This Week in Tech India (TWITI) #3 of 2026

Week 3 of 2026 saw a live televised supposedly unscripted debate between man and machine. And more importantly – a 10,000 crore investment into an AI park.

Arnab Goswami Debates Blue Machines AI In Live TV

Republic Media Network aired a debate between journalist and word-shouter Arnab Goswami and Blue Machines AI on January 12th. The supposedly unscripted exchange explored current affairs, geopolitics, and national events in a direct confrontation format.

You’d think that Arnab Goswami would take it easier than usual with a machine, but nah. Arnab did what Arnab does. Check out this short. And the whole debate was more than an hour long! I’ll admit I did not watch the whole thing but you can see it for yourself on YouTube.

Blue Machines AI is an enterprise-grade voice artificial intelligence platform developed by the Indian company Apna.co. It is designed to help organizations deploy scalable, low-latency, and multilingual voice AI agents for high-stakes industries. The Arnab debate was supposed to be a stress test.

Do I think it has potential? Yes it does, but so does… literally every other AI voice platform. Anyway.

CCPA Fines Major E-Commerce Platforms For Illegal Walkie-Talkie Sales

The Central Consumer Protection Authority fined Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, and Meta INR 10 lakh each for facilitating illegal walkie-talkie sales. The CCPA found over 16,900 non-compliant listings across platforms. These devices operated outside license-exempt frequency bands without proper Equipment Type Approval certification. The CCPA rejected intermediary defense arguments, holding platforms accountable for hosting regulated products.

In case you’re wondering, the CCPA is setup under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 in relation to matters affecting rights of consumers by individuals or entities following improper trade practices or by display of inappropriate or wrong advertisements affecting public interest and helps promoting consumer trust by enforcing the rights of consumers through effective guidelines.

Blinkit Drops 10-Minute Delivery Branding After Government Intervention

Quick commerce platform Blinkit removed its 10-minute delivery branding following Centre intervention and gig worker safety concerns. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya played a key role in pushing platforms to rethink fixed delivery promises.

This is directly a result of the gig worker strike that took place on December 25 and December 31 (see TWITI #1 of 2026). Worker unions had accused platforms of pushing unsafe delivery models and lowering earnings.

Jio To Launch AI Platform In Native Indian Languages

Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced Jio will launch a people-first AI platform built in India. The platform will enable citizens to access AI services in their own language on their own devices. Starting from Gujarat, it aims to make users more efficient and productive with affordable AI.

Remember that Jio is building India’s largest AI-ready data center in Jamnagar, which will support this initiative.

In all honesty, there have been a lot of tech announcements from RIL in 2025 which have not been delivered yet – including Jio Frames and Jio PC. The Jio IPO however is well underway, expected to happen in 2026.

DD News Launches Creator-Sourced Content Platform

Prasar Bharati (our Public Service Broadcaster) introduced Creator’s Corner on DD News to empower digital creators nationwide. The 30-minute program features content ranging from two to ten minutes sourced from vetted applications.

The initiative operates on a revenue-sharing model with 90 percent going to content creators (that’s obviously waaaay more than what YouTube or other platforms give creators). Digital creators receive full credit for their programming across various subjects.

Karnataka To Host India’s First Commercial Quantum Computer

Karnataka will host India’s first commercial quantum computer at IIIT-Dharwad, Minister Priyank Kharge announced. The indigenously built system is being deployed by Bengaluru-based deeptech firm QpiAI. The state has announced a Centre of Excellence in Quantum AI and Computing at the institution.

QpiAI plans to scale from 25 qubits to 1,000 qubits over the next two to three years. That’s massive.

Remember that India already has several operational quantum computers and active facilities as of early 2026. The country has transitioned from research to deployment through its National Quantum Mission (NQM). This one at IIT-Dharwad would be its first commercial quantum computer – if done right.

Google Begins Construction On Largest Campus Outside US In Hyderabad

Google has begun construction on its massive 3 million square foot campus in Hyderabad’s Financial District. The structure has already reached the fifth floor with round-the-clock construction. It will become Google’s largest office outside its California headquarters with capacity for more than 25,000 employees.

The 23-floor climate-sensitive campus is expected to be completed by 2026 – but, let’s be real, most likely 2027.

Nothing Set To Open First Flagship Store In Bengaluru

London-based smartphone brand Nothing confirmed plans to open its first flagship store in India. Bengaluru was chosen for the debut physical retail presence beyond online sales. The store will showcase Nothing’s full product lineup including smartphones and audio devices. This marks Nothing’s first permanent standalone retail space outside its London store.

Let’s not forget that Nothing’s sub-brand CMF is already based in India (see TWITI #41 of 2025).

Tamil Nadu Signs INR 10,000 Crore MoU With Sarvam AI

The Tamil Nadu government signed an agreement with Sarvam AI to establish India’s first full-stack Sovereign AI Park. The memorandum of understanding envisages an initial investment of INR 10,000 crore. The project will create approximately 1,000 high-skilled jobs in advanced computing and AI research. The park will focus on domestically governed artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Sarvam.ai is not even three years old and was already selected by the IndiaAI mission to build India’s first sovereign LLM. Now it is selected to build India’s first sovereign AI park. What else will it be selected to build?

Zoho Plans Massive 200-Acre IT Office In Kumbakonam

Zoho is planning a massive IT office spanning 200 acres near Kumbakonam with capacity for 10,000 employees. The project will boost local economies in Mayiladuthurai, Ariyalur, Thiruvarur, and Kumbakonam regions. This is part of Zoho’s rural expansion strategy which aims to empower local communities and distribute growth across Tier II and III towns. The company already operates hubs in Tiruppur, Trichy, Tirunelveli, and Madurai.​

Foxconn-HCL Joint Venture Named India Chip Private Limited

Foxconn and HCL Group officially named their semiconductor joint venture India Chip Private Limited. Foxconn invested INR 312 crore for a 40 percent stake with potential total investment reaching INR 424 crore. The Uttar Pradesh government allocated 48 acres through YEIDA for the OSAT facility. The venture will focus on display driver integrated circuits assembly and testing.

Reliance Expands Ajio Rush To 420 Pincodes

Reliance Industries scaled Ajio’s quick commerce vertical Ajio Rush to 420 pincodes across 10 cities in Q3 FY26. Ajio also expanded its next-day delivery service to the top 26 cities. RIL’s grocery-focused quick commerce platform JioMart Quick operates at 1.6 million daily orders. Reliance claims its quick commerce business is on track to become India’s second-largest player by order volume.

Ola Electric Opens 4680 Bharat Cell Platform For Enterprises

Ola Electric expanded its 4680 Bharat Cell and battery pack beyond EVs to enterprise customers. This means that businesses and startups can now purchase cells or 1.5 kWh battery packs for mobility, drones, and medical equipment. The platform enables applications across automotive, humanoids, drones, and portable medical machines. Ola Electric plans to scale cell manufacturing capacity to 5.9 GWh by March 2026.

This is a very smart move by Ola – which was losing its grip on the 2W EV market.

US Invites India To Join Pax Silica Alliance

US Ambassador Sergio Gor announced India would be invited to join Pax Silica next month. Pax Silica is a US-led multilateral initiative focuses on securing supply chains for silicon, semiconductors, AI, and digital infrastructure. The alliance aims to bring together countries seeking to reduce dependence on concentrated manufacturing hubs. India’s inclusion would align with its semiconductor ecosystem expansion and electronics manufacturing push.

India may be invited but its response will be based on the status of the India-US relations at the time.

Unacademy Exits Company-Operated Offline Centres

Edtech unicorn Unacademy will exit company-operated offline centres and transition to a franchise-led model. Founder Gaurav Munjal announced the shift in an internal email to employees. Local franchise operators will run day-to-day operations while Unacademy provides academics, technology, and curriculum. The transition is expected to be completed by April 2026.

That’s it for now! Don’t forget you can see the weekly TWITI video on by YouTube channel, or listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you’d like to receive the weekly news roundup directly to your inbox, subscribe to me on Substack. This is all free so share with a friend. See you next week!