Our next space race may be closer to Earth
Before a payload goes to space, it needs to be tested in near-space conditions. But access to such facilities is limited in India, says Red Balloon Aerospace Co-founder CVS Kiran.
Dear Reader,
Multispeciality healthcare provider ABH Healthcare's Rs 34.98 crore SME IPO opens on Monday and will run through August 27, with a price band of Rs 96–102 per share. The entirely fresh issue of up to 34.29 lakh shares is set to list on the NSE Emerge platform on September 1.
The company is expected to use Rs 17 crore of the net proceeds towards paying its debt, Rs 5 crore to fund working capital requirements and the balance for yet-to-be decided acquisitions, PTI reports.
ICYMI: Retail jewellery chain Kalyan Jewellers has launched Akshaya Thanga Maligai as a distinct Tamil brand. The CapTable takes a deep dive into the world of the organised gold jewellery market in India.
With Akshaya Thanga Maligai, Kalyan is creating a distinctly Tamil brand rather
Lastly, the Karnataka government has launched KEO (Knowledge-driven, Economical and Open-source) an AI ready computing device, democratising access to advanced technologies.
According to the Karnataka government, KEO was built around the idea that advanced computing should be accessible not only to those with high-end devices and reliable connectivity, but to people across geographies and income levels.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Building India’s near-space infrastructure
- Women’s invisible work in agriculture
Here’s your trivia for today: What strategy describes a company making hostile stock purchases right below the regulatory threshold before launching a takeover?
In Focus
Building India’s near-space infrastructure
Based in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, spacetech startup Red Balloon Aerospace is building platforms for what it sees as the near-space infrastructure layer, using stratospheric airships, aerostats, and super-pressure balloons.
Launchpad:
- Before a payload goes to space, it needs to be tested in near-space conditions. But access to such facilities is limited in India, says Co-founder CVS Kiran.
- The startup’s primary platform is HELIX, an autonomous stratospheric airship designed for persistent and long-endurance near-space operations.
- In May, Red Balloon Aerospace launched VISTA, its super-pressure balloon, to test core subsystems that will also be used in HELIX.
Agriculture
Women’s invisible work in agriculture
Despite driving India’s agriculture, women workers remain systematically out of the ecosystem. According to a report by Arya.ag, Her Harvest 2026: The Hidden Cost of Women’s Invisible Work in Indian Agriculture, this unrecognised work is costing the country between Rs 1.2 lakh crore and Rs 2 lakh crore in agricultural output every year.
Key takeaways:
- The report shows that while women do an increasing share of the work, many remain invisible in the official systems that determine who gets recognised, financed, and supported as a farmer.
- About 64% of the country’s working women are engaged in agriculture, up from 57% in 2017-18. Nearly 77% of rural working women are engaged in agriculture.
- While land title updates remain slow, modern tools like storage facilities, warehouse financing, technology, and farmer producer organisations can separate resource access from official deed ownership.
News & updates
- Energy: The Vatican is expected to build a roughly $117 million renewable energy plant that could power the Holy See within two years via a system combining solar power and agriculture, Reuters reported citing sources.
- Tariff talks: The US has levied 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods on Saturday after the two countries failed to reach a trade deal, with each side accusing the other of derailing days of talks. The tariffs that came into effect Saturday morning on some $20 billion of Canadian goods include things like wooden hockey sticks.
What strategy describes a company making hostile stock purchases right below the regulatory threshold before launching a takeover?
Answer: Dawn raid
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