London, Oct 04: A research tie-up between Imperial College London and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to harness quantum computing and biotechnology to help farmers grow stronger crops that are more resilient to climate change has emerged as a focus area ahead of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s expected visit to Mumbai next week.

The project builds on quantum as a key pillar of the India-UK Technology Security Initiative (TSI), with a mission to cultivate healthier soil microbes and unlock new strategies for protecting crops in arid and climate-vulnerable regions.

The India-UK TSI, signed last year, is scheduled to be at the top of the agenda when Starmer joins Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025, starting in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Imperial College London President, Professor Hugh Brady, will be among the members of the prime ministerial delegation headed for Mumbai on Starmer’s first visit to India as UK PM.

While further partnerships between the UK university and Indian counterparts are expected, a team led by Imperial’s Dr Po-Heng (Henry) Lee and IIT Bombay’s Dr Indrajit Chakraborty is already leveraging quantum computing to model the complex interactions between plants and bacteria in the soil.

“This collaboration brings together IIT Bombay’s expertise in microbial ecology and genomics with Imperial’s strengths in bioinformatics and quantum computing simulation,” said Dr Lee.

“This project paves the way for quantum technologies to address urgent challenges in global food security and climate resilience,” he said.

With a better understanding of how plants and helpful bacteria “talk” to each other, the researchers hope that they can boost natural processes to make crops grow better and more resilient against drought and extreme weather.

The interactions between plants and bacteria are too intricate for traditional computing methods, but by simulating gene regulation and microbial signalling, the researchers hope to develop new approaches for enhancing soil health and crop productivity, particularly in arid soils.

“By combining our expertise in microbial ecology, we are opening new frontiers in sustainable agriculture. This partnership not only deepens our understanding of plant-microbe interactions but also demonstrates how international collaboration can drive innovative solutions to climate challenges faced by communities worldwide,” said Dr Chakraborty.

The project focuses on a special plant chemical called strigolactone. This acts like a messenger, helping plants and bacteria share information and work together. The scientists are also looking at how adding biochar, a type of charcoal, to soil can make these partnerships even stronger.

Experimental work at IIT Bombay will investigate how synthetic strigolactones influence plant growth and microbial behaviour, while Imperial’s team is developing quantum circuit models to simulate microbial communication. The partnership strengthens bilateral research ties and harnesses the technology and knowledge of both countries at the intersection of quantum computing and biotechnology.

The project is funded by the India Connect Fund, a key initiative of the university’s new science hub in Bengaluru – Imperial Global India. The fund supports up to 25 joint research projects every year between Imperial and partners in India in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum science, biotech and clean energy.

Imperial College London, the world’s second-ranked university, established its Bengaluru hub recently to strengthen further such scientific and innovation partnerships between both countries. It has applied for Imperial Global India to be established as a liaison office, pending relevant regulatory approvals.

New Delhi, Oct 04: India welcomes US President Donald Trump’s leadership as peace efforts in Gaza make decisive progress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

Modi referred to the indications of the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas and said it marks a significant step forward in efforts to restore peace in the region.

He said on X, “India will continue to strongly support all efforts towards a durable and just peace.”

Trump has ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack.

Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians.

Bengaluru, Oct 3: Renowned journalist and author Thayil Jacob Sony George, popularly known as T J S George, passed away at a private hospital here on Friday. He was 97.

A Padma Bhushan awardee, George was widely respected for his incisive writings, often marked by satire and sarcasm.

He was the Editorial Advisor of The New Indian Express and gained acclaim for his widely read weekly column, Point of View, which he wrote for 25 years until 2022, continuing till the age of 94.

Hailing from Kerala, George spent most of his life in Bengaluru and Coimbatore. He is survived by his children, Sheba Thayil and author-poet Jeet Thayil.

Mourning his demise, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on ‘X’, “Saddened by the passing of veteran journalist, editor & author T J S George. With his sharp pen and uncompromising voice, he enriched Indian journalism for over six decades. He was a true public intellectual who made readers think, question, and engage. My heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, and countless admirers.”

Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy also expressed his condolences, noting George’s contributions in various roles, including editor, editorial director, and editorial advisor of national and international newspapers.

“I have closely read the Point of View column he wrote in The New Indian Express. I was captivated by his writing talent after reading his book MS–A Life in Music, based on the life of the great musician Smt M S Subbulakshmi,” Kumaraswamy wrote on ‘X’.

“May the departed soul rest in eternal peace and may God grant his family, fans, and well-wishers the strength to bear the grief,” he added.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, along with Congress national general secretary K C Venugopal, visited George’s residence to pay homage to the veteran journalist.