Airtel to crack down spam calls with India’s first AI-powered network tool

Airtel To Crack Down Spam Calls With India’s First AI-Powered Network Tool

by Utkalika Mohanty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

In a pioneering move to curb the country’s spam menace, Bharti Airtel on Wednesday launched India’s first network-based, AI-powered spam detection solution.

New Delhi, Sep 25: In a pioneering move to curb the country’s spam menace, Bharti Airtel on Wednesday launched India’s first network-based, AI-powered spam detection solution.

The free-of-cost solution -- a first by a telecom service provider in the country -- will alert customers in real time to all suspected spam calls and SMSes.

It will get auto-activated for all Airtel customers without them having to raise a service request or download an app.

“Spam has become a menace for customers. Today marks a milestone as we launch the country’s first AI-powered spam-free network that will shield our customers from the continuous onslaught of intrusive and unwanted communications,” said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel.

Vittal said that the company spent the last 12 months solving the spam and built the tool with “dual-layer protection” -- one at the network layer and the second at the IT systems layer.

“Every call and SMS passes through this dual-layered AI shield. In 2 milliseconds our solution processes 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls every day. This is equivalent to processing 1 trillion records on a real-time basis using the power of AI,” Vittal said.

So far the tool successfully identified “100 million potential spam calls and 3 million spam SMSes originating every day”, Vittal noted.

Developed in-house by Airtel’s data scientists, the AI-powered solution uses a proprietary algorithm to identify and classify calls and SMSes as "Suspected SPAM".

It analyses the caller or sender's usage patterns, call/SMS frequency, and call duration amongst several others, on a real-time basis.

By cross-referencing this information against known spam patterns, the system flags suspected spam calls and SMSes accurately.

In addition, the tool also alerts customers to malicious links received via SMS. For this, Airtel has built a centralised database of blacklisted URLs and every SMS is scanned in real-time by a state-of-the-art AI algorithm to caution users from accidentally clicking on suspicious links.

The tool can also detect anomalies such as frequent IMEI changes -- a typical indicator of fraudulent behaviour, Airtel said.

--IANS

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IMD Forecasts Heavy Rainfall In Parts Of Odisha For Two Days

by Hemanta Pande

Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over several districts in Odisha for the next two days.

The IMD issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall between 7 and 20 cm at one or two places over Boudh and Angul districts till 8.30 AM on Thursday.

It also issued a yellow alert for thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) at isolated places in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir, Sonepur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khordha, Nayagarh and Kandhamal during the period.

Similarly, heavy rainfall between 7 and 11cm is likely at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts from 8.30 AM on Thursday to 8.30 AM on Friday. A yellow weather warning has been issued for these five districts, the IMD’s latest bulletin said.

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10 Years Of Make In India: Looking Back At Decade Of Transformational Growth

by Hemanta Pande

New Delhi, Sep 25: The ‘Make in India’, one of the flagship initiatives of the Modi government completed ten years on Wednesday. This not only illustrates a decade of India’s transformational growth but also a defining moment for the nation as it positions itself as a global manufacturing hub.

The flagship scheme launched on 25th September 2014, during the first tenure of the Modi government, ushered in big-ticket reforms and played a pivotal role in boosting domestic manufacturing, enhancing skill development and facilitating foreign investment.

A snapshot of achievements

119 per cent rise in FDI in 10 years

In the last ten years (2014-24), India has witnessed a cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of USD 667.4 billion, registering an increase of 119 per cent in the past ten years.

This investment inflow spans 57 sectors with most of them being opened for 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route. FDI equity inflows into the manufacturing sector reached USD 165.1 billion, marking a 69 per cent increase compared to the past decade, which stood at USD 97.7 billion.

Over 1 crore investment under PLI scheme

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, touted as the game-changer program has led to ₹1.32 lakh crore (USD 16 billion) in investments and a significant boost in manufacturing output. More than 8.5 lakh jobs have been created directly and indirectly due to the initiative.

Surge in exports

India’s exports have surged in the past decade, with an additional ₹4 lakh crore generated due to the PLI schemes.

Rise in Ease of Doing Business Index

India saw a significant jump in its Ease of Doing Business Index, registering a sharp rise from 142nd rank in 2014 to 63rd rank in 2019 in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. Over the years, 42,000 compliances were reduced while 3,700 provisions were decriminalised.

Key reforms

As the Make in India initiative rolled out, it also saw the onset of many reforms including below

National Single Window System (NSWS), launched in September 2021 simplified investor experience and integrated clearances from multiple ministries and departments thereby facilitating rapid approvals.

PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched in October 2021 was a transformative move to facilitate data-based decisions related to integrated planning of multimodal infrastructure, thereby reducing logistics costs.

The development of 11 industrial corridors under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme seeks to enhance India’s competitiveness by providing world-class infrastructure.

The One-District-One-Product (ODOP) initiative has fostered local economic development, with Unity Malls being set up in 27 states to provide platforms for these unique products.

Under the Startup India initiative, the number of recognised startups has gone up to 1,40,803 as of 30th June 2024, which has created over 15.5 lakh direct jobs. (IANS)

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PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone Of Various Projects In Maharashtra Tomorrow

by Hemanta Pande

Mumbai, Sep 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Pune, Maharashtra on Thursday to lay the foundation stone worth over Rs 22,600 crore.

He will inaugurate the Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate which will mark the completion of the Pune Metro Rail Project (Phase-1). The cost of the underground section between the District Court to Swargate is around Rs 1,810 crore.

Further, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Swargate-Katraj Extension of Pune Metro Phase-1 to be developed at the cost of around Rs 2,950 crore. This southern extension of around 5.46 km is completely underground with three stations namely Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Memorial of the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule’s First Girls’ School at Bhidewada. He will also address the rally at the SP College ground in Pune.

In line with his commitment to make India self-reliant in the field of Supercomputing technology, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers worth around Rs 130 crore, developed indigenously under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).

These supercomputers have been deployed in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata to facilitate pioneering scientific research.

Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune will leverage the supercomputer to explore Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and other astronomical phenomena. Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in Delhi will enhance research in fields like material science and atomic physics. SN Bose Centre in Kolkata will drive advanced research in areas such as physics, cosmology, and earth sciences.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research. This project represents an investment of Rs 850 crore, marking a significant leap in India's computational capabilities for meteorological applications.

Located at two key sites, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune and the National Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF) in Noida, this HPC system has extraordinary computing power.

The new HPC systems are named 'Arka' and 'Arunika,' reflecting their connection to the Sun. These high-resolution models will significantly enhance the accuracy and lead time of predictions related to tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms, hailstorms, heat waves, droughts, and other critical weather phenomena.

The Prime Minister will launch and dedicate to the nation various initiatives in the petroleum and natural gas sector worth Rs 10,400 crore. These initiatives will focus on energy, infrastructure, safety and convenience of truck and cab drivers, cleaner mobility and a sustainable future.

To enable ease of driving, the Prime Minister will launch the Way Side Amenities for truck drivers at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra; Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab; Songadh, Gujarat; Belagavi and Bangalore Rural, Karnataka.

With the objective of developing modern facilities for a comfortable journey break in one place designed to cater to the needs of truckers and cab drivers during their long journeys, wayside amenities such as affordable boarding and lodging facilities, clean toilets, safe parking space, cooking area, WiFi, Gym, etc. are being developed at a cost of around Rs 2,170 crore at 1,000 retail outlets.

To develop multiple energy choices like petrol, diesel, CNG, EV, CBG, and Ethanol blended petrol (EBP), at one retail outlet, the Prime Minister will launch Energy Stations. Nearly 4,000 energy stations would be developed over Golden Quadrilateral, East-West and North-South Corridors and other major highways over the next five years at a cost of around Rs 6000 crore.

Energy stations will help provide seamless mobility through the provision of alternate fuels under one roof to energy-seeking customers.

To facilitate a smooth transition to Green Energy, De-carbonisation and Net Zero Emission and to reduce the range anxiety of Electric Vehicle drivers, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 500 EV charging facilities. Further, 10,000 EV Charging stations (EVCS) are being targeted to be developed by FY 2025 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 20 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations across the country including 3 in Maharashtra. To promote the adoption of clean fuel such as LNG for long-distance transportation, 50 LNG Fuel Stations will be developed in various states of the country by Oil and Gas companies at a cost of around Rs 500 crore.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation 1500 E20 (20 per cent ethanol blended) petrol retail outlets worth around Rs 225 crore.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Solapur Airport which would significantly improve connectivity, making Solapur more accessible to tourists, business travellers and investors. The existing terminal Building of Solapur has been revamped to serve around 4.1 lakh passengers annually.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering an expansive 7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program, situated 20 km south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.