Music and Youth
etc’s switch to digital feed to be complete in September
Go digital. That seems to be the mantra amongst Indian TV channel managers these days. ETC Networks Ltd’s etc channel is taking the same tack. The switch to a digital feed commenced on 15 July and is scheduled to be completed in September, says Yogesh Shah, director ETC Networks. etc is available to subscribers under dual illumination at present.
“We have imported state-of-the art digital boxes and have started their rollout. Within the next month an additional consignment of imported boxes will be distributed across the country to ensure the transition from analog to digital and keep up the existing viewership figures,” says ETC Networks Ltd director Yogesh Shah.
Shah said that the company was going all out to stabilise itself this year. Last year ETC had pumped in major investments into acquiring film rights and setting up a news division. The latter was shut down and rationalisation of the company’s operations is under process. “This year the focus is on getting our operations right,” says Shah. Market sources reveal the channel has close to Rs 130 million as payments outstanding from advertisers on its book.
On the uplinking front, Shah says the company is still evaluating bids for earth station and playout equipment from various suppliers.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
