MAM
Govt. mulling four-fold increase in ad rates for CRS
NEW DELHI: The Government is considering raising advertisement rates of the Department of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) from Re 1 per second to Rs 4 per second for community radio stations (CRS). The CRS stations had demanded a rate of Rs 7 per second.
The government is also learnt to be working on a dedicated fund for development of CRS with a Rs 1.70 billion corpus to provide seed money to community radio stations during the 12th Plan period. Another proposal being worked out is using funds from the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
The Government wants the CRS to devote a large part of their programming to making the people aware of the flagship programmes, and ensure participatory communication.
The Centre is prepared to give help to the CRS to achieve this, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said in an interview over All India Radio.
Soni said the total number of CRS that stood at around 30 two years back had gone up to 135. And 240 more CRS are in the pipeline for clearances from various departments, she added.
The Minister said radio was the best way to reach out to the target group of people enabling them to avail the benefits of the massive development schemes being implemented by the government.
Soni emphasised that all efforts should be made for knowledge about the massive Government development programmes benefiting the rural people, the farmers and the poor and under privileged should percolate to the grass root level.
The minister said suggestions from the Open House forum of a three-day workshop being held in New Delhi on Community Radio led by I&B Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu will be utilised to fine tune radio communication to meet the requirements of the local people.
MAM
Toyota appoints Kenta Kon as President & CEO
New leader to steer EV push and global innovation amid industry shift.
MUMBAI: Toyota just handed the keys to a new driver because when the road to electric mobility gets twisty, you need someone who knows how to accelerate without skidding. Toyota Motor Corporation has named Kenta Kon as its new president and chief executive officer, a key leadership transition as the Japanese giant doubles down on its transformation in the fast-evolving global automotive landscape.
Kon brings deep expertise in automotive innovation, business strategy, and operational leadership to the top job. His appointment signals Toyota’s intent to sharpen focus on accelerating electric mobility, strengthening worldwide operations, and pushing customer-centric breakthroughs in next-generation technologies.
The company is betting on Kon to guide it through the industry’s pivotal shift toward sustainability, digital integration, and smarter mobility solutions. Key priorities under his watch include ramping up electric and hybrid lineups, expanding global market reach, driving cutting-edge automotive R&D, tightening supply-chain efficiency, and scaling connected and intelligent vehicle ecosystems.
This move comes at a time when legacy automakers face intense pressure to balance heritage strengths with aggressive electrification timelines and software-defined vehicle demands. Toyota aims to reinforce its position as a leader in sustainable, reliable, and future-ready mobility while navigating competitive challenges from both traditional rivals and new-age EV players.
For a brand that’s long defined durability and innovation, Kon’s elevation isn’t just a title change, it’s Toyota flooring it toward the next lap, ready to turn today’s tech talk into tomorrow’s showroom reality.
