Current Affairs 14 September 2026

Akasa Air Operates Flight with 1% SAF Blend Supplied by BPCL.

• SAF Flight: Akasa Air and BPCL operated a commercial flight using a 1% SAF blend.
• Route: Mumbai–Goa flight operated with SAF supplied by BPCL.
• India’s Target: Supports the goal of 5% SAF blending by 2030.
• Aircraft: Boeing 737 MAX powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines.
• Efficiency: SkyBreathe fuel-management technology was used to improve fuel efficiency.

India Launches Its 1st Independent Photonics Association.

• India Photonics Association (IPA): India’s first independent, industry-led photonics body launched in New Delhi on September 9, 2026.
• Objective: Connect industry stakeholders, expand business opportunities and develop globally competitive photonics products.
• Market Growth: India’s photonics market was valued at $78.4 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $155 billion by 2034.
• Silicon Photonics: Sector growing at a 29% CAGR.
• Applications: Photonics supports key initiatives such as BharatNet and ISRO’s optical inter-satellite links.

ONGC and IIT Bombay Host MC²⁺ Ignite, Sign Tripartite MoU.

• MC²⁺ Ignite: ONGC hosted the energy innovation accelerator’s Mumbai City Connect at IIT Bombay.
• Tripartite MoU: MC²⁺ Foundation, IIT Bombay and SINE partnered to connect industry, academia and startups.
• Startup Support: Programme will support up to 30 early-stage energy startups.
• Funding: Startups can receive up to ₹2 crore through convertible and milestone-based funding.
• Focus Areas: AI-driven subsurface intelligence, advanced drilling, hydrogen, bioenergy, digital asset management and refinery technologies.
• Applications: Cohort applications close on September 15, 2026.

Amazon and Qualcomm Join Forces to Build Custom AI Chips.

• Strategic Partnership: Qualcomm and Amazon announced a multi-generation collaboration to develop custom AI chips for AWS data centres.
• AI Focus: Chips will be designed primarily for large-scale AI inference workloads.
High-Speed Connectivity: Plans include optical connectivity of up to 1.6T using Qualcomm’s SerDes and optical DSP technologies.
• AWS Integration: Qualcomm will use Amazon Bedrock for AI-related electronic design automation (EDA) workloads.
• Goal: Leverage AWS infrastructure to accelerate chip design and reduce development cycles.

Uttarakhand Welcomes First OPU-IVF Calf of Badri Cattle Breed.

• First OPU-IVF Calf: A healthy Badri female calf was born on September 11, 2026 through OPU-IVF technology.
• Collaboration: Jointly developed by ICAR-NDRI, Karnal and GB Pant University, Pantnagar.
• Process: Oocytes from elite Badri cows were fertilized using superior Badri bull semen, followed by embryo transfer into a Sahiwal cow.
• Project: Initiated in 2023 under Dr. M. S. Chauhan.
• Funding: Supported by the Uttarakhand Biotechnology Council, Haldi.