News Broadcasting
DD goes outdoors for publicity blitz
NEW DELHI: Even as the allies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance coalition government increase pressure on changes in Doordarshan News, parent organization Prasar Bharati has decided that it would increase promotional activities relating to its big products, a la private sector satellite channels.
For starters, about 50 agencies, specialising in outdoors promotional activities, have made a pitch for the DD account, which may not be financially very big, but is attractive as DD’s barter schemes offers many an agency a chance to have airtime on the vast terrestrial network.
Confirming that outdoor marketing agencies like Pioneer and Sellwel have pitched for the DD account, a Prasar Bharati source said, “The final short listing would be done soon, which may include more than one agency. The rationale behind this is that Prasar Bharati should have multiple agencies doing promotional work for various products like big ticket entertainment programming or the Olympics.”
The focus on outdoor promotion for programmes to be undertaken by DD, a proposal cleared by the Prasar Barratry board recently, would be kicked off with a blitz revolving around the Gulzaar-directed dramatisation of Premchand’s novel `Godan’, which would go on air mid-July.
Earlier, DD, or its sibling All India Radio, seldom used to undertake promotional activities related to programmes or events in a big way, except some done on various DD channels. Most of the time, such activities, if any, were funded by private producers of serials on DD.
Though the Prasar Bharati board, increasingly under pressure to effect changes in the organization starting with DD News, has emphasized on the self-funded promotional activities, the commercial department of DD is chalking out a plan whereby expenditure on such initiatives may be shaved off.
For example, DD is looking striking barter deals with outdoor marketing agencies. In lieu of hoarding space given to DD’s programmes around Delhi, for instance, the agency concerned could avail of some seconds of commercial airtime on DD channels. DD already has such barter deals in place with some newspapers like Malyalam Manorma and The Indian Express and is looking at concluding similar deals with Internet-based companies too.
LIKELY CHANGES IN DD NEWS
Meanwhile, additional director-general (administration) Sanjiv Dutta, who was holding additional charge of ADG (news) in DD, is likely to be relieved of his additional responsibility.
Though no official word is out on this, but sources in Prasar Bharati admitted that some changes would be effected in DD News, including clipping the wings of those people who had been hired from private satellite channels for DD News during the tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led previous coalition government.
Saleha Wasim, a newsreader-cum-fashion & image consultant, has proceeded on leave already. Wasim, formerly with NDTV, is said to have gone to Australia.
DD News’ consulting editor, Deepak Chaurasia, is holding fort till now, but talks of his imminent exit are rife in DD. Especially in the light of Communist Party of India (Marxist) , an important ally of the government, taking up cudgels against the so-called pro-BJP people in DD News.
Senior CPM member, Nilotpol Basu, met up with information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy on Friday evening to reiterate his party’s stand on several media-related issues, including the printing of the International Herald Tribune and de-saffronisation of Prasar Bharati.
As a fallout of the IHT case, meanwhile, head of Registrar of Newspapers in India (RNI), an organization under the I&B ministry, GD Beliya, has been shunted out of the organization and replaced by a officer of the Indian Information Service, Deepak Sandhu.
The I&B ministry feels that RNI should have been more alert while registering a brand like IHT in India, which has given the publishers of the newspaper in India some legal sanctity.
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.
