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What’s New Today: India has officially launched the ARKA GKT-1, its first IP-powered silicon chip designed for edge AI and smart-energy systems.
Fast-Track Insights: U.S.-based PicoJool has raised $12 million in seed funding to accelerate next-generation optical connectivity for hyperscale AI data centers.
Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest tech headlines making waves today. Let's dive into the day’s top stories, from India’s breakthrough ARKA GKT-1 chip launch to PicoJool’s major funding round—along with key insights into workforce trends, AI learning resources, and global crypto regulation.
India has introduced the ARKA GKT-1, its first generation of IP-powered silicon chip, developed by Azimuth AI and Cyient Semiconductors. This energy-efficient platform-on-chip integrates custom computing, sensing, memory, and power management in a single SoC for edge AI and smart-energy uses. Target applications include smart cities, utilities, industrial automation, and battery systems — marking a step toward India’s semiconductor self-reliance.
PicoJool has raised $12 million in a seed round led by Playground Global to advance its vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology for optical links in hyperscale AI data centers. Founded by veteran inventor Al Yuen, the company aims to challenge copper-based interconnects by offering high-bandwidth, cost-effective, and manufacturable optical solutions, targeting future standards up to 1.6 T and beyond.
India is producing a growing number of graduates, yet faces a rising talent shortage, warns Dr Shamika Ravi of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. She highlights a critical mismatch: many graduates lack the industry-ready skills that firms desperately need. This widening gap, she argues, undermines the potential of India’s workforce, despite its growing education output.
This Analytics Insight article highlights essential books for AI engineers that are freely available, covering topics like neural networks, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and ethics. It stresses that the resources provided make a connection between theory and practice, giving mathematical intuition alongside hands‑on Python examples. The curated selection empowers engineers to build intelligent, ethical systems with a strong foundational understanding.
The White House is evaluating a Treasury-IRS proposal to join the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), which would give U.S. tax authorities access to Americans’ foreign crypto accounts. The move aims to discourage taxpayers from hiding assets offshore and align U.S. rules with 50 other countries already committed to CARF’s 2027–2028 rollout.
