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Liberty actively exploring India entry options
MUMBAI: If everything falls in place, India could well be the next operational port of call in Asia after Japan for the John Malone-controlled Liberty Media.
Says Shane O’Neill, SVP, chief strategy officer and board member, Liberty Global, “Over the last six years, we haven’t looked too closely at this market. But now I want to get a more informed view.” When queried over the credible buzz that had surfaced at one time that Liberty might buy in to the Hinduja Group’s InCableNet, but that the deal fell through over valuations, O’Neill dismissed it as market speculation.
Asked as to what Liberty’s entry route into the Indian market would be, O’Neill said those calls had still to be taken but it was “highly unlikely we would enter without (an Indian) partner”.
“Currently India is the best opportunity in Asia, even more than China. We have the appetite to invest in these markets and are not worried about the complexities that exist,” O’Neill avers.
There are four key issues that Liberty has identified as being critical to its India rollout plans:
1. Figure out a partnership strategy;
2. Garner a complete understanding of the regulatory environment in the country.
3. Understand the government’s attitude to foreign investment in the sector;
4. Come up to speed on the ground situation.
O’Neill also raised the point about a the need for a level playing field as regards investment opportunities. The same set of rules should apply to telcos / cable and satellite companies, he said.
As regards the cable scenario, his view is that FDI and channel pricing are the two issues that really need to be looked into. On pricing, O’Neill opines that government intervention should only be as regards the basic service; for everything else it should be left to the market.
Asked about the impact of CAS, he said that the rollout of addressability would certainly incentivise the likes of Liberty to enter India.
O’Neill did stress however, that Liberty was not going to rush into anything but would not be conservative in its thinking either. According to him, the media major’s mantra was “Informed aggression, not instinctual aggression.”
Subhash Chandra has stated that WWIL (erstwhile SitiCable) will be pumping in $ 200 million over the next two years as part of an aggressive growth strategy that is underpinned by the switchover to digital delivery. Could Liberty facilitate that effort? Time should tell.
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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.
