Ashwin Desikan, co-founder and CTO, Alsuya Technologiest; Dr, Tamizh Inian, founder and CEO, Frigate Engineering Services Private Limited and Phunith Kumar V, CPO and co-founder, Raptee HV, along with Kunal Shankar, Deputy Business Editor, The Hindu, during the session on Digital Transformation, Startup As Catalyst For Change, in Chennai on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged in industries, colleges or schools. Individuals can learn AI, apply it in their jobs and upskill themselves to find a next job , said Ashwin Desikan, co founder, CTO Atsuya Technologies, at the Tamil Nadu Startup Summit in Chennai on Thursday.

Speaking about how AI and digitalisation will bring in disruption, he said, “Look at how we waste resources today. We believe that labour is cheap. It is not. Rather, we could spend that time in cross skilling or upskilling them and that would bring in the change. Today the power of AI is such that you can have full conversations with it. “

He was speaking in a panel discussion on ‘Digital Transformation: Startup as a Catalyst for Change’ moderated by Kunal Shankar, Deputy Business Editor, The Hindu.

Talking about the challenges that they faced, Mr. Desikan drew the example of emergency management system of Greater Chennai Corporation and said, “In the initial stages, it used to be the cloud when we approached customer as we are a cloud-only platform. The whole perception that cloud is bad in many cases or not very secure sometimes puts fundamental blocks in company’s mind. So winning trust over the customer with what they are observing was key.”

Highlighting the need for a feedback loop, Tamizh Inian, founder, CEO, Frigate Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd. said: “I believe in taking MSMEs global. You have to become a global vendor so that their margins can raise. If they do operation efficiency using digital there would be a lot of benefit for them. Even if you implement any policy, we also need to be able to get feedback. There has to be a feedback loop from the MSMEs. There has to be a structured format of policy for every sector based on their revenue. That’s how all the players would benefit.”

Pointing to the range anxiety that people might feel when they own an electric vehicle, as one of the challenges in the sector, Phunith Kumar V., CPO, co-founder Raptee HV said: “The best way to solve it is by having a better charging infrastructure or better energy density technology than making a vehicle run longer on a single charge. Putting on bigger battery pads is not going to solve it. These are the things we need to work on.”

Visakhapatnam: Residents of hilltop Neredu Bandha in Chimalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal in Anakapalli district have sought establishment of a special medical camp in their village to deal with the rising cases of fever among children.

At least 13 kids are suffering from fever in this difficult-to-access village belonging to Kondu tribals, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the agency area. One of the children, Kilo Prabhas, had to be shifted to the Narsipatnam Area Hospital for treatment.

There is no ASHA worker or Anganwadi centre available in the area, leaving the children vulnerable to untreated illnesses. Apart from the medical camp, concerned villagers have sought anti-mosquito spraying in the village, as they feel the fever among children is due to malaria.

It is said officials declined to do so, citing that the village is not listed in revenue records. Such lack of preventive measures has raised fears among residents about the worsening health conditions.

Among the children reported ill during the past three days are Pangi Abhishek, Killo Sundar Rao, Dippala Shivaji, Killo Kamala Sedari, Ratnam Pangi Sai, Golluru Bhaskara Rao, Pangi Ankita, Sedari Rusa, Sedari Banji Babu, Dippala Vishnu, and Pangi Vasantha.

Local tribal leaders, including Tribal Association president Pangi Chandrayya and PVTG Association president Gemili Vasu, have urged the state government to take immediate action and set up a medical camp in the Neredu Bandha village.

They warned that they would otherwise stage a protest at the Primary Health Centre.

Pahalgam Terror Attack: With India grieving the loss of lives in the Pahalgam terror attack and the world expressing their condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a stern message to Pakistan, terrorists and the world that India won’t bow down to terrorism. Addressing a rally in Bihar, Prime Minister Modi said that India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers responsible for the attack in Pahalgam. PM Modi said that the punishment will be ‘beyond their imagination’.

“Today, from the soil of Bihar, I say to the whole world that India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth. India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished,” Modi said.

India will identify, track and punish every terrorist, their handlers and their backers.

We will pursue them to the ends of the earth.

India’s spirit will never be broken by terrorism. pic.twitter.com/sV3zk8gM94
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 24, 2025

Prime Minister Modi, in his first public remarks after the terror attack in Baisaran in Pahalgam that left at least 26 persons dead on Tuesday, said that every effort will be made to ensure that justice is served.

“Everyone who believes in humanity is with us. I thank the people of various countries and the leaders who have stood with us in these times,” the Prime Minister said in his brief remarks in English.

Modi asserted that the terrorists who carried out the attack and its planners will be ‘punished beyond their imagination’. He said the enemies of the country have dared to attack the soul of India.

Tensions are soaring between India and Pakistan with the two nations taking measures against each other. While India has suspended the Indus water treaty and SAARC visas for Pakistanis, Islamabad has shut its airspace for India while also suspending third-party trade connecting India.