Tesla inks semiconductor deal with Tata electronics for global operations

• Tesla has struck a strategic deal with Tata Electronics to acquire semiconductor chips for its global operations.
• This agreement is noteworthy as it positions Tata Electronics as a dependable supplier for prominent global clients aiming to establish a crucial segment of their semiconductor value chain in India.
• The US-based electric vehicle (EV) giant is eager to penetrate India, the world’s fastest-growing major automotive market.
• Tesla currently holds the title of the world’s most valuable automotive company.

Background:

• Last month, the Indian government approved an Electric Vehicle (EV) policy aimed at positioning the country as a global manufacturing hub for EV s. The policy mandates a minimum investment of Rs 4,150 crore with no maximum investment limit aimed at attracting investments from reputable global EV manufacturers.

Russia, China trade new copper disguised as scrap to skirt taxes, sanctions

• Russian Copper Company (RCC) and Chinese firms have avoided taxes and skirted the impact of Western sanctions by trading in new copper wire rod dis guised as scrap.
• Copper wire rod was shredded in the remote Xinjiang Uyghur region by an intermediary to make it hard to distinguish from scrap, allowing both exporters and importers to profit from differences in tariffs applied to scrap and new metal.
• The sales of new metal disguised as scrap, which started in December, are reflected in a discrepancy between Chinese and Russian data.
• Chinese customs data showed China has bought significantly more copper scrap from Russia since December, while Russian figures Reuters obtained from a commercial data provider showed the amount of scrap exported to the country’s biggest trade partner was negligible.

Byju's CEO Arjun Mohan quits, company to consolidate biz in 3 units

• Byju’s has announced changes in its leadership structure with CEO Arjun Mohan stepping down from his position having taken it up just six months ago.
• Byju Raveendran will resume his responsibilities in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company, while Mohan will transition to an advisory role outside the company.
• The decision comes as Byju’s aims to streamline its operations for long-term success.
• The company will now consolidate its businesses into three main divisions: The Leaming App, Online Classes & Tuition Centres, and Test-prep.

Byju’s

• Founded: 2011
• Founders: Byju Raveendran & Divya Gokulnath
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Kamataka

HD Hyundai, AI firm Palantir to develop unmanned surf ace vessel

• South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has partnered with US artificial intelligence (AI) company Palantir Technologies to co-develop an unmanned surface vessel (USV) for maritime surveillance.
• Under the MoU, the two companies will cooperate in developing a USV for maritime surveillance by 2026 and later expand their partnership to produce a USV for use in combat at sea.
• USV s are considered a game-changer in future naval warfare, as they replace traditional manned vessels to undertake various missions in hazardous zones, including surveillance, mine detection and removal, and combat.
• For the project, HD Hyundai said it plans to integrate the autonomous navigation software from its subsidiary Avikus with Palantir’s AI-based mission autonomy technology.

Tsitsipas beats Ruud for third Monte-Carlo title

• Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Casper Ruud to win his third Monte Carlo Masters title in four years.
• Greece’s Tsitsipas, 25, dominated the opening stages and sealed the first set inside 36 minutes.
• The victory took Tsitsipas to seventh in the world rankings.

Monte Carlo Masters 2024

• Edition: 117th
• Prize money: €5,950,575
• Surface: Clay
• Champions 2024
• Singles: Stefanos Tsitsipas
• Doubles: Sander Gille/ Joran Vliegen

China take three golds at Badminton Asia Championships

• Chinese shuttlers wrapped up their 2024 Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo with three golds, three silvers and seven bronze medals.
• In an all-Chinese women’s singles final, Olympic champion Chen Yufei lost to Wang Zhiyi, who claimed her first Asian title in Manila in 2022.
• In the men’s doubles showdown, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang fought to edge out Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin claiming their first­ever Asian title.
• China’s third-seeded pair of Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping added the mixed doubles title to beat world champions Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung of South Korea.
• The men’s singles title went to third-seeded J onatan Christie of Indonesia, who beat China’s Li Shifeng, while South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee clinched the women’s doubles title by defeating China’s Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu.

Indian Army conduct successful trials of indigenous Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile Weapon System

• Man Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) Weapon System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), has been evaluated in different flight configurations.
• The system consisted of the MPATGM, Launcher, Target Acquisition System, and the Fire Control Unit.
• Adequate number of missile firing trials have been successfully conducted.
• The Warhead Flight Trials were successfully conducted at the Pokhran Field Firing Range, Rajasthan.
• Missile performance and warhead performance were found to be remarkable.
• Penetration trials of the Tandem Warhead System of MPATGM have been successfully completed and it is found capable of def eating modern armour protected Main Battle Tank.
• The ATGM system is well-equipped with day/night and top attack capability.
• Dual mode seeker functionality is a great value addition to the missile capability for tank warfare.

Ambuja Cements acquires My Home Group's 1.5 MTPA cement unit in TN for Rs 413.75 er

• Ambuja Cements will acquire My Home Group’s cement grinding unit at Tuticorin in Tamil N adu for a total value of Rs 413. 7 5 crore.
• The company — a part of the Adani Group — has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the cement grinding unit of the My Home Group, which has a capacity of 1.5 MTPA.
• The total cement capacity of Adani Group stands at 78.9 MTPA.
• The grinding unit is spread across 61 acres near the Tuticorin Port with a long-term fly ash agreement.
• This acquisition provides access to southern market customers.

Ambuja Cements

• Chairman: Gautam Adani
• CEO: Ajay Kapur
• Founded: 1983
• Headquarters: Mumbai

IIT Madras launches India's 1st mobile medical devices calibration facility

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (II Madras) has launched India’s First ‘medica devices calibration facility on wheels’.
• This has been developed by IIT Madras under it ‘Anaivarukkum IITM’ (IITM for all) Initiatives.
• Maintenance and quality assurance of life-savin medical devices are of paramount importance fo healthcare delivery.
• Calibration is crucial as it ensures the accuracy o medical instruments for precise disease diagnosi and effectiveness.
• This mobile facility will ensure pervasive qualit healthcare irrespective of geographical location across the country.
• This will help to test and maintain medical device that are used in wide range of hospitals includin those in villages at their doorsteps.
• This initiative boosts the United Nationa Sustainable Development Goal 3, which calls fo Health and well-being for all.

Biden govt agrees to provide $6.4 bn to Samsung for making computer chips

• The Biden administration has reached an agreement to provide up to $6.4 billion in direct funding for Samsung Electronics to develop a computer chip manufacturing and research cluster in Texas.
• The government support comes from the CHIPS and Science Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022 with the goal of reviving the production of advanced computer chips domestically.

Samsung’s cluster in Taylor, Texas, would include two factories that would make four- and two­ nanometer chips.

• Also, there would be a factory dedicated to research and development.
• The first factory would begin production in 2026, with the second starting in 2027.
• Note: The government has previously announced terms to support other chipmakers including Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in projects spread across the country.