News Broadcasting
Channel [V] claims growth overdrive
Watch out the [V] machine is coming. That is the message that the Star Network’s music channel is sending out to its rivals, principally MTV. Channel [V]’s strategy of focussing on the urban youth market and creating new formats and programming innovations like Coke [V] Popstars talent hunt that gave birth to all-girl band VIVA!, is paying rich dividends, the channel claims.
The success of Coke [V] Popstars as well as the album sales of VIVA!, has seen Channel [V] driving growth in the entire music category in the last few months, claim channel representatives, quoting AC Nielsen’s TAM data.
Says Sameer Nair, COO Star TV: “Popstars was the flagship show on the channel and it performed that role as expected, fuelling growth in shares & increasing the stickiness of the channel.”
Measurement Parameter Channel [V]
Audience Share 127% Up
TVR 100% Up
Cumulative Reach 26% Up
Time Spent 68% Up
(Source: TAM Media research, Base: C&S SEC ABC 15-24 yrs, 9 cities, April to June 2002 versus April to June 2001)
Among the other recent successes the channel has notched up are the 8 Promax BDA awards it picked up in Los Angeles. This has been the one of the largest hauls for any Indian Channel in recent times.
And to keep the momentum going, Channel [V] has completely rejigged its morning band, as research showed that viewers preferred back-to-back music in this slot & not VJ-hosted or link-based shows. With this in mind, the Captain Fastbreak band has been created with the catchline “you are never more than 60 seconds away from great music!” The channel has also launched [V] Video War, an interactive SMS-based show where viewers vote for their preferred music video.
Says Amar Deb, creative director, “We will continue to show the way in the music television category with our racy promos & innovative programming. There is a whole series of new stuff in the pipeline which will ensure that Channel [V] will continue to retain this edge.”
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.
