News Broadcasting
India TV’s Samvad Budget Conclave features insightful debates and announcements.
Mumbai: On 3 February, India TV hosted the Samvad Budget Conclave 2023 in New Delhi. The event brought together top ministers from the ruling party and opposition leaders to discuss and analyze the Union Budget 2023, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented on 1 February. The Finance Minister made an appearance on India TV’s Aap Ki Adalat during the conclave where she answered pointed questions from Rajat Sharma about the Adani controversy, ED raids, and harsh criticism of the government from Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, P. Chidambaram and other opposition leaders.
Sitharaman explained the budget and addressed the criticisms from the opposition. Other well known cabinet members, such as Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, responded to inquiries about
their respective ministries and the Budget in general.
In her first guarded response to the current Adani crisis, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that it had nothing to do with the government and that regulators were looking into it. She said she couldn’t comment without first checking the data in response to a story that foreign institutional investors had pulled several billion dollars out of the Indian market, but said a number of variables, including the US Fed interest rates, might have contributed.
Opposition leaders expressed their displeasure, with Congress leader Ajay Maken claiming that the budget was not intended for the middle class and benefited only the top 1% of the population. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal defended the budget, calling it a ‘bridge’ and ‘foundation’ budget to transform India into a developed country by 2047.
The first bullet train in India will begin service in August 2026, according to Railway, IT and Communication Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The first hydrogen train will begin testing on Indian tracks by December of this year. Additionally, he declared that Vande Metro trains will operate as shuttles on a 100 km stretch
between cities, following the model of comparable intercity trains in Europe. Randeep Singh Surjewala, a leader in Congress, questioned the government’s policies, claiming that the common people were having issues with unemployment and inflation. Gourav Vallabh, a spokesperson for the Congress, criticized the government’s actions and its silence regarding the Hindenburg
report.
Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called the budget a ‘bridge’ to India’s goal of becoming the world’s second-largest economy by 2040. Both the BJP and the Congress were represented on the conclave’s speaker panel.
The ‘Samvad Budget Conclave 2023’ on India TV provided a vibrant platform for prominent leaders to engage in a lively and insightful discussion on the Union Budget 2023, with the goal of making the budget accessible and understandable to the general public.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
