Is Yuri Milner's diary likely to squeeze in India visit?

Russian billionaire investor Yuri Milner, who recently pledged $100 million to the project dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life forms, is likely to arrive in Bengaluru next week on a whirlwind two-day visit.

Sources said Milner, along with Dr Pete Worden, chairman, Breakthrough Prize Foundation (which will be looking into the Breakthrough Listen project), may come on August 5 and 6, and meet experts in the field and IT professionals to discuss how India can contribute to the initiative.

While receiving signals from extraterrestrials may seem far-fetched right now, it's believed that the process will have several byproducts that will be made available to the general public, especially those working with data, who can then analyse and store it.

Meanwhile, the role of the signatories to the Breakthrough Initiative, as the project is known, is still being chalked out.