News Broadcasting
Second phase of FM radio soon
NEW DELHI: The much-awaited second phase of radio FM expansion is likely to be kicked off soon with the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry set to outline the roadmap on Monday, a day when the high-powered committee on FM radio is slated to submit its recommendations to the government.
According to government sources here, I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is slated to make some announcements regarding the second phase of FM radio on Monday (17 November).
Incidentally, from 17 December a four-day regional conference on digital radio too begins in Delhi under the aegis of Asia-pacific broadcasting Union and All India Radio (AIR).
Meanwhile, the FM radio panel, set up under the chairmanship of Ficci secretary-general Amit Mitra, was scheduled to submit its report on 31 October. It is likely to make some radical recommendations on FM radio broadcast policy, including throwing open the sector to foreign investment.
However, Mitra could not be contacted today as he is reportedly away to Russia.
Still, sources in the FM radio task force indicated that some of the recommendations would touch on areas that had been troubling the industry. Issues like migration of the existing private FM players to a revenue sharing model from a license fee regime are likely to addressed. The revenue share is likely to be in the range between 3-4 per cent.
The task force may also recommend that foreign investment , at par with norms in the print and the electronic media (up to 26 per cent), be allowed in the FM radio sector too. At present, only foreign financial institutions
are allowed to make portfolio investments in FM ventures as per the Reserve of Bank of India norms.
The task force is also likely to make a pitch for allowing news and current affairs programming on private FM channels up and running in several cities of India, including Mumbai, Lucknow and Delhi.
at present, private FM players are only allowed to broadcast weather and stock reports, while only AIR has the sole prerogative of dishing out news and current affairs programming on its FM radio channels.
Other issues to be touched upon by the Mitra panel, and likely to be implemented during the second phase of FM radio, include matters like doing away with the clause on co-location of all FM radio transmitters in the city if there is more than one operator and a suggestion to remove a ban on content sharing by more than one private radio station, if operated by the same company.
However, recommendations alone are not likely to solve the woes of the financially beleaguered private FM sector as the government has to accept the recommendations and work towards implementing them. If some major changes
are to be made in the present policy, like foreign investments, then the issue has to be ratified by the Union cabinet too.
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.
