News Broadcasting
NDTV gets real about artificial intelligence with new AI squad
MUMBAI: NDTV is placing its bets on silicon rather than scribes, announcing the formation of a dedicated artificial intelligence team to shake up its digital media game. The news broadcaster has enlisted Aayushman Choudhary, a tech entrepreneur with startup scars and coding credentials, to head up the new unit as head of AI.
Chief product officer Rohan Tyagi, who has done his rounds at TikTok, Triller and Zee, is clearly betting that algorithms can do more than just sort cat videos. The AI team will focus on three key battlegrounds: automating journalism workflows and mining audience insights, supercharging personalisation engines, and cooking up fresh revenue streams powered by machine learning.
Choudhary brings a mixed bag of entrepreneurial adventures to the newsroom. The Delhi-based techie spent a year building his own venture, Underhive Inc, before NDTV came calling in May. His CV reads like a startup hopscotch game—co-founding photo editing firm AfterShoot, doing a stint as head of technology at gaming platform Winbee, and even moonlighting as an entrepreneur in residence at venture capital firm Antler.
The appointment signals NDTV’s recognition that the future of news lies not just in breaking stories but in breaking code. With traditional media houses scrambling to stay relevant in the digital arms race, the broadcaster is hoping artificial intelligence might just provide the human touch it needs to connect with audiences.
Whether Choudhary can teach machines to sniff out scoops remains to be seen, but NDTV is clearly ready to let the robots have a crack at reinventing the newsroom.
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.
