Bengaluru-based General Aeronautics specialises in developing robotic drones to offer tech-enabled crop protection services, crop health monitoring, precision farming and yield monitoring services using artificial intelligence and data analytics

Three of my grandparents were Goans and Catholic by religious orientation. That is often the long-winded explanation I have to offer in order to justify my culturally diverse lineage, especially to those who tend to caricature Goa and its denizens based on loosely crafted characters in movies and in popular media.

For generations now, absence of consistent and rigorous public discourse about Goa’s colonial history had led to a tentatively harmonious co-existence of Hindus, Catholics and Muslims. But the state’s rapidly changing demography due to in and out-migration patterns, as well as the consolidation of the Hindu right-wing in positions of authority, have led to questions being asked about history.

Founded in 1990 by Dr Jayant Balaji Atavale, a hypnotherapist, the Sanatan Sanstha is registered as a charitable organisation. A few people linked to the killing of four well-known rationalists and bomb blasts in Goa and Maharashtra were allegedly members of the Sanstha. However, their Sanstha membership has not been proved conclusively. There is very little information about its membership policy, and the locals are not allowed into the ashram.

A tale of a sensuous mermaid through her blithe adolescence, meditative adulthood and grim old age—that's the story of Goa too

The story of Goa is in many ways our story. And we decided to tell its story from the point of view of an old mermaid. We decided to make the mermaid speak to us.

Adani Defence & Aerospace has entered into definitive agreements for acquiring 50 per cent equity stake in agricultural drone startup General Aeronautics for an undisclosed amount.

Bengaluru-based General Aeronautics specialises in developing robotic drones to offer tech-enabled crop protection services, crop health monitoring, precision farming and yield monitoring services using artificial intelligence and data analytics.

"The partnership between General Aeronautics and Adani Defence & Aerospace fuses our military and civilian objectives by integrating... Adani Group's military UAV capabilities with the capabilities of General Aeronautics thereby providing us with a platform with far reaching possibilities," Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace, said in a statement.

The drone and drone services market in India is expected to grow rapidly and can reach Rs 30,000 crore by 2026, driven by the evolving policy framework, PLI incentives and the recent ban on imports of drones.

"I am delighted that Adani Defence & Aerospace is partnering with us to lead us into the next era of growth in this rapidly evolving space.

"I look forward to our partnership unlocking substantial scale, leveraging their vision and commitment to the unmanned capabilities which will help facilitate India becoming the drone hub of the world," General Aeronautics CEO Abhishek Burman said.  

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