News Broadcasting
India Today group to host 2nd edition of india today conclave south in hyderabad
MUMBAI: After the mega success of the first edition, the India Today Group will host the 2nd Edition of India Today Conclave South 2018 in Hyderabad, on 18th and 19th January. Chief Ministers, political leaders, movie stars, artists, business tycoons, thought leaders and news makers from the south will converge on India’s most respected conclave for the South to discuss, debate and decipher the roadmap of the six southern states.
The two days of the conclave will include insightful sessions, networking lunches and a gala dinner with politicians, business leaders, movie stars and some of south India’s finest minds. As a forum, it aspires to unite the common voice of these states, and push their causes to promote culture, politics, entertainment and investment growth, in line with the states’ and centre’s socio-economic development agendas.
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have a combined GDP of over $400 billion and when put together, are among the top 30 economies of the world, contributing over 22 per cent of India’s GDP and 28 per cent of India’s employment. They account for 20 per cent of India’s population and contribute almost 30 per cent of India’s tax revenues. By 2020, it is projected that South India will become a $1,200 billion economy. With human development indices of the south growing higher than the rest of India, it is clear that the higher the south rises, the better India will do. Come to India Today Conclave South to see the southern sunrise.
The top speakers during the event, spread over 20 sessions, include the below. (* invited)
Chief Ministers
• K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Chief Minister, Telengana
• N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh
• V. Narayanasamy, Chief Minister, Puducherry
• Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister, Karnataka*
Stars, Actors, Artists
• M Mohan Babu, Actor, producer
• Lakshmi Manchu, Actor
• Gauthami, Actor
• Khushbu Sundar, Actor
• Taapsee Pannu, Actor
• Yamini Reddy, Dancer
• Bhavana Reddy, Singer, Dancer
• Praveen Sparsh, Musician
• Prakash Raj, Actor
• S.K. Sasidharan, Film Director
• Vishal, Actor*
• Bina Paul, Film Editor
• Shruti Hariharan, Actor
• Pranitha Subhash, Actor
• Kajal Aggarwal, Actor
• Parvathy Nair, Actor
• Nayanthara, Actor*
• Sumukhi Suresh, Stand-Up Comedienne
• Nikhita Gandhi, Singer
• Shahshaa Tirupati, Singer
• Karthik, Singer
Business Tycoons, Industrialists
• G.V. Prasad, Co-Chairman and CEO, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories
• G.V. Krishna Reddy, Chairman, GVK Group
• George Alexander Muthoot, Managing Director, Muthoot Group*
• Sumithra Gomatam, President, Digital Operations, Cognizant
• A.S. Murthy, CTO, Tech Mahindra
• Smruti Parida, CTO, Nestaway Technologies
• Ananth Narayanan, CEO, Myntra–Jabong*
Political Leaders, Newsmakers, Activists, Thought Leaders, Change makers
• Divya Spandana, Former MP, Head of Congress Social Media Department
• A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman, ISRO
• Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister, Human Resource Development*
• Dinesh Gundo Rao, Working President, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee
• Asaduddin Owaisi, President, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
• B. Vinod Kumar, MP, Telangana Rashtra Samithi
• D. Raja, Rajya Sabha Member, CPI*
• Dr V. Maitreyan, MP, Rajya Sabha, AIADMK
• T.T.V. Dhinakaran, MLA, Tamil Nadu
• Jayanthi Natarajan, Former Union Minister*
• Palanivel Thiyagarajan, MLA and senior DMK Leader *
• Deepa Jayakumar, General Secretary, MGR Amma Deepa Peravai
• P.H. Pandian, Ex-Speaker, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and MLA, AIADMK*
• Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP, Rajya Sabha
• Ramesh Chennithala, Leader of the Opposition, Kerala Legislative Assembly
• J. Nandakumar, National Convenor of Prajna Pravah, All India Executive Committee Member, RSS
• Lavanya Nalli, Vice Chairman, Nalli Group
• Anavila Misra, Fashion Designer
• Gaurang Shah, Fashion Designer
• Shravan Kumar, Fashion Designer
• Daivajna K.N. Somayaji, Astrologer
• N.S. Madhavan, Writer
• Prakash Belawadi, Actor, Activist
• S. Thirunavukkarasar, President, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee
• MM Pallam Raju, Former Union Minister, Human Resource Development
• T.K. Vinod Kumar, ADGP (Intelligence), Kerala Police
• P K Hormis Tharakan , Former Director, R&AW, Former DGP, Kerala Police
• Bindu Sampath
• V.S. Sunil Kumar, Minister for Agriculture, Kerala
• P. Chengal Reddy, Chief Advisor, Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations
• Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Agriculture, Karnataka*
• P. Ayyakannu,President, Desiya Thennindia Nadigal Inaiappu Vivasayigal Sangam, Tiruchirapalli*
• Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Minister for Agriculture, Telangana*
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
