News Broadcasting
MSOs brought under service tax net
NEW DELHI: Multi System Operators have one more issue to add to their “litany of woes”. The government has brought under the expanded tax ambit, MSOs as well.
In the budgetary proposals of finance minister P Chidambaram, which increased service tax from 8 per cent to 10 per cent, it has been specifically explained that cable operator service will include MSOs.
A Delhi-based representative of a MSO said, “We are already under so much financial pressure and now this added taxation, if true, would only add to our burden.”
CONFUSION OVER CABLE OPERATORS : The Budget papers add — in a confusing way, though — that service tax exemption that had been granted earlier has been withdrawn on “broadcasting service provided by cable operators.”
What adds to the whole confusion is the fact that cable operators say they have been paying service tax of eight per cent for the last two years and that the finance ministry has goofed up by mentioning them.
According to Vikky Chowdhry, president of National Cable & Telecom Association and an independent cable operator in Delhi, “The cable ops have been paying service tax since August 2001 and so withdrawing of the exemption does not make any sense.”
More importantly, Chowdhry pointed out, that with the sector regulator-mandated freeze on cable service prices still continuing, it would be very difficult for cable ops to absorb the increased percentage of service tax.
“The consumer would yell if we try to pass on the increase to him, which would be difficult in the first place, and it would be hard for us to absorb the cost. We have been caught between the deep sea and the devil.”
The confusion has arisen as the then FM had put in abeyance inclusion of cable ops in the service tax net in 2001. Subsequently another notification had been issued in this regard to incorporate the cable ops, according to Chowdhry, and the presdent mandarins in the finance ministry goofed after, may be, reading some old government note.
Even if cable operators’ side of the story is taken with a pinch of salt, the government has not made it clear whether the `broadcasting service by cable ops’ means re-transmission of TV channels or the video channels that cable operators show to air movies, news-based programming and, sometimes, even live local events like Ramleelas.
Attempts made by indiantelevision.com to get a clarification on this from finance ministry officials drew a blank.
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.
