tech industry

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed an IIT Madras dialogue in Bengaluru, making announcements centred on India's economic growth, technology development and support for startups. She spoke on government measures aimed at strengthening the innovation ecosystem and deepening collaboration between academia and industry. The event highlighted the role of technology and entrepreneurship in India's growth strategy, with the finance ministry publicising her remarks through the government press bureau.

Thales, Bull and the CEA are working together on software for quantum computers intended for the French armed forces, according to a report by Clubic. The partnership ties France's major industrial and research players to a defence application of quantum computing, a field where states are racing to build both hardware and the specialised software needed to run it.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, has launched 'Army of Robots', a defence-tech initiative focused on robotics. Building on Ukraine's wartime push into drone and autonomous systems, the programme aims to scale up robotic capabilities for the country's defence. The launch highlights Ukraine's growing role in military technology innovation and its effort to mobilise industry and developers around unmanned ground and aerial systems.

Automattic has appointed a new board of directors after an attempt to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave failed. Mullenweg reportedly wrote that, for purposes of Delaware law, he is the company's CEO, President, Treasurer, and Secretary, and said the attempted removal had also brought in many new supporters. The internal power struggle at the company behind WordPress.com is drawing attention across the tech industry.

Attention is focused on NVIDIA's GTC conference, the company's flagship event for announcing new AI chips, software and partnerships. Attendees and industry watchers typically follow the keynotes closely for updates on GPU roadmaps and AI infrastructure plans that shape the semiconductor market.

Apple has been hit with roughly $5.7 billion in damages in a patent dispute over haptic feedback technology, the vibration feature used in its iPhones and other devices. The ruling is one of the largest patent damages awards against a tech company, and observers are debating its implications for Apple and patent litigation in the industry.

OpenAI has asked a judge to exclude newly submitted evidence from Apple in an ongoing legal dispute over trade secrets. The move marks an escalation in the fight between the two companies, though details of the disputed evidence and the specific claims remain limited in early reports. Observers are watching closely given the stakes for both firms and the broader tech industry's legal battles over proprietary information.