Unpacking India’s Data Centre Boom

Rice is a vital staple food globally, significantly impacting international trade, economic growth, and nutrition. Major Asian countries, including China, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, contribute to rice cultivation and utilize various rice types, such as basmati and jasmine. Ensuring the quality of rice grains is crucial for trade and reputation, but manual classification is labor-intensive and error-prone. This article explores the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and explainable AI methods like LIME and SHAP to automate rice grain classification effectively.

Polestar Analytics has recently secured new funding to enhance the development of its 1Platform, an enterprise-grade AI and data convergence stack. This initiative aims to streamline data management and analytics for businesses, positioning Polestar as a key player in the evolving landscape of data ecosystems. The funding will accelerate the company's efforts to integrate advanced AI capabilities into its offerings, catering to the growing demand for efficient data solutions.

Google has launched Gemini 3, its latest AI model, which claims to outperform competitors GPT-5.1 and Claude Sonnet 4.5 in benchmark tests. The new model is designed to enhance coding and reasoning capabilities, providing developers with a more intelligent and factually accurate tool. Additionally, Google introduced Google Antigravity, an agent-first development platform built around Gemini 3, aimed at improving user interactions and experiences.

Microsoft and NVIDIA have announced a joint investment of up to $15 billion in Anthropic, an AI safety and research company. This investment is part of a broader strategy to enhance the development of advanced AI technologies. Anthropic has also committed to purchasing $30 billion in Azure compute capacity, with the option for additional resources, indicating a significant partnership aimed at advancing AI capabilities while ensuring safety in deployment.

Infosys has launched an AI-first model aimed at transforming Global Capability Centers (GCCs) into innovation engines. This initiative is designed to enhance operational efficiency and drive innovation within these centers, leveraging artificial intelligence to streamline processes and improve productivity. The move reflects Infosys's commitment to integrating advanced technologies in its service offerings, positioning itself as a leader in the AI-driven transformation of business operations.

Princeton Digital Group (PDG), a leading data center operator in Asia Pacific, has announced its entry into South Korea with a significant investment of USD 700 million. This investment marks the first phase of a broader plan to develop a 500 MW AI and cloud infrastructure in the country. The initial project will be located at the Incheon campus, which will provide 48 MW of capacity. This expansion into South Korea represents PDG's seventh country of operation, following its presence in Singapore, Japan, India, Indonesia, China, and Malaysia.

The Karnataka government has introduced 16 incentives aimed at promoting the growth of the IT sector outside Bengaluru. These initiatives are designed to attract investments and encourage the establishment of IT companies in other regions of the state, thereby reducing the concentration of the tech industry in Bengaluru. The incentives include financial support, infrastructure development, and skill enhancement programs to foster a more balanced economic growth across Karnataka.

Jeff Bezos has launched Project Prometheus, an initiative focused on advancing industrial artificial intelligence (AI). The project has reportedly secured approximately $6.2 billion in early funding, with Bezos himself contributing to the investment. This significant financial backing highlights the growing interest and potential in the industrial AI sector, which aims to enhance efficiency and innovation in various industries.