Karnataka govt's venture capital programme to bring investment of $17.5 bnVenture Capital Connect, a three-day programme connecting startups and investors, is being organised by the Department of Electronics, IT, and Biotechnology (Bt), Government of Karnataka, as part of the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024 (BTS 2024) from November 19-21. The government said the programme is expected to attract over 50 leading global investors, including family offices, angel investors, and venture capital firms, with a combined potential investment fund of more than $17.5 billion. The government did not disclose specific details about these investors or the timeline for when the investments might materialise.

More than 322 startups across a diverse range of sectors have registered to participate in the programme, of which 118 have applied for patents. This includes 23 ideation-stage startups, 142 early-traction-stage startups, 75 concept-validation-stage startups, and 82 growth-stage startups. These startups will have the opportunity to showcase their innovations to top investors and receive valuable insights and mentorship on scaling their businesses. Investors attending will gain unique access to a robust pipeline of innovative, high-growth startups across various technology sectors.

The programme is strongly focused on catalysing growth specifically for Karnataka-based startups, with support from leading investment associations and registered venture capital networks in India. This initiative aligns with the state’s commitment to fostering innovation, providing Karnataka-based startups with access to substantial capital and mentorship.

Priyank Kharge, Minister for Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka, said, “Karnataka has always been at the forefront of innovation, and with BTS 2024, we are amplifying this momentum by creating a direct bridge between our startups and global investors. This programme is more than a funding opportunity; it is a strategic investment in the future of Karnataka’s entrepreneurs, who are shaping tomorrow’s technology landscape.”

The Venture Capital Connect programme is just one of many initiatives for the startup community at BTS 2024. The event will also feature a dedicated startup track with three days of engaging panels and keynotes, a Startup Pavilion for entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative products and solutions, a product launch arena, and networking programmes.

Delhi Metro to sell India International Trade Fair tickets at 55 stations

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Wednesday informed that tickets for the India International Trade Fair (IITF) will sold at 55 metro stations across its network.

The Trade Fair will take place at Pragati Maidan from November 14 to 27.

The online QR code-based tickets for the fair are already available on Delhi Metro application, it said.

Delhi Metro will be selling tickets from Thursday at Bharat Mandapam complex in both online and offline mode for the first time ever, the statement said.

From tomorrow onwards, IITF tickets will be sold at the customer care/ticket counters of 55 prominent metro stations till the last day of fair on November 27 as per the rates applicable for various categories/days, it stated.

The stations where the tickets will be available include Shaheed Sthal, Dilshad Garden and Rithala on Red Line. Samaypur Badli, Azadpur and Millennium City Centre Gurugram on Yellow Line. Noida Electronic City, Indraprastha, Mandi House and Barakhamba on Blue Line.

News updates: India calls for cross-border collaboration with Pak, B'desh to tackle pollution

Describing pollution as a "transboundary" issue, India has urged nations, especially Pakistan and Bangladesh, to take proactive and collaborative measures to manage and mitigate air pollution across borders. This appeal comes as northern India has been witnessing a rise in pollution with New Delhi's air quality hitting a severe' level for the first time this season, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 418, on Wednesday. Ministers and heads of delegations from six of the eight countries that share the Earth's tallest cryosphere zone met at a meeting hosted by Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on day two of the global climate conference COP29 in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a statement on Wednesday.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday alleged that infiltration has assumed an alarming proportion in Jharkhand and hit out at the ruling JMM-led coalition for "patronising" infiltrators. He also termed the ruling dispensation's 'Abua Awas' housing scheme in place of PM Awas Yojana as a 'farzi (fake)' scheme for 'cut money and commission.'


Taking a firm stance on 'bulldozer justice,' the Supreme Court ruled that if houses of people are demolished merely because they are accused or convicts, it will be totally unconstitutional. The top court said the Executive cannot replace the judiciary and the "legal process should not prejudge the guilt of an accused."

A thick blanket of smog covered Delhi and its neighboring areas including Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad on Wednesday morning. Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) above 400, placing it in the 'Severe' range, while Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad registered 'Poor' air quality. The AQI in Faridabad stood at 188, falling in the 'Moderate' category. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.
A goods train derailed in Peddapalli district of Telangana, leading to cancellation of 20 passenger trains, officials of South Central Railway (SCR) said on Wednesday. Eleven wagons of the goods train carrying iron ore derailed between Raghavapuram and Ramagundam on Tuesday late night, they said. Due to derailment of the goods train, as many as 20 passenger trains were cancelled, four were partially cancelled and 10 were diverted, a release from the SCR zone said. Two trains were also rescheduled and three were regulated, it added. The officials said efforts are underway to restore the track and resume train movement.
India's fossil fuel emissions are projected to rise by 4.6 per cent in 2024, while China could see a marginal rise of 0.2 per cent, according to new research by a group of international scientists.The report, unveiled during the UN climate conference or COP29 in Azerbaijan's Baku on Wednesday, stated that global carbon emissions from fossil fuels could reach 37.4 billion tonnes, an increase of 0.8 per cent from 2023 levels.
A thick blanket of smog covered Delhi and its neighboring areas including Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad on Wednesday morning. Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) above 400, placing it in the 'Severe' range, while Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad registered 'Poor' air quality. The AQI in Faridabad stood at 188, falling in the 'Moderate' category.

Indian tourist arrivals in Singapore in October reach one million mark

Indian visitor arrivals to Singapore surged past the one million mark in October, two months earlier than in 2023, the city-state's tourism body said on Wednesday, marking a strong recovery in its tourism sector.

This milestone was achieved when Singapore Airlines flight SQ-421 from Mumbai touched down at Changi Airport on October 31, bringing Singapore's millionth Indian visitor for 2024, the Singapore Tourism Board (ST said.

With a 12 per cent increase in Indian visitors from January to October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, India is Singapore's third-largest source market for tourism, it said.

Commenting on this significant milestone, Regional Director of STB for India, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, Markus Tan, said, "Welcoming our one-millionth Indian visitor two months earlier than in 2023 demonstrates Singapore's enduring appeal as a premier short-haul destination for Indian travellers."

This milestone not only reflects our strong tourism recovery but also highlights the continued importance of the metros as source markets," Tan said.

'Wholly unconstitutional': SC rules on bulldozer justice by state govts

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that state governments cannot demolish the house of a person accused or convicted of a crime citing their criminal background, saying "executive cannot become a judge", and that failure to follow due process would be dealt with the "heavy hand of the law".

The court observed that if a property is demolished only because a person is an accused, it is "wholly unconstitutional". “The right to shelter is one of the facets of Article 21. Depriving such innocent people of their right to life by removing shelter from their heads, in our considered view, would be wholly unconstitutional,” a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said.

“The executive cannot become a judge and decide that a person accused is guilty and, therefore, punish him by demolishing his residential/commercial property/properties. Such an act of the executive would be transgressing its limits,” the court said during hearing pleas challenging house demolitions by state governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. In these cases, Muslim tenants were accused of committing crimes that triggered communal tensions.

The court further said that such ‘bulldozer action’ amounts to state officials taking the law into their own hands.

The court also set out guidelines to regulate such demolitions, including a mandatory 15-day notice period for the targeted residents to either challenge the order or get their affairs in order before being evicted. The notice must also spell out the reason(s) for demolition and the date of hearing to challenge the action, the court said. It added that the affected party needs to be given time to challenge the order of demolition before an appropriate forum.