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ISRO to hand over launch vehicle manufacturing to private sector

ISRO will eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles altogether, IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka has said, with the work shifting to private industry as India marks National Space Day.

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ISRO will eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles altogether, with the work shifting to private industry, IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka has said.

“Eventually, ISRO will not make any launch vehicles and will not manufacture any launch vehicles,” Goenka said, outlining a structural shift already under way in India’s space sector.

Under the new approach, ISRO will concentrate on advanced technologies, scientific missions and research, along with developing specialised satellites for particular orbits and scientific purposes.

Manufacturing of launch vehicles, satellites and other routine production work will transfer to private companies, continuing a shift that has already seen the SSLV programme move to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The announcement comes as India observes National Space Day today, marking the anniversary of Chandrayaan-3’s historic soft landing on the Moon’s south pole in 2023.

This year’s National Space Day theme is ‘Towards Viksit Bharat — Innovating, Collaborating and Aspiring to Global Space Leadership,’ reflecting the sector’s push toward greater private participation.

The restructuring is aimed at expanding India’s space economy from around $8 billion currently to a targeted $44 billion by 2033.

National Space Day, observed every August 23, commemorates the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon’s south pole in 2023, a feat that made India only the fourth country to achieve a soft lunar landing.

The announcement was made by IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka at Business Today’s India @ 100 Economy Summit on August 21.

The SSLV, ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, has already been transitioned to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, with HAL’s first SSLV launch expected in September 2027 from a new independent space launch centre.

Future transfers to the private sector will include the PSLV and LVM3 rockets, with upcoming bids for that manufacturing work set to exclude public sector companies.

ISRO has already transferred more than 120 technologies to private industry as part of this broader restructuring of India’s space sector.

Photo by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

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Bank of Baroda investigates alleged data leak on dark web

Bank of Baroda is investigating an alleged data leak after nearly 1TB of data was found on the dark web.

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Bank of Baroda branch (representative image)

Bank of Baroda is investigating an alleged data leak after nearly a terabyte of data reportedly linked to the bank surfaced on the dark web.

The dataset was first identified by cybersecurity researcher Srikanth Lakshmanan, founder of the consumer advocacy platform Cashless Consumer, who found the listing over the weekend.

The alleged leak reportedly includes customer identity documents, loan application and appraisal records, internal audit reports, branch documents, customer application forms and internal communications.

Some reports have additionally claimed the dataset contains Aadhaar numbers and account records tied to savings, current and loan accounts, as well as NRI and corporate banking customers.

Researchers have suggested a possible link to a threat actor known as TripleX, previously tied to attacks on Indonesian financial institutions, though the connection is unconfirmed.

Bank of Baroda said the incident originated from the compromise of an employee’s email account, not any breach of its core banking infrastructure.

“The bank’s core banking systems were not accessed and continue to remain secure,” the bank said, confirming a comprehensive forensic investigation had been launched.

The bank said it was working closely with relevant authorities as the probe into the alleged breach continues.

Bank of Baroda’s share price fell 1.50 per cent to Rs 240.35 on the NSE on July 28, as the alleged breach added to concerns following the lender’s weaker first-quarter FY27 results.

The bank said containment measures were implemented immediately once the breach was detected, and that it was complying with all applicable regulatory requirements during the ongoing probe.

Data breaches involving Indian financial institutions have drawn increasing regulatory attention in recent years, with lenders required to report significant cybersecurity incidents to sector regulators within stipulated timeframes.

Bank of Baroda is one of India’s largest public sector banks, with a network spanning thousands of branches across the country as well as international operations in several countries.

(Image: Photo by Raghavan2010, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

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OnePlus N6x India launch confirmed for July 31

OnePlus has confirmed its N6x will launch in India on July 31, with a 7,000mAh battery and AI camera tools among its highlights.

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OnePlus smartphone (representative)

OnePlus has confirmed that its N6x smartphone will launch in India on July 31 at 12 pm IST.

The device will go on sale on August 4, available via Amazon India and OnePlus India’s official online store.

A 7,000mAh battery has been confirmed, with OnePlus stating it can offer up to 2.5 days of use on a single charge.

Specific figures shared by the company include up to 20.56 hours of video playback and 133.56 hours of music playback on a full charge.

Camera features on the N6x will include AI Portrait Glow for low-light portraits, AI Eraser to remove unwanted objects or people, and AI Unblur to sharpen blurry photos.

The phone has a flat display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

It will be sold in Burgundy Red and Ice Blue colour options.

Pricing has not yet been made official and is expected to be announced at the July 31 launch event.

The 7,000mAh cell marks one of the largest batteries OnePlus has fitted into a phone sold in India, reflecting a broader industry trend of manufacturers prioritising longer battery life in budget and mid-range devices.

OnePlus has said further details on the N6x, including its full specification sheet and official price, will be confirmed only once the July 31 launch event takes place, with the company keeping some details under wraps until then.

The AI camera suite being introduced on the N6x mirrors similar tools OnePlus has rolled out on its more expensive Nord and flagship number-series phones over the past year, suggesting the company is extending these features further down its lineup.

The N6x is expected to be the second device in OnePlus’s budget-focused N series, following the OnePlus N6, and is likely to be positioned at a similar or slightly lower price point once official pricing is announced.

(Image: Dsr07 (CC BY-SA 4.0))

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Galaxy Z Fold8 priced from Rs 1,79,999 as India pre-orders open

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 is priced from Rs 1,79,999 in India as pre-orders open today, ahead of sales starting August 8.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold (representative)

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 is priced from Rs 1,79,999 in India as pre-orders opened today, following its unveiling at the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22.

The 12GB+512GB variant costs Rs 1,99,999, and the 16GB+1TB variant is priced at Rs 2,39,999. Open sales are scheduled to begin on August 8.

The phone features a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X foldable display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, driven by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Its camera system includes dual 50MP rear sensors, with a wide-angle lens offering OIS and 2x optical quality zoom, plus a 50MP ultra-wide lens.

A 4,800mAh battery supports up to 63 per cent charge in about 30 minutes through 45W wired charging, along with 20W wireless charging and Wireless PowerShare.

Weighing 201 grams, it is Samsung’s lightest Z Fold model so far, with an exchange bonus of Rs 10,000 or an instant bank discount of Rs 9,000 on offer.

(Image: Vasonesiku (CC BY-SA 4.0))

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