News Broadcasting
Bye Bye, Girish
It is with deep sorrow I announce that our esteemed colleague Girish Nikam is no more with us. Today evening, after recording his show ‘Big Picture’, he suffered a cardiac attack. He was immediately rushed to a hospital from the studio but he decided to say the final bye to all of us.
Girish was an integral part of RSTV, a voice of sobriety, rationale and compassion in the debates that he conducted, which became the hallmark of the channel.
He was one of the first one to join RSTV. He had never anchored before. He didn’t fit the caricature of TV anchors that Indian television has created and promoted. But, he was requested to anchor because we wanted to establish that television debates can also be about content and not just style.
Girish’s long experience in journalism qualified him for the experiment. And, how he proved it! Redefining not just the content and conduct of TV debates, but also developing a flair and style that has a huge fan following today.
Girish is gone, but he decided to go in style, right from the studio to an eternal journey. He always wanted to live actively till his last breath and, like everything else in his life, achieved this too as per his wish and on his terms!
Rajya Sabha Television will miss him. It will be difficult for anyone to emulate him in his show ‘The Big Picture’. But, he has left behind a template for serious television debates, which would certainly guide future anchors of RSTV.
I express my grief and sense of loss, which everyone in my channel shares with me. Because, besides everything else, Girish was a great human being, full of compassion, camaraderie and warmth.
Bye bye to a colleague, who was a ‘non-hypocrite’ to the extent of perfection.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
