News Broadcasting
Media mogul Kerry Packer dead
MUMBAI: Media mogul and Australia’s richest man Kerry Packer died in his sleep overnight at the age of 68.
In combat with health problems over long years, he did not let that affect his business interests. His empire meant a holding of 30 per cent in Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd., which operates Australia’s Channel Nine television network, publishes a bunch of magazines, and has interests in Australian casinos.
In India, Packer had ambitious plans to set up empire but unfortunately that dream did not live for long. In 2000, he entered into a joint venture with HFCL. The HFCL-Channel Nine JV sealed a deal with Prasar Bharati, agreeing to pay a whopping Rs 1200-odd million for a three-hour prime time band on the floundering DD Metro channel.
This revenue model was unsustainable, as was proved later when Channel Nine withdrew from renewing the contract on the same commercial terms.
Though known for his control over media business in Australia, Packer will be remembered more for his contribution to the game of cricket.
Cricket Australia (CA) described Packer as one of the most influential figures in Australian cricket history who ranked alongside Sir Don Bradman “as one of the giants who have influenced the shape of Australian cricket.”
Cricket was one of his great passions and Packer transformed the sport in the 1970s through his World Series gambit, one-day internationals and modern television coverage.
“That cricket is today taken for granted as a natural part of the Australian way of life is in no small measure due to his influence,” said CA chairman Creagh O’Connor.
In 1977, he became furious at the Australian Cricket Board’s refusal to accept an A$1.5m bid for the television rights to Australian Test matches and Sheffield Shield Cricket, a domestic competition.
Describing his action as “half-philanthropic,” he exclusively signed up more than 50 of the game’s top players under the brand of World Series Cricket with his fast-moving version of the game.
He was willing to pay cricketers unprecedented remuneration to win their loyalty, ushering in the fully professional era in the sport. His World Series introduced coloured clothing, white balls, floodlights to cater for television viewers to the international game. His fast-moving version of the game angered traditionalists.
But, Packer ultimately achieved his goal when the Australian Cricket Board awarded him television rights to top matches.
A heavy smoker, Packer had suffered a series of health scares over recent years. In 1990, he suffered a near-fatal heart attack during a polo match. He underwent a kidney transplant in November 2000. He has been unwell several times since.
The second son of Sir Frank and Lady Gretel Packer, Kerry entered the family business, Australian Consolidated Press, in 1956. In 1974 he took over running the conglomerate. Just three years later he was taking on the cricket establishment, signing the game’s top players under the banner of World Series Cricket.
He gained full control of the media company in 1982, in a move which ultimately allowed him to make his multi-billion dollar fortune. He sold the Nine Network to Alan Bond for $1bn in 1987, and bought it back for a quarter of the price three years later.
Packer combined his media and gaming interests into Publishing & Broadcasting in 1994, eventually handing over to his son James in 1998. He recently acquired a 50 per cent stake in the British gaming company Betfair’s Australian and New Zealand operations.
Packer’s son, James, is set to run the dynasty’s sprawling media and gambling empire.
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.
