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TCS and CEA join forces to give robotics a ‘physical AI’ makeover
MUMBAI: When brains meet brawn, the robots of tomorrow are born. Tata consultancy services (TCS) and french research giant CEA have struck a partnership to fast-track the rise of physical AI, a field that blends artificial intelligence with robotics to create machines that can see, sense, and interact with the real world.
Announced on 9 September in Paris and Mumbai, the alliance promises to take AI out of the cloud and into the factory floor, warehouses, and even social spaces. From versatile robots that adapt to new tasks, to human-friendly cobots for safer shop floors, and assistive bots that provide personal support, the collaboration is setting out to make robots less science fiction and more industrial reality.
“By connecting cutting-edge research with business needs, we can invent the intelligent systems of tomorrow,” said CEA-list, director, Alexandre Bounouh pointing to how physical AI could transform production chains and boost European competitiveness.
The deal will see TCS bring its global scale and deep sector expertise together with CEA’s research muscle, including breakthroughs ranging from brain-controlled exoskeletons to AI for self-driving cars. Together, they plan to offer proof-of-concepts, training, and real-world deployments, with support anchored in the TCS pace port Paris innovation hub.
TCS France, managing director, Rammohan Gourneni called the partnership a “key step” in helping industries embrace physical AI. “It combines the power of AI with the intelligence of physical systems, supporting our clients’ industrial transformation,” he said.
For TCS, which has been in France since 1992 and works with 18 cac40 companies, the partnership underscores its long-term commitment to the French tech ecosystem. For CEA, it marks another leap in its leadership role on Europe’s robotics roadmap.
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Reserve Bank of India cancels Paytm Payments Bank licence
Central bank cites compliance failures; curbs tighten as wind-up looms
MUMBAI: India’s banking watchdog delivered its sharpest blow yet to Paytm Payments Bank, cancelling its licence and effectively ending its ability to operate as a bank under the law.
The Reserve Bank of India said the entity can no longer conduct banking business under the Banking Regulation Act, citing concerns that its affairs were not being run in the interest of depositors or the public and that it had failed to meet licence conditions.
The move escalates a crackdown that has been building for months. The bank had already been barred from onboarding new customers since March 11, 2022, and later faced restrictions on deposits, credit and wallet top-ups. In January 2024, the central bank ordered it to stop accepting fresh deposits, pointing to persistent non-compliance, including lapses in customer due diligence, use of funds and technology systems.
Operationally, the bank is now on a tight leash. It may process withdrawals of existing deposits and facilitate loan referrals through banking correspondents, but it cannot take fresh deposits.
The central bank said it would apply to the high court to wind up the bank.
Paytm sought to ringfence the fallout. In a regulatory filing, it said the licence cancellation applies to Paytm Payments Bank Limited, a separate entity, and should not be attributed to One 97 Communications. It added that there is no exposure or material business arrangement with the bank and that it operates independently, without Paytm’s board or management involvement.
“As informed earlier, Paytm (One 97 Communications Limited) and its services, which have been operating without interruption, will continue to operate uninterrupted. These include the Paytm app, Paytm UPI, Paytm Gold and all other services offered by its subsidiaries and associated companies,” the company said.
The distinction may reassure users of the app ecosystem, but the regulator’s verdict is unequivocal. After years of warnings, caps and curbs, the payments bank experiment at Paytm is being shut down—decisively, and with little room left to manoeuvre.
