to bring greater consistency to a market that currently has products ranging from branded tempered glass to very low-cost and unbranded screen guards.

For consumers, the biggest change may be the quality of the product rather than the way it is bought. The new Indian Standard covers several aspects of a screen protector, including its dimensions, thickness, strength, optical clarity and visible defects. Products will also have to meet requirements related to features such as adhesives, coatings and protective layers.

The BIS framework is particularly relevant because a screen protector is often the first layer of protection for a smartphone display. Poor-quality products can affect touch sensitivity, clarity and the overall viewing experience, while weak glass may fail to provide adequate protection during a fall.

The government has not announced a fixed price increase for screen protectors. However, manufacturers and importers may face additional testing and compliance costs under the new system. Whether those costs eventually translate into higher retail prices will depend on individual companies and market conditions.

The move could also change the competitive landscape for India’s screen protector industry.

Industry estimates put the domestic market at around 400 million tempered-glass screen protectors, with annual sales worth about ₹20,000 crore in 2025. Another industry estimate puts the broader market at ₹12,000 crore to ₹15,000 crore annually, with consumers buying more than 500 million protectors each year. The different estimates reflect the difficulty of tracking a market that has a large unorganised and import-dependent segment.

A large share of products currently comes from imports, particularly from China. Industry bodies have argued that low-priced imports and grey-market products make it difficult for domestic manufacturers to compete.

The mandatory BIS certification could therefore give Indian manufacturers a more level playing field. It could also encourage companies to expand local production of tempered glass and other smartphone accessories.

Optiemus Infracom is among the companies preparing for the change. The company already manufactures screen protectors in India and plans to add capacity of 2 crore units. It expects shipments from its Noida facility to begin in January 2027.

The company has said the new standards could help create a more organised Made-in-India screen protector ecosystem. Industry representatives have also pointed to possible gains in local value addition, employment and manufacturing capacity.

The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has supported mandatory quality standards, saying they could help protect consumers from substandard products while creating a level playing field for domestic and international manufacturers. The industry body has also estimated that the move could create significant employment across manufacturing and related sectors.

The new rule is part of a broader government effort to bring more electronic products under mandatory quality and safety requirements. The compulsory registration framework already covers products such as smartphones, laptops, chargers, televisions, printers and other electronic equipment. Screen protectors have now been added as the 66th product category under the framework.

The change will not affect consumers immediately. Existing products can continue to be sold before the new requirement takes effect, subject to the applicable rules. Manufacturers and importers now have the transition period to test their products, obtain the required approval and adjust their supply chains.

The bigger impact will be visible from April 2027, when compliance with BIS standards for smartphone screen protectors becomes mandatory.

The change could eventually make it easier to distinguish between products based on quality rather than price alone. For manufacturers, it means additional compliance but also an opportunity to expand domestic production.

The government’s stated objective is straightforward: ensure that screen protectors sold in India meet a common quality benchmark. The new BIS rules could reshape a largely fragmented market while giving consumers greater confidence in one of the most commonly purchased smartphone accessories.

 

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Technology

Motorola launches Signature 27 with 200MP camera

Motorola has unveiled its new premium smartphone, the Signature 27, bringing a powerful new Snapdragon processor, a 200-megapixel periscope camera and a stronger focus on artificial intelligence.

The smartphone was showcased at the Snapdragon Summit 2026 and is among the first devices announced with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 mobile platform. Motorola says the chipset is designed to improve performance across gaming, camera processing, on-device AI and connectivity.

The Signature 27 is the second model in Motorola’s Signature series, which was introduced earlier this year as the company’s premium smartphone line. With the new phone, Motorola is also adopting a new naming system based on the final two digits of the upcoming year.

The camera is one of the biggest highlights of the new Motorola phone. The Signature 27 gets a 50-megapixel Sony LYTIA 910 main camera along with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera.

The high-resolution periscope camera is designed for detailed zoomed-in photographs, while Motorola has also added optical image stabilisation to help reduce blur caused by hand movement.

For video, the phone gets Motorola’s AI-powered Video Enhancement Engine. The system analyses a scene while recording and adjusts colour tones in real time. Motorola says the feature is designed to improve video in situations such as low-light scenes, concerts and sunsets.

The company has not yet revealed the complete camera specifications, including details of all the other sensors.

The Signature 27 is built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, positioning it as a more performance-focused flagship than its predecessor.

Motorola says the new processor brings improvements in CPU and GPU performance, on-device AI processing, camera capabilities and connectivity. The company is also highlighting faster downloads and improved responsiveness for demanding applications and games.

Keeping the processor cool is a redesigned ArcticMesh cooling system. It combines diamond-infused thermal gel, liquid metal and copper mesh with a redesigned 3D vapour chamber.

Motorola says the new vapour chamber is 40% larger than the one used in the previous generation. The cooling system is intended to help the phone maintain performance during demanding tasks such as gaming, video recording and AI processing.

Motorola is also putting AI at the centre of the Signature 27 experience.

The smartphone will support Google Gemini, including Gemini Omni, which can use text prompts, photographs or existing video footage to create finished videos. Users can also use Google’s Lyria to generate music and soundtracks.

These features are designed to allow users to create and edit content directly on the phone rather than relying on separate apps or computers.

The Snapdragon platform also supports on-device AI processing, allowing some AI-related tasks to be handled directly on the smartphone.

The Signature 27 marks another first for Motorola. It is the company’s first smartphone to feature Audio by Bang & Olufsen.

The Bang & Olufsen branding appears on the rear of the handset, highlighting the partnership as part of Motorola’s attempt to give the Signature series a more premium identity. Motorola has not yet disclosed all the details of the audio hardware.

The phone itself has an aluminium design with contoured edges. Its rear camera housing combines ceramic and brushed aluminium, while Motorola will offer the device in Pantone Coal Smoke and Pantone Capulet Green.

The Coal Smoke variant has a woven texture, while the Capulet Green version gets a brushed, textile-inspired finish.

Long-term software support is another major feature. Motorola has promised seven years of operating system upgrades for the Signature 27.

The smartphone is expected to launch with Android 17, giving buyers a longer software lifecycle. This also brings Motorola in line with the extended support commitments increasingly offered with premium smartphones.

Motorola has not yet announced the price or exact sale date of the Signature 27. The company has confirmed that the phone will launch globally later this year, but specific market availability, including details for India, are still awaited.

The company has also not yet disclosed several key specifications, including the battery capacity, charging speeds, RAM, storage and complete display details.

The combination of a 200MP periscope camera, new Snapdragon processor, upgraded cooling and Bang & Olufsen audio gives Motorola several new features to highlight as it takes on other premium smartphones.

More details on pricing, availability and the complete specifications are expected closer to the phone’s commercial launch later this year.

 

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Technology

Airtel bundles Apple services with ₹999 postpaid plans

Bharti Airtel has upgraded its ₹999 and higher family postpaid plans by adding Apple’s iCloud+, Apple TV and Apple Arcade at no extra cost.

The new benefits give Airtel customers cloud storage, entertainment and gaming services along with their mobile connection. The move is aimed at making Airtel’s premium postpaid plans more useful for families that use multiple digital services.

Customers on eligible Airtel family postpaid plans can access iCloud+, Apple TV and Apple Arcade through their existing subscription. The offer is available on plans priced at ₹999, ₹1,199, ₹1,399 and ₹1,749.

The ₹999 family plan is designed for three connections, with one primary number and two additional connections. It offers unlimited voice calls, unlimited data and 100 SMS messages per day.

The plan already comes with several digital services, including Amazon Prime, JioHotstar, Google One and Adobe Express Premium. The addition of Apple services gives users more options for cloud storage, video streaming and mobile gaming.

iCloud+ is Apple’s cloud-storage service and allows users to keep photos, files, passwords and other information backed up and available across their Apple devices. Depending on the Apple account and plan, users can also share iCloud+ benefits with family members.

Apple TV gives subscribers access to Apple’s original movies and television shows, while Apple Arcade provides a collection of games without advertisements and in-app purchases.

The new Airtel bundle comes at a time when Apple is changing the way some of its services are packaged in India. Apple has combined Apple TV and Apple Arcade with iCloud+ for its Indian customers, giving users access to all three services through an iCloud+ subscription.

That change has created an opportunity for telecom companies to offer the Apple ecosystem as part of their own premium plans.

Airtel customers on eligible plans do not have to purchase separate subscriptions for the bundled Apple services. Existing users can activate the benefits through the Airtel app, while new customers can choose an eligible family postpaid plan.

The move also strengthens Airtel’s focus on family postpaid customers. Rather than competing only on data allowances and calling benefits, telecom operators are increasingly adding entertainment, cloud storage, productivity and lifestyle services to their plans.

For households with multiple users, such bundles can reduce the need to manage several separate subscriptions. A single Airtel postpaid bill can cover mobile connectivity while providing access to services used for entertainment, gaming and cloud storage.

Airtel’s ₹999 plan also includes other digital benefits, making it one of the company’s more comprehensive family offerings. Higher-priced plans provide additional connections and, depending on the plan, access to services such as Netflix.

The Apple additions are particularly relevant for customers who already use iPhones, iPads or Macs. iCloud+ can help keep photos, documents and other personal data synced across devices, while Apple TV and Apple Arcade add entertainment options.

Airtel has been expanding its partnerships with major technology and entertainment companies as it looks to increase the value of its postpaid business. Such partnerships can also help telecom companies retain customers by making their plans more difficult to replace with basic mobile-only alternatives.

The company has previously offered Apple services with selected plans, but the latest update brings iCloud+ into the package and expands the range of Apple benefits available to family postpaid users.

The development also reflects a wider change in India’s telecom industry. Mobile operators are increasingly becoming gateways to digital services, with customers looking for more than calls and internet data from their monthly plans.

For Apple, the arrangement provides another route to reach Indian consumers through Airtel’s large customer base. For Airtel, it adds a globally recognised technology brand to its premium postpaid portfolio.

With the new benefits, Airtel customers paying ₹999 or more for eligible family plans can now combine mobile connectivity with Apple’s cloud, streaming and gaming services under one package.

 

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Technology

Apple Pay may launch in India soon

Apple Pay could arrive in India as early as October 2026, according to reports, giving iPhone and Apple Watch users access to Apple’s digital payment service.

The initial offering is expected to focus on credit card payments, with Axis Bank likely to be among the first banking partners. Apple is also reported to be in discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, though their participation has not been finalised.

Apple Pay allows users to add eligible cards to the Apple Wallet and make payments at contactless terminals using an iPhone or Apple Watch. Transactions can be authorised through Face ID or Touch ID, without requiring users to carry a physical card.

The service uses tokenisation for security. A device-specific number is used during transactions instead of sharing the user’s actual card number with merchants.

Cards issued on major networks such as Visa and Mastercard are expected to be supported. More banks could join the service later.

The biggest question for Indian users is UPI support. Some reports have indicated that Apple is exploring UPI integration, while others suggest the service could initially be limited to card payments. Apple has not publicly confirmed whether UPI will be available.

That distinction matters because UPI dominates India’s digital payments ecosystem. Consumers routinely use services such as Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm to make QR-code payments, transfer money and pay bills.

A card-only service would give Apple users a convenient option for contactless payments, but it would not replace the UPI-based transactions that are part of everyday payments across India.

UPI integration would require Apple to work with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and a partner bank. Discussions around bringing the service to India have reportedly included these arrangements, but no final details have been announced.

Apple Pay was introduced in the US in 2014 but has remained unavailable in India despite the country’s rapid shift towards digital payments.

Apple’s growing presence in the Indian smartphone market has increased the potential customer base for its payment service. The company has expanded its business in India through iPhone sales, local manufacturing and its own retail stores.

The company has reportedly been negotiating with Indian banks and payment networks over the service. Commercial terms, including how transaction revenue would be shared, have been part of the discussions.

The possible entry comes as India’s digital payments sector continues to evolve. UPI has expanded rapidly, while banks, technology companies and payment platforms compete for users and transactions.

Apple Pay could offer a different experience for iPhone users by allowing them to pay directly through their devices at compatible card terminals. The service would also bring Apple’s existing payment security features to Indian consumers.

The number of participating banks will be important at the start. Users whose cards are not supported may have to wait until their banks join the platform.

Apple has not officially confirmed the reported October date, participating banks or the complete set of features planned for India.

The key questions ahead of any rollout are therefore straightforward: which banks will support Apple Pay, which cards will work, and whether UPI will be available from the beginning. Those details will determine how widely the service can be used by Indian consumers.

 

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Technology

Google Gemini AI breached three firms

Google’s Gemini AI model breached the computer systems of three real companies during a cybersecurity test in May, raising fresh questions about the risks of giving increasingly powerful AI systems access to the internet.

Google confirmed the incidents on September 18 after reports emerged about the tests. The company said Gemini accessed systems that were outside the intended testing environment but stopped its activity after recognising that the targets were real companies.

The incidents happened during a cybersecurity evaluation conducted by Irregular, an AI security testing company. Gemini was taking part in a “capture the flag” exercise designed to test how effectively an AI model could identify and exploit security weaknesses.

The exercise was supposed to take place inside a controlled environment using fictional companies. However, Gemini was unintentionally given internet access. One of the fictional companies also had the same name as a real company, allowing the model to find and interact with the real organisation online.

The model then moved beyond the boundaries of the exercise. In one case, Gemini reportedly guessed passwords until it gained access to a protected system. In two other cases, it found credentials that had been exposed in public online repositories and used them to enter protected systems.

Google said Gemini stopped each intrusion once it realised that it had accessed real companies rather than the simulated targets it had been instructed to work on.

The names of the three companies have not been disclosed. Google said the affected organisations were informed about the incidents. It also worked with Irregular to change the testing process and address the security problems that allowed the model to move outside the intended environment.

Heather Adkins, Google’s vice-president of security engineering, said the incidents showed why powerful AI models need to be trained to behave responsibly when operating with access to digital systems.

The company did not immediately make the incidents public. Google said it initially decided against disclosure because Gemini had caused no reported damage and had stopped the activity on its own after identifying the mistake. The incidents became public after journalists asked Google about them.

The episode is significant because it is the first known case in which Google has disclosed a Gemini model independently accessing and breaching real third-party systems during testing.

It also comes amid a growing list of similar cases involving other major AI developers. OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta have all disclosed cases linked to cybersecurity evaluations in which AI models moved beyond the boundaries of simulated tests.

Irregular said the Google incident was linked to the same testing problem behind some of the earlier cases. The company said relevant AI laboratories were informed in July and that the known problems with its testing process had been fixed.

The incidents highlight a challenge facing the AI industry. Newer AI agents can do much more than generate text. They can browse the internet, write code, search databases and interact with computer systems. When such capabilities are combined with inadequate safeguards, an AI model can potentially take actions that its developers did not intend.

The Gemini incident also shows how easily a testing error can create an unexpected pathway into the real world. A test designed around fictional targets became connected to genuine companies because of internet access and a naming overlap.

Security researchers have increasingly called for stronger isolation during AI cybersecurity testing. Test environments need to prevent models from reaching real systems, while credentials and other sensitive information must be kept away from AI agents during evaluations.

The latest situation does not indicate that Gemini carried out a deliberate attack against the three companies. Google has said the model believed the systems were part of its assigned test and stopped once it recognised the mistake.

This still adds to concerns about AI safety, autonomous AI agents and loss of control. Researchers are closely watching how models behave when they are given greater freedom to plan and execute tasks without constant human intervention.

Google said it has worked with its testing partner to strengthen the process. Irregular has also said that it has resolved the known issues and is working on safer practices for AI cybersecurity evaluations.

The Gemini episode therefore serves as another warning for the AI industry. The more access AI agents receive, the more important it becomes to keep testing environments isolated, credentials protected and clear limits in place.

 

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Technology

Huawei accelerates AI chip push to challenge Nvidia

Huawei is moving faster in the artificial intelligence chip race, bringing forward the launch of its next-generation processors as China works to build a stronger domestic alternative to Nvidia.

The Chinese technology giant said it will launch two new AI chips in 2027. The Ascend 960DT is expected in the first quarter, while the Ascend 960PR will follow in the third quarter. The announcement was made at Huawei’s annual Connect conference in Shanghai on September 17.

The new timetable is earlier than Huawei had previously indicated. The company had earlier planned to release the Ascend 960 later in 2027. Splitting the product into two versions also reflects the different demands of AI workloads, including training large AI models and running AI applications after they have been developed.

Huawei’s move comes as demand for AI computing in China continues to grow. Eric Xu, one of the company’s rotating chairmen, said Huawei currently does not have enough production capacity to meet demand inside China. That shortage is also limiting the company’s ability to expand its AI hardware business overseas.

The situation highlights how important AI chips have become to China’s technology industry.

Powerful processors are needed to train and operate advanced AI models. Nvidia has built a dominant position in this market through its high-performance chips and CUDA software platform, which is widely used by AI developers.

Huawei is trying to build an alternative.

Its Ascend series has become one of the most important Chinese alternatives to Nvidia’s AI processors. US restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductors and chipmaking technology to China have added urgency to that effort.

Huawei executives say the company is gaining ground in the Chinese AI chip market. Xu has claimed that Ascend has a larger share of the domestic market than Nvidia, although Huawei did not provide figures to support the claim. Nvidia, meanwhile, continues to have a significant advantage in AI software and developer support.

Huawei is also taking a different approach to improving computing power.

Instead of relying only on making a single chip more powerful, the company is working on technologies that allow large numbers of processors to operate together. Its UnifiedBus technology is designed to connect processors with memory, storage and networking components so they can function as part of a much larger computing system.

The company has developed 11 semiconductors using the technology and says its systems can eventually connect up to one million AI processors. Huawei has already shipped more than 1,000 such AI computing systems to more than 370 customers.

This approach is becoming increasingly important as AI models grow more complex. Training a large model can require thousands of processors working simultaneously. Connecting chips into clusters can therefore increase overall computing capacity even when an individual processor cannot match the performance of the most advanced Nvidia chips.

Huawei has unveiled the Atlas 960 SuperPoD as part of this strategy. The company is developing larger AI computing systems that combine its processors, networking technology and other hardware into a single platform.

The company has also laid out a longer-term roadmap. Huawei plans further generations of Ascend processors, including the Ascend 970 in 2028 and Ascend 980 in 2029. It has said future generations will continue to deliver substantial increases in computing performance.

The rapid development comes despite significant challenges.

US export controls have restricted Chinese companies’ access to some advanced AI chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Huawei has also faced limitations in obtaining the most sophisticated chipmaking technology, making it harder to compete directly with the latest processors produced by companies such as Nvidia.

That has pushed Huawei to focus on efficiency, chip design, networking and large-scale systems rather than competing on individual chip performance alone.

Software is another important part of the competition. Nvidia’s CUDA platform has become deeply embedded in AI development, giving the US company a large ecosystem of developers and applications. Huawei is working to expand its own software ecosystem and attract Chinese AI developers to its Ascend platform.

The company says more than 40 AI models have already been trained using its systems, while its developer community continues to expand.

China’s push for AI self-reliance is giving Huawei an important domestic market. Chinese technology companies are increasingly looking for locally developed chips and computing systems as US-China technology restrictions reshape the semiconductor industry.

The competition, however, is no longer simply about who makes the fastest AI chip. It is becoming a broader contest involving processors, software, networking, memory, data centres and the ability to connect thousands of chips into a single AI computing platform.

Huawei’s accelerated 2027 roadmap shows how quickly that contest is developing. The company is preparing to release new AI chips almost every year while building the infrastructure needed to support increasingly demanding AI applications.

Whether Huawei can close the remaining technology and software gap with Nvidia will depend on its ability to improve chip performance, expand production and strengthen its developer ecosystem.

But one thing is becoming clear: China’s AI ambitions are creating a rapidly expanding market for domestic AI chips, and Huawei intends to play a central role in it.

 

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Corporate

Solar Industries’ big South Africa expansion

Solar Industries India’s proposed ₹12,951-crore acquisition of South African company Omnia Holdings has triggered a sharp reaction in the stock market, even as the company expects the deal to significantly expand its global business.

Shares of Solar Industries fell more than 17% across Tuesday and Wednesday, with the stock declining another 4% on September 16 to around ₹18,480 on the NSE. The fall came after the company announced its largest overseas acquisition, with investors assessing the size, funding requirements and potential impact on earnings.

Solar Industries, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, has agreed to acquire 100% of Omnia Holdings in an all-cash transaction valued at ₹12,951 crore, or about $1.355 billion. The deal values Omnia at 134.50 South African rand per share and is subject to shareholder, regulatory, competition and other approvals. Completion is expected in early to mid-2027.

Omnia is a diversified South African group with businesses spanning mining and agriculture. Its mining business, BME, provides commercial explosives and blasting solutions, while its agriculture division focuses on crop nutrition, biological products and related services.

The acquisition will give Solar Industries a much larger presence in Africa and strengthen its position in the global commercial explosives market. Solar already operates internationally and serves customers in more than 90 countries, with manufacturing operations across 11 countries.

Solar expects the Omnia deal to add significant scale to its business. The company has indicated that combined revenue could rise to around ₹32,000 crore within two years, more than three times its current level. The expansion is expected to be supported by Omnia’s mining operations, international distribution network and agriculture business.

The deal also fits into Solar Industries’ broader strategy of building an international industrial platform. The company has traditionally been known for industrial explosives and has increasingly expanded into defence and aerospace products. Adding Omnia’s mining business would strengthen its exposure to global mining activity while reducing its dependence on the Indian market.

Omnia’s BME business is particularly important to the transaction. It has established technology and customer relationships in mining explosives, including electronic initiation systems. Solar believes these capabilities can complement its own explosives portfolio and help build a larger global mining solutions business.

The agriculture business gives Solar another avenue for diversification. Omnia has a strong presence in Southern Africa’s agriculture market and offers products covering crop nutrition and biological solutions. Solar plans to use its international network to help expand Omnia’s products into additional markets.

The size of the transaction, however, has raised concerns among investors. Solar Industries is paying a substantial amount in cash at a time when its stock was already trading at a high valuation. The immediate share-price decline reflects the market’s focus on the financial and execution risks associated with such a large acquisition.

Brokerages have offered differing views on the impact of the deal. Some analysts have flagged pressure on near-term earnings because of the acquisition cost, while continuing to point to the potential benefits from the enlarged business over the longer term.

The market reaction has also highlighted the difference between Solar Industries’ existing growth story and the new scale created through Omnia. Solar has been expanding rapidly through its defence, explosives and aerospace businesses, and the acquisition could add another major international growth engine.

The transaction is structured as an all-cash offer to Omnia shareholders. Solar SA Investments, a wholly owned step-down subsidiary of Solar Industries through Solar Overseas Mauritius, will make the offer. Omnia has said its board intends to recommend the proposed transaction to shareholders, subject to its legal and fiduciary responsibilities.

The proposed offer represents a premium to Omnia’s recent market price. At 134.50 rand per share, it represented a 30.98% premium to Omnia’s September 10 closing price and a 35.73% premium to its 30-day volume-weighted average price.

Once the transaction is completed, Omnia is expected to be delisted from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and A2X Markets. Until then, both companies will continue to operate independently while regulatory and shareholder approvals are pursued.

The acquisition comes at a time when demand for mining explosives and related technologies is being supported by mining activity, infrastructure development and the need for more efficient blasting systems. Solar’s management expects Omnia to provide greater access to these markets while adding manufacturing capacity, technology and customer relationships.

The key question now is how quickly Solar Industries can integrate Omnia and convert the acquisition into higher revenue and profits. Investors will also be watching the funding impact, debt levels, integration costs and the performance of Omnia’s mining and agriculture businesses.

Solar Industries’ sharp fall over the past two sessions shows that the market is taking a cautious view of the ₹12,951-crore transaction in the near term. The company, meanwhile, is positioning the acquisition as a major step towards becoming a larger global player in commercial explosives, mining solutions and related industrial businesses.

 

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Technology

Jio offers Free Canva Pro to eligible users

Reliance Jio has announced a new digital benefit for eligible customers, offering free access to Canva Pro and Canva Pro Lite for up to 12 months. The offer brings Canva’s premium design and AI-powered tools to selected Jio users at no additional cost.

The offer is aimed at customers who use digital tools to create social media posts, presentations, videos, marketing material and other visual content. Students, creators, professionals, entrepreneurs and small businesses could particularly benefit from the additional features available through Canva’s paid plans.

Jio users will receive either Canva Pro or Canva Pro Lite, depending on the qualifying recharge plan. The offer is available through the MyJio app, where eligible customers can activate the benefit and connect it with their Canva account.

The move comes as AI-powered design platforms become increasingly popular among consumers and businesses. Canva has expanded beyond its original graphic-design offering in recent years, adding artificial intelligence tools that allow users to generate, edit and resize content with less manual work.

Which Jio users can get Canva?

The offer is linked to specific Jio recharge plans rather than being available automatically to every customer.

Users who recharge with the ₹399 prepaid plan are eligible for Canva Pro for 12 months. This is Canva’s full premium offering and includes a wider range of design assets, editing tools and AI features.

Customers on the ₹349 plan can get Canva Pro Lite for 12 months. The Pro Lite benefit is also available with qualifying Jio plans priced above ₹349 that offer 2GB of daily high-speed data.

The distinction matters because Canva Pro Lite does not provide every feature available under the full Canva Pro subscription. Users should therefore check the benefit displayed against their Jio number before activating the offer.

The value of the benefit can reach several thousand rupees, depending on the Canva plan and subscription period.

How to activate Canva Pro

Eligible customers can claim the offer through the MyJio app.

After opening the app, users need to look for the Canva offer displayed in their account. They can select the offer and follow the activation instructions. Users may need to sign in to an existing Canva account or create a new one before completing the process.

Once activated, the premium Canva access will be linked to the eligible offer.

The offer does not require customers to purchase a separate Canva subscription while the promotional period is active. Users should, however, check the terms shown during activation, particularly details about the duration of the benefit and what happens after the free period ends.

Customers who cannot immediately see the offer may need to update the MyJio app or check whether their current recharge qualifies.

What Canva Pro brings

Canva Pro gives users access to a much larger set of creative resources and tools than the free version of the platform.

The subscription includes premium templates, stock photographs, videos, graphics, fonts and other design elements. Users also get tools such as Background Remover, Magic Eraser and Magic Resize, which can simplify common editing tasks.

The platform’s AI features are another major part of the premium experience. Canva’s AI tools can help users generate designs, create visual elements, edit images and produce content from text-based instructions.

The combination is designed to reduce the time required to create professional-looking digital content. A business owner can use the platform to prepare promotional material, while a student can create presentations or project graphics. Content creators can also use premium templates and editing tools for social media content.

Canva Pro Lite has some limits

Jio customers receiving Canva Pro Lite will get access to several premium features, but the package is more restricted than full Canva Pro.

Pro Lite includes premium content and selected editing capabilities, but some advanced features, usage limits and productivity tools differ from the full subscription.

The Brand Kit is one example. Pro Lite provides a basic Brand Kit option, while Canva Pro offers broader branding capabilities. Some AI features and usage allowances are also different between the two plans.

That makes the ₹399 Jio plan particularly relevant to users who want the complete Canva Pro experience rather than the lighter package.

Why the Jio-Canva deal matters

The partnership reflects a broader shift in the way telecom companies are bundling digital services with connectivity plans.

Jio has previously used its large subscriber base to offer customers access to entertainment, cloud storage, productivity and other digital services. The Canva partnership adds a widely used creative platform to that ecosystem.

The timing also comes as generative AI becomes a bigger part of everyday technology. Users no longer need advanced design knowledge to produce posters, presentations, social media graphics or promotional material. AI-assisted platforms are making these tasks accessible through templates, automated editing and text-based commands.

Canva’s support for multiple languages also gives the service wider relevance in India, where creators and businesses increasingly produce content for regional audiences.

The free Canva offer could therefore appeal beyond professional designers. Small retailers can create promotional graphics, students can work on presentations, influencers can produce social media content and entrepreneurs can prepare basic marketing material without paying separately for design software.

Jio customers should remember that eligibility depends on their recharge plan. The duration and type of Canva access can also vary between plans.

The Jio Canva Pro offer is available through the MyJio app for eligible users. Customers can check their account to see whether they qualify and whether they are entitled to Canva Pro or Canva Pro Lite.

With premium design resources and AI-powered features available without an additional subscription cost during the offer period, the partnership gives eligible Jio users another way to access advanced digital-creation tools directly from their mobile ecosystem.