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India’s flagship biometric identity system, Aadhaar, is set to take a major digital leap with the introduction of an upgraded Aadhaar app by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The full version of the new app will be launched on January 28, 2026, aiming to transform how more than a billion residents carry and verify their identity. A Paperless Identity in Your Pocket Until now, Aadhaar holders could use digital Aadhaar features through the older mAadhaar app, which allowed basic functions like viewing the e-Aadhaar or sharing a QR code. The new app goes much further by making Aadhaar a truly fully digital identity tool. Users will be able to access, update, and verify Aadhaar digitally without needing physical copies or photocopies of their card — a long-anticipated upgrade for digital convenience and privacy. The app’s QR-based verification feature will let individuals and organisations instantly verify identity using a secure, digitally signed secure QR code, reducing dependence on paper and improving identity authentication security. The QR code contains essential demographic and photograph information that can be validated in real time. More Control, More Features Beyond verification, the enhanced app is expected to support updates to personal details such as…  ​Read MoreBusiness Archives - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups

The Indian government is deliberating whether to extend the formal etiquette currently associated with the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, to the national song Vande Mataram. If adopted, the proposal could require people to stand when Vande Mataram is played or sung, mirroring the respect protocols for the anthem that are widely observed at official functions and public events. What’s Being Discussed According to sources familiar with the matter, the Home Ministry is reviewing whether the same rules and decorum applied to the national anthem should also apply to Vande Mataram. The proposal comes as India marks the 150th anniversary of the song’s composition and sees heightened public and official attention to its place in national life. However, no final decision has been taken yet, and officials are still consulting on the details of any new protocol. Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and later popularised during the Indian independence movement, was officially adopted as the national song of India in 1950. It holds a deeply felt place in the nation’s patriotic traditions, though it does not currently have the same formal etiquette codified in law as the national anthem. Current Protocols and Debate At present, there are no…  ​Read MoreBusiness Archives - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups

A major new study suggests that widespread use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) — especially for personal tasks — may be associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms among adults. While AI tools have rapidly become part of everyday life, researchers say their findings raise important questions about potential psychological effects. Study Overview and Findings The research, published in JAMA Network Open, analysed data from a nationwide survey of more than 20,000 U.S. adults conducted between April and May 2025. Participants reported how often they used AI tools — including chatbots powered by generative models — along with information about their mood and mental health. Key findings include: People who used AI daily or more frequently were significantly more likely to report depressive symptoms compared with non-users. The average likelihood of experiencing moderate depressive symptoms was about 30 percent higher among daily AI users. Patterns were particularly strong in adults aged 25–64 and among those who used AI primarily for personal rather than work or school purposes. These associations remained statistically meaningful even after accounting for demographic factors such as age and gender. Interpretation and Limitations Importantly, researchers caution that this study does not establish a causal link —…  ​Read MoreBusiness Archives - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups

Renault has officially unveiled the 2026 Renault Duster in India, signalling the SUV’s return to the highly competitive midsize segment and a strategic push to revive the brand’s presence in the market. The latest Duster blends rugged SUV character with modern design and a host of contemporary features tailored to Indian buyers. Design and Local Adaptations The India-spec 2026 Renault Duster retains the broad silhouette of the global third-generation model but receives distinctive styling changes for the Indian market. These include redesigned eyebrow-style LED DRLs, a bold grille with a prominent Duster badge, and rugged body cladding over wheel arches. Functional black roof rails and pixel-shaped fog lamps add to its off-road-ready look. Interior and Technology Highlights Inside, the new Duster features a modern and ergonomic cabin with a dual-screen layout comprising a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. Comfort-focused features include a panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, and 6-way powered ventilated front seats. Safety is enhanced with six airbags, a 360-degree camera, and Level 2 ADAS — the first Renault model in India to offer a comprehensive ADAS suite. Powertrains and Performance The new Duster…  ​Read MoreBusiness Archives - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups

“He who cannot obey himself will be commanded.” — Friedrich NietzscheNietzsche is not praising blind obedience. He is pointing to a practical truth about freedom. If you cannot follow your own principles, your own plan, your own values, you will end up following someone else’s. The “commander” may be a boss, a trend, a craving, a fear, or the loudest voice in the room. Either way, the outcome is the same. A life steered from the outside.What does it mean to “obey yourself”?Self-obedience is not self-punishment. It is self-governance. It means deciding what matters, then doing what that decision requires, even when motivation drops. It is the ability to act from intention rather than impulse. In modern language, Nietzsche is talking about self-discipline and personal responsibility.This matters because the mind is not a single, unified captain. It is a crowd. One part wants long-term growth. Another wants comfort now. When the “crowd” wins, you do not become free. You become predictable. And predictable people are easy to direct, by advertising, peer pressure, workplace politics, or digital distraction.How we get “commanded” without noticingMost control today does not look like control. It looks like convenience. A feed decides what you see next.…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

Hello,It’s time for the Indian education and startup ecosystem to rejoice for Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, has been conferred the Padma Shri for 2026. Earlier this month, YourStory spoke to Prof Kamakoti who shared his vision for IITM—he wants to make quality IIT education accessible to everyone. Through the IITM ecosystem, Kamakoti has also been driving innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in deeptech. If you are looking for more inspiration, here's some. Rahul Mehta, the man who funded eight schools at IITs, believes time, not money, is the real donation one can give. The Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation, named after his parents, has supported more than 100 nonprofits and created pathways for thousands of students. If you thought philanthropy was about writing cheques, Mehta thinks of it differently—in terms of  Time, Talent, and Treasure—in that order. Moving on from time to another precious commodity. The gold rush continues amid global chaos. The asset, considered a safe haven, rose to a record-high above $5,100 an ounce on Monday. Prices of the shiny metal have soared over 18% this year.Lastly, a winter storm is crippling several parts of the United States, causing a few casualties and major disruptions. On Monday, several Americans braved the…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

The $280 billion-plus Indian technology sector is now facing a definite shift towards artificial intelligence (AI), and the industry expects a special focus on this technology in the forthcoming Union Budget.Today, AI is not just about coming out with algorithms; it involves data centres, data collection and a governance structure on the applicability of this technology. This is an area where there is a genuine requirement for foreign capital, especially in the area of data centres, but this has created certain unfavourable implications of taxation.Nasscom, the Indian IT industry’s premier body, noted in its pre-budget memorandum that foreign cloud providers rely on Indian data centres that are owned and controlled by Indian operators who already pay tax on their arm’s length margins. Industry experience has shown emerging instances where standard hosting or colocation is viewed as creating a taxable presence of the foreign provider in India.“Clear illustrations that distinguish ordinary hosting from situations where a non-resident has infrastructure at its disposal would align practice with Supreme Court principles and give confidence for future investment in data and artificial intelligence infrastructure,” Nasscom said.Also ReadIndian VCs call for policies to encourage deeper pools of domestic capital ahead of Union BudgetAt the same…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

Yogesh Kumar lives in Chauhanapur village of Shahjahanpur district, where a small solar-powered flour mill now draws a steady stream of customers from nearby hamlets. For the past few months, he has been running the unit almost daily, grinding wheat and other grains for households that until recently depended on diesel-run mills that often shut down or worked irregularly.The business itself is straightforward. The mill grinds grain brought by villagers and charges a per-kilo fee for the service, with work varying by season and daylight hours. Powered by solar panels, the unit runs for six to seven hours in winter and longer in brighter months, allowing it to operate without the fuel costs and breakdowns common to older machines.Learning by observingKumar was the first in his family to start a business of his own. There was no prior enterprise at home to fall back on, and the idea did not arrive through a detailed plan. He recalls visiting a friend’s unit outside the village, watching how a solar-powered mill functioned, and slowly realising that the same model could work closer to home.After returning, he began looking up details on his phone and then approached the local office to understand the process…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed

Listed fintech major Pine Labs has signed a pact with Wio Bank to build an acquiring infrastructure for the UAE-based…

Rahul Mehta walked into the room at IIT Madras wearing a red hoodie and brown trousers, and the first thing he did was apologise for his attire. His luggage had not arrived with him due to some airline mishap, and he had come straight from the airport to the event he was organising on campus. He had slept four hours and looked like he could have used four more. At a table nearby, two men were loudly discussing some business matter, oblivious to us, and Mehta glanced at them briefly before turning his attention back. There was an energy about him that did not match the casual clothes, a kind of restlessness that seemed incongruous for someone who had walked away from the money game nearly two decades ago.He built four companies in America, sold them all to names like HP, Veritas and Brocade, never took a loan, never raised venture capital, and stopped in 2006 because he had reached what he calls his “enough number”. Since then, he has funded eight schools across six IITs in fields ranging from biotechnology to data science to sustainability. The Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta Family Foundation, named after his parents, has supported more than…  ​Read More​YourStory RSS Feed