News Broadcasting
Digital convergence- Finally substance replaces hype: Report
MUMBAI: Despite a history of hype and limited actual success in the 1990s, digital convergence has now become a reality in several countries.
Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) industry practice has come out with a report.
The report states that companies who do not adapt to this trend face failure. The report is called Digital Convergence: The Trillion Dollar Challenge. It asserts that convergence will create new product categories and new markets. But, more importantly, in some cases it will change the structure of existing industries, shifting the balance of power and altering the basis of competition.
The report notes that convergence became a buzz word during the dot-com boom, but it didn’t deliver. The concept was based on future technologies, but with the expectation of immediate revenue, and companies didn’t stop to consider and understand what customers actually wanted and needed.
Now, the report says, a wealth of convergence products and services is emerging, from online music to Internet Protocol (IP) appliances. Each of these offerings satisfies a real customer need. And, most are already generating real revenue and earnings.
Some of the most significant converged services are expected to be from Voice over IP, with industry analysts forecasting $1 trillion in revenue by 2010. In addition, Internet Protocol (IP) appliances, which will include next-generation digital music players, home entertainment services, home video phones and enterprise collaboration services, will also generate sizeable revenue.
Other emerging products and services expected to generate substantial revenues by 2010 include enterprise collaboration software, IP television, mobile phone content, networked games and online music.Businesses that leverage digital convergence as a competitive advantage have the potential to benefit greatly.
However, convergence will also have the power to obliterate business models in a relatively short time frame, for example, the way increased bandwidth and advanced devices are challenging the long-term viability of wireline voice. The extent to which convergence adds or destroys value is a direct function of the extent to which a company anticipates, plans for and takes the lead in convergence.
Convergence is being driven by three underlying trends. The first is proliferation of digital data, which provides a common base for handling diverse types of information, numbers, words, music, pictures, video, and more, using the same devices, processing techniques, and media. The second is widespread connectivity, which helps bring diverse information together, and extends the value and capabilities of a device beyond its out-of-the-box functionality. The third is continuous advances in technology, from battery life to processor speed.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
