CM Revanth flags off India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 at Skyroot Aerospace

Hyderabad: India’s first privately built orbital rocket took another step forward towards its historic mission as Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy flagged off Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 flight hardware to Sriharikota, where the company is expected to launch the rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in June this year.Describing it as a moment of pride for Telangana and a major milestone in the state’s ambition to emerge as a global aerospace leader, the CM pointed out that Vikram-1 was completely designed and developed in Hyderabad, indicating the growing importance of the state in India’s aerospace and space technology ecosystem.“Skyroot has developed India’s first privately built orbital rocket to carry satellites into space. The company launched its first rocket (suborbital) in 2022 and reaching the orbital launch stage in such a short time is a remarkable achievement,” said Revanth Reddy while interacting with the company’s leadership and engineering teams.Telangana Industries and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu was also present for the flag-off along with other senior officials.

The CM said that Telangana is already ranked number one in India in the aerospace sector and pointed to the presence of global big companies like Boeing, Airbus and Safran in the state. He said the government has set a long-term goal of making Telangana a global aerospace hub by 2047, with aerospace identified as one of the major growth engines of the state.He also linked the rise of the aerospace sector to the state’s export performance. Citing central government data, he said Telangana has recorded the highest growth of 117.9% in engineering goods exports among Indian states between 2023-24 and 2024-25.He said aircraft parts and defense equipment were among the biggest contributors to this surge, reflecting the rapid expansion of advanced manufacturing capabilities in the state. Revanth Reddy said the government is strongly focusing on building skilled workforce to support future growth in aerospace and other high-technology sectors.Highlighting the ongoing efforts through Young India Skills University, Advanced Technology Centers and Polytechnic Institutes, he said the state planned to bring ATCs and Polytechnics under the ambit of Skills Universities.According to him, the move is aimed at creating a uniform, industry-driven curriculum and ensuring that training remains in line with changing industrial requirements. He said that the emphasis of the government is not only on the training of students but also on improving the quality of trainers.“Our focus is on providing the best training to the trainers in these institutes. Tata Technologies is providing training to our trainers in ATCs across the state,” he said.Pawan Kumar Chandna, CEO and co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace, said that with this flag-off it will reach Sriharikota next week where they will start assembling the rocket for launch in June this year.Chandana said Skyroot is in discussion with IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to get the launch window for the rocket.“We will announce the launch window soon,” he said, adding that the company will launch more tests after the first test launch of Vikram-1 in the next few months.“The goal by next year is to have a capacity where we can produce one rocket a month and probably sometime next year we will be able to reach the full payload capacity of 300 kilograms in each rocket,” he said.He described it as a moment of pride not only for India but also globally as very few companies in the world have the capability and technology to make rockets. “

Swati Maliwal (Image/PTI)

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Saturday recalled the alleged attack on her two years ago when she spoke publicly on the issue after joining the Rajya Sabha. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Maliwal claimed that he was ‘intimidated and threatened’ when he tried to file an FIR against the incident. Speaking to reporters, Maliwal said, “I have left Aam Aadmi Party And joined BJP. Since 2006 I have been working with Arvind Kejriwal And supported him in every movement. But, Arvind Kejriwal got me beaten by a goon in my own house. When I raised my voice against this, I was threatened and immense pressure was put on me to withdraw the FIR. For two years I was not given even a minute to speak in Parliament.”His comments come days after more than two-thirds of AAP’s Rajya Sabha MPs resigned from the party and joined the BJP, with Raghav Chadha leading the split.Giving details of the incident, Maliwal alleged that she was attacked by a close aide of Kejriwal at the chief minister’s residence in 2024 and she faced constant pressure to withdraw her complaint.She said, “I left my home, lived in the slums for seven years, left my job and supported every movement. But when I tried to file an FIR after the assault, I was threatened and intimidated. For the last two years, I have been constantly pressurized to withdraw the case, but I did not yield.”He further said that due to his opposition he was sidelined within the party.“Because of this, in the last two years, I have not been given even a minute’s time by the party to present my views in Parliament. This is very shameful. I believe that Arvind Kejriwal is extremely anti-women.”

AAP leadership, Punjab government attacked

Maliwal launched a scathing attack on Kejriwal and the AAP leadership, accusing them of abandoning their founding principles.“They keep accusing us of disloyalty. But what is disloyalty? Disloyalty is when you fail to stick to your core principles. When we started, he spoke thoughts that inspired the nation. But what changed? Only their lifestyle and status have changed,” she said.Taking aim at the party’s functioning in Punjab, he alleged, “AAP is looting Punjab. They don’t see any capable Punjabi for top posts. The goon who attacked me was given Z+ security and made Chief Advisor to Bhagwant Mann.”He also claimed that the state government was being controlled remotely.“Today Punjab has been turned into a private ATM. Illegal sand mining and drug use are rampant and all this is happening under government patronage.”

Praising the leadership of BJP, PM Modi

Explaining his decision to switch sides, Maliwal said that it was not driven by compulsion but by strong conviction.She said, “I am not joining BJP due to any compulsion. Had it been so, I would have joined it two years ago. I am joining thoughtfully because I am deeply impressed by the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and want to work under his leadership.”“Today, he is not only the most popular leader in the country but also one of the most respected leaders globally. I appeal to those who want to do constructive politics to join the BJP,” she said.

Background: 2024 assault case

The controversy dates back to May 2024, when Maliwal had alleged that Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar had attacked him at the chief minister’s residence in Delhi.According to her complaint, she was slapped and kicked several times, forcing her to make a PCR call. A formal FIR was later registered by Delhi Police under sections related to assault, criminal intimidation and outraging modesty. Kumar was arrested and later granted bail, while a counter-complaint was also filed against Maliwal accusing him of unauthorized entry and misconduct.The case sparked a major political storm, with AAP alleging that the police were acting under political pressure, while BJP accused the party of shielding those involved.

New Delhi: K Kavitha on Saturday paid floral tributes to those killed during the 1969 Telangana statehood movement at the Amarveerula Stupam in Hyderabad’s Gun Park ahead of the launch of her new political party.Former’s daughter Kavita, about seven months after leaving Bharat Rashtra Samiti Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is set to unveil a new regional political organisation, which he described as reflecting Telangana’s “aspirations and unfinished agenda”.Speaking to ANI on Friday, Kavita said that instead of leaving voluntarily, she and her supporters have been expelled from the BRS.“The BRS party was formed to fulfill the regional aspiration of Telangana, but they changed their name, work and soul of the party, as a result of which they lost their bond with the people. When a party deviates from its core issue, it cannot survive. We need a regional party to address the incomplete agenda and aspirations of Telangana, which will be our party.”She addressed her strained relations with the party led by her father, saying: “The BRS party, of which my father is the president, has expelled us. We have not left them, neither the family nor the party. We have been expelled. I don’t want to go into that. But I am the daughter of Telangana. I have the blood of Telangana in me, its grit. We are very stubborn, very committed towards our goal. We have spent 20 years of our lives in the Telangana movement. Have spent in. Telangana has to be developed, its aspirations have to be fulfilled, whether our old party is there or not, whether our family is with us or not, I believe that the people of Telangana are my family. The fragrance of Telangana soil will take us forward.”Kavita’s departure from BRS followed months of internal conflict. He was suspended from the party in September 2025 for alleged anti-party activities after publicly criticizing senior leaders T Harish Rao and J Santosh Rao.Following the suspension, he accused Harish Rao and Santosh Rao of conniving with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of “planning to destroy our family and party”. Later he resigned from the post of MLC.Kavitha formally quit BRS in January 2026 and later founded Telangana Jagrithi, which has now become the platform for her comeback to frontline politics.

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday targeted Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after senior BJP leader Ram Madhav made controversial remarks on India’s oil imports.In a social media post on Twitter, Rahul termed the RSS as “Rashtriya Samarpan Sangh” and said Ram Madhav revealed the “true nature of the Sangh”.The Congress leader said, “Rashtriya Samarpan Sangh. Fake nationalism in Nagpur. Pure slavery in America.”He said, “Ram Madhav has exposed the true nature of the Sangh.”This came after Ram Madhav got himself into trouble by claiming that India was closely aligned with US interests by stopping oil purchases from Iran and Russia, even though these efforts were not recognized by the Trump administration.During a discussion that included former diplomat Elizabeth Threlkeld and former US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Madhav said, “We agreed to a 50 percent tariff. Agreed means we didn’t say anything. We kept our patience. We agreed to 50 percent tariff. Today, even in the new trade agreement, we have agreed to 18 percent higher tariffs than before. I mean, the average tariff.”“So, where is India lagging behind in this? What are the issues where India is not doing enough?” In the video, Madhav is heard saying this during an interactive session at the Hudson Institute.Congress took a dig at Madhav’s remarks and said that Narendra Modi has lost the right to remain the Prime Minister.In a post on X, KC Venugopal said, “A candid admission by a senior RSS leader – PM Modi is dancing to Washington’s tune.”He said, “There was a time when America’s 7th Fleet was in the Bay of Bengal, and India did not bow down. And then today there is a time when a compromised Prime Minister has handed over India’s sovereignty to America.”The Congress leader said that the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and the entire opposition is saying the same thing. “India has lost its independent voice on the world stage.“After this surrender, it is clear that Narendra Modi has lost the right to remain the Prime Minister,” Venugopal said in his post.However, Madhav later apologized, saying that what he said was “wrong because India had not agreed to stop oil imports from Russia. “What I said was wrong. India never agreed to stop oil imports from Russia.Madhav, sharing his video, said in a post onMadhav is on a visit to the United States along with RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and attended an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington.

Photo courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: The exit of Raghav Chadha and six other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs drew a sharp reaction from social activist Anna Hazare on Friday, who said if the party had remained on the “right” path the leaders might not have left.“In a democracy, everyone has the right to express their opinion. They (Chadha and others) must have faced some trouble, so they left,” Hazare told reporters in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, news agency PTI reported.