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The Hindu
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Defence sector holds promise for start-ups, MSMEs and entrepreneurs, says ex-chief of Confederation of Indian Industry
A new ecosystem is emerging for the defence sector as private industry participation increases, said R. Nandini, former chairperson of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Southern Region, in Coimbatore on Friday (June 27, 2025). Speaking at the inauguration of The Hindu businessline MSME Growth Conclave – Coimbatore 2025, she said that micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) are at a pivotal moment and are navigating through a complicated international scenario. With regard to the defence sector, there is a shift in government policy and a fundamental change in the mindset of entrepreneurs too, she said. Start-ups, the MSMEs and technology innovators are contributing to national security and defence production. Coimbatore plays a significant role in this as it has its strengths in engineering, manufacturing, and high precision industries. These units are in an advantageous position to contribute and benefit from this transition of the defence sector, she added. Coimbatore has a history of strong collaboration with Germany and this should be showcased globally, she added. Raghuvir Srinivasan, Editor of The Hindu businessline, said the fifth edition of the MSME conclave, which is organised in Bengaluru annually, has expanded this year to Coimbatore. The event had panel discussions on 'Delivering a Big Bang (on defence supplies)' and 'Navigating Global Trade Disruptions'. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative, in a fireside chat with Aarathi Krishnan, Consulting Editor of The Hindu businessline, spoke on free trade agreements, the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's posts on social media, and the trade happening between the U.S. and India. The conclave, powered by Janatics and HDFC Bank, had SSVM Institutions Coimbatore, City Union Bank, Radiance Realty, SIDBI, South Indian Bank, Tally, Milky Mist, Indian Overseas Bank, and Union Bank of India as Associate Partners and Lexus as the Luxury Partner.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Businessline conclave in Coimbatore to focus on MSMEs' contribution to Indian growth story
To celebrate the work of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), The Hindubusinessline is hosting its annual MSME conclave. The fourth edition, to be held in two cities, was kicked off in Bengaluru on June 25 and now it is coming to Coimbatore on June 27. The series will discuss MSMEs' contribution to the Indian growth story. MSME Day is observed world over annually on June 27 to celebrate these enterprises and recognise their importance, shed light on their contributions, and promote their growth and sustainability. At the Coimbatore event, R. Nandini (Immediate Past Chairperson, CII Southern region, and MD, Chandra Textiles) will be the guest of honour. Businessline Editor Raghuvir Srinivasan will address the audience before the commencement of the event The event will have two power-packed panel discussions and a fireside chat. The first panel titled, 'MSMEs: Delivering a Big Bang (On Defence Supplies)', will feature Gyaneshwar Tyagi, Chief General Manager of the High Energy Projectile Factory, a unit of Munitions India; Sai Pattabiram, Managing Director and Founder, Zuppa Geo Nav Tech; Ashok Atluri, CMD, Zen Technologies; and Sundaram Venkatapathy, Director, Codissia Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation centre (CDIIC). The session will be moderated by M. Ramesh, Consulting Editor, businessline. The second panel, 'MSMEs: Navigating Global Trade Disruptions', will feature Sasikumar Gendham, President, ELCINA; Kumar Duraisamy, CEO, Eastern Global Clothing and Joint Secretary-Tirupur Exporters Association; and Ramesh M, Managing Director, Alphacraft; and Kanishka Arumugam, Co-Chief Executive, EKKI Pumps. This session will be moderated by Sindhu Hariharan, Chief of Bureau, businessline, Chennai. The fireside chat with Ajay Srivastava, Founder, Global Trade Research Initiative, will be hosted by Aarati Krishnan, Consulting Editor, businessline. The past three years too, on MSME Day, businessline had hosted similar conclaves for MSMEs, which saw the participation of many from this sector. These enterprises play a vital role in the Indian economy. With a vast network comprising approximately 6.3 crore MSMEs, this sector generates employment opportunities for around 11 crore people. The businessline MSME Growth Conclave – Coimbatore 2025 is powered by Janatics and HDFC Bank, events associate partners include SSVM Institutions Coimbatore, City Union Bank, Radiance Realty, SIDBI, South Indian Bank, Tally, Milky Mist, Indian Overseas Bank, and Union Bank of India. Luxury Partner is Lexus. Live stream:
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Science
- Irish Examiner
Universe was not formed in big bang but ‘bounced' out of black hole
The Universe may not have started with the Big Bang, but instead 'bounced' out of a massive black hole formed within a larger 'parent' universe, according to a new scientific paper. Professor Enrique Gaztanaga, from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, said that the current Big Bang theory was problematic as the laws of physics 'broke down' when used to explain it. His new explanation, published in the journal Physical Review D, suggests that the Universe was formed as a result of a gravitational collapse in a larger universe which generated a massive black hole leading to a rebound or 'bounce' causing our universe to emerge. One of the strengths of this model is that it makes predictions that can be thoroughly tested Professor Gaztanaga said: 'The Big Bang model begins with a point of infinite density where the laws of physics break down. 'This is a deep theoretical problem that suggests the beginning of the Universe is not fully understood. 'We've questioned that model and tackled questions from a different angle – by looking inward instead of outward. 'Instead of starting with an expanding universe and asking how it began, we considered what happens when an over-density of matter collapses under gravity.' Prof Gaztanaga explained that the theory developed by his team of researchers worked within the principles of quantum mechanics and the model could be tested scientifically. He said: 'We've shown that gravitational collapse does not have to end in a singularity and found that a collapsing cloud of matter can reach a high-density state and then bounce, rebounding outward into a new expanding phase. 'Crucially, this bounce occurs entirely within the framework of general relativity, combined with the basic principles of quantum mechanics. What emerges on the other side of the bounce is a universe remarkably like our own. 'Even more surprisingly, the rebound naturally produces a phase of accelerated expansion driven not by a hypothetical field but by the physics of the bounce itself. 'We now have a fully worked-out solution that shows the bounce is not only possible – it's inevitable under the right conditions. 'One of the strengths of this model is that it makes predictions that can be thoroughly tested. And what's more this new model has also revealed that the Universe is slightly curved, like the surface of the Earth.' He added: 'Furthermore, it could also shed new light on other deep mysteries in our understanding of the early universe such as the origin of supermassive black holes, the nature of dark matter, or the formation and evolution of galaxies.' Prof Gaztanaga, who is the science co-ordinator for the ARRAKIHS ESA space mission, said that the four wide-angle telescopes on the satellite could help confirm the theory through its ability to detect ultra-low surface brightness structures in the outskirts of galaxies which he explained were essential for studying how galaxies grow and evolve. Read More ISS welcomes its first astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary
Mint
2 days ago
- Science
- Mint
Scientists find 99 million-year-old zombie fungus in very rare fossils from the dinosaur era
A piece of 99 million-year-old amber has revealed a shocking sight. It's a fly with a zombie fungus growing from its head. Another fossil in the same amber shows a young ant infected by a similar fungus. The ant and the fly were then trapped in sticky tree sap that became amber. These are among the oldest known examples of fungi controlling insects, killing them in the process. Chinese researchers studies the fossils by using microscopes and 3D scans. Lead author Yuhui Zhuang from Yunnan University said such rare finds help in understanding ancient relationships between fungi and insects. Also Read | Scientists are stunned by how these tiny insects use Milky Way as a guide 'Overall, these two fossils are very rare, at least among the tens of thousands of amber specimens we've seen, and only a few have preserved the symbiotic relationship between fungi and insects,' CNN quoted Zhuang as saying. 'The discovery of these two fossils suggests that terrestrial ecosystems were already very complex, and that Ophiocordyceps, in particular, may have begun to act as 'predators' of insects in the Cretaceous period, regulating the populations of certain groups,' Zhuang added. Also Read | Are we inside a black hole? New study challenges Big Bang theory Some fungi are called 'zombie-ant fungi' because they can control ants' behaviour to spread their spores. This strange idea inspired the video game and TV series The Last of Us. Scientists believe the fungus found in a fossilised ant could be an early form of today's zombie-ant fungi. These fungi likely controlled the ant's body before killing it. Such ancient parasitic fungi are very rare, so not much is known about their history. Experts say these fungi played a big role in shaping life on Earth. Even though amber shows us many hidden species, we still only see a tiny part of the full picture. Each insect probably carried many unseen parasites, fungi or bacteria. New fossil discovery The new fossil discovery shows these fungi existed even during the dinosaur era, around 99 million years ago, and had already attacked insects. According to experts, they may have helped control insect populations back then. Today, such fungi still infect many insects like ants, flies and beetles. Scientists say the fungus enters the ant's body through a weak spot and reaches its brain to control its actions. Interestingly, flies are rarely affected today, which makes a fossil of an infected fly very rare and exciting for researchers.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Where do atoms come from? A physicist explains.
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you'd like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@ How do atoms form? —Joshua, age 7, Shoreview, Minnesota Richard Feynman, a famous theoretical physicist who won the Nobel Prize, said that if he could pass on only one piece of scientific information to future generations, it would be that all things are made of atoms. Understanding how atoms form is a fundamental and important question, since they make up everything with mass. The question of where atoms comes from requires a lot of physics to be answered completely — and even then, physicists only have good guesses to explain how some atoms are formed. An atom consists of a heavy center, called the nucleus, made of particles called protons and neutrons. An atom has lighter particles called electrons that you can think of as orbiting around the nucleus. The electrons each carry one unit of negative charge, the protons each carry one unit of positive charge, and the neutrons have no charge. An atom has the same number of protons as electrons, so it is neutral − it has no overall charge. Now, most of the atoms in the universe are the two simplest kinds: hydrogen, which has one proton, zero neutrons and one electron; and helium, which has two protons, two neutrons and two electrons. Of course, on Earth there are lots of atoms besides these that are just as common, such as carbon and oxygen, but I'll talk about those soon. An element is what scientists call a group of atoms that are all the same, because they all have the same number of protons. Most of the universe's hydrogen and helium atoms formed around 400,000 years after the Big Bang, which is the name for when scientists think the universe began, about 14 billion years ago. Why did they form at that time? Astronomers know from observing distant exploding stars that the size of the universe has been getting bigger since the Big Bang. When the hydrogen and helium atoms first formed, the universe was about 1,000 times smaller than it is now. And based on their understanding of physics, scientists believe that the universe was much hotter when it was smaller. Before this time, the electrons had too much energy to settle into orbits around the hydrogen and helium nuclei. So, the hydrogen and helium atoms could form only once the universe cooled down to something like 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius). For historical reasons, this process is misleadingly called recombination − combination would be more descriptive. The helium and deuterium — a heavier form of hydrogen — nuclei formed even earlier, just a few minutes after the Big Bang, when the temperature was above 1 billion F (556 million C). Protons and neutrons can collide and form nuclei like these only at very high temperatures. Scientists believe that almost all the ordinary matter in the universe is made of about 90% hydrogen atoms and 8% helium atoms. So, the hydrogen and helium atoms formed during recombination, when the cooler temperature allowed electrons to fall into orbits. But you, I and almost everything on Earth is made of many more massive atoms than just hydrogen and helium. How were these atoms made? The surprising answer is that more massive atoms are made in stars. To make atoms with several protons and neutrons stuck together in the nucleus requires the type of high-energy collisions that occur in very hot places. The energy needed to form a heavier nucleus needs to be large enough to overcome the repulsive electric force that positive charges, like two protons, feel with each other. Protons and neutrons also have another property — kind of like a different type of charge — that is strong enough to bind them together once they are able to get very close together. This property is called the strong force, and the process that sticks these particles together is called fusion. Scientists believe that most of the elements from carbon up to iron are fused in stars heavier than our Sun, where the temperature can exceed 1 billion F (556 million C) — the same temperature that the universe was when it was just a few minutes old. But even in hot stars, elements heavier than iron and nickel won't form. These require extra energy, because the heavier elements can more easily break into pieces. In a dramatic event called a supernova, the inner core of a heavy star suddenly collapses after it runs out of fuel to burn. During the powerful explosion this collapse triggers, elements that are heavier than iron can form and get ejected out into the universe. Astronomers are still figuring out the details of other fantastic stellar events that form larger atoms. For example, colliding neutron stars can release enormous amounts of energy — and elements such as gold — on their way to forming black holes. Understanding how atoms are made just requires learning a little general relativity, plus some nuclear, particle and atomic physics. But to complicate matters, there is other stuff in the universe that doesn't appear to be made from normal atoms at all, called dark matter. Scientists are investigating what dark matter is and how it might form. This edited article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
