1 Government sets target of 10,000 GI tags by 2030
The Government of India has set a target of 10,000 Geographical Indication (GI) tags for Indian products by 2030. According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), 605 Indian products have been issued GI tags so far. The first Indian product to get a GI tag was Darjeeling tea in 2003. The new target for GI tags was announced by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at the GI Conclave held in New Delhi on 22 January 2025. The minister also announced that the central government will set up a committee to achieve this target. The GI Conclave was organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the India Today Group.
2 Kerala CM Vijayan unveiled disaster risk warning system Kavacham
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India ‘s first fully integrated disaster warning system Kavacham ( Kerala Warnings, a Crisis and Hazard Management System ) on 21 January 2025. The Kavacham system has been developed under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project . The Kavacham system is considered to be one of the world’s fastest weather warning systems that will further enable rescue and rehabilitation efforts during climate change-induced extreme weather events. The Kavacham system has been developed by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) as part of the National Cyclone Risk Reduction Project with financial support from the National Disaster Management Authority , Government of India and the World Bank .
3 Reliance Industries to build world’s largest data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat
Reliance Industries , headed by Mukesh Ambani , is going to build the world’s largest data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat . This ambitious project has the potential to bring a revolutionary change in India’s digital infrastructure, especially in the field of rapidly growing use of artificial intelligence (AI). This center with a capacity of one gigawatt will be the world’s largest data center. To boost its ambitions in the field of AI, Reliance has partnered with NVIDIA , a global leader in AI technology. Announced during the NVIDIA AI Summit held in October 2024, NVIDIA will provide Blackwell AI processors for the Jamnagar data center.
4 India’s iSNR: Setting global standards in sustainable rubber
On 21st January 2025, in Kottayam, Kerala , India inaugurated the Indian Sustainable Natural Rubber (iSNR) initiative , which aims to set new global benchmarks in sustainable rubber production . Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Minority Affairs George Kurien was the chief guest at the event, while it was chaired by MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan. Other prominent attendees included Rubber Board Vice Chairman G. Anil Kumar and Member N. Hari. The iSNR framework provides free certification to farmers and producers without any financial barriers, allowing even small farmers to easily become a part of the initiative. The initiative is in sync with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to ensure that Indian natural rubber complies with international sustainability standards and becomes more competitive in global markets.
5 Ayushmann Khurrana becomes the brand ambassador of FICCI Frames
FICCI FRAMES , India’s premier global media and entertainment conference, is all set to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. This milestone is a special moment for the media and entertainment industry, and in honour of this achievement, renowned Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana has been appointed as the brand ambassador for this year’s edition of FICCI FRAMES. The theme of the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES will be “ RISE: Redefining Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence ”.
6 Odisha Warriors beat JSW Surma Hockey Club 2-1 to win Women’s Hockey India League title
Odisha Warriors have won the first title of Women’s Hockey India League . Odisha Warriors defeated JSW Surma Hockey Club 2-1 in the final in Ranchi . Rutuja Dadaso Pisal gave Warriors the lead by scoring a goal in the second quarter but Penny Skib scored a goal shortly after and equalized the match. At the end of the match, Rutuja scored another goal and Warriors won the match. Rutuja was declared Player of the Match. At the award ceremony, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren presented the trophy to Odisha Warriors captain Neha Goyal.
7 World number 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy won the men’s singles title in Australian Open Tennis
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy has won the men’s singles title at the Australian Open tennis . In the final he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 at Rod Laver Arena . With his win, the 23-year-old Italian player became the youngest man to win multiple Australian Open titles since Jim Courier in 1992-93. In the women’s doubles final, top seeded pair of Taylor Townsend of the US and Czech player Katerina Siniakova won the title.
8 World famous cardiologist Dr. K.M. Cherian passed away in Bangalore
World famous cardiologist Dr. K.M. Cherian passed away in Bengaluru . He was 82 years old. He had more than 50 years of experience as a cardiologist. KM Cherian performed India’s first successful coronary artery bypass surgery in 1975. Along with this, he is known for performing many unprecedented heart surgeries. Cherian was the surgeon who performed the first heart surgery with organ donation from a brain dead patient. Dr. Cherian also performed India’s first heart-lung transplant and pediatric heart transplant. Dr. Cherian also worked as the honorary surgeon of the President of India from 1990 to 1993. He received many awards including Padma Shri and Harvard Medical Excellence Award in 2005 .
9 Wing Commander (Retd) Dr K Ramachand passes away
Wing Commander (Retd) Dr K Ramachand , a distinguished aerospace engineer and former Director of the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) , passed away at the age of 82. His pioneering contributions to the Indian aerospace sector have left an indelible mark. In 2002, Dr Ramachand was appointed as the Director of CABS where he led the indigenous design and development of the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft. The system was inducted into the IAF in 2017 and played a key role in providing air defence to the Mirage 2000 fighter jets during the 2019 Balakot airstrikes . Dr Ramachand authored a book titled ‘ The Incredible Journey of the Indian AWACS ‘, detailing the story of the development of the AEW&C aircraft. The book was released at Aero India 2019.