MAM
Mann ki Baat ten-second ad rate is Rs 200,000
NEW DELHI: The rate of ten-second advertisements on AllIndia Radio for the prime minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ is Rs 2,00,000, the Parliament has been told.
This rate is for advertisement booking of AIR consisting of 200 primary channels/local radio stations, 41 Vividh Bharati stations and 30 FM Rainbow and gold channels, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said in reply to a question.
The duration of the respective episodes does not have any bearing on the rates since no sponsorships are booked for the programme for the entire broadcast.
Thirty-eight advertisers listed by the minister include the Election Commission, 11 central ministries, some autonomous departments or organisations under the government and some private advertisers.
The programme is put out in all regional languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The translation is done by AIR with the resources available with it. Apart from a meagre amount for regional translation as per AIR’s fee structure, no significant expenditure is incurred.
A total of 33 editions of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ have been aired till date since the first edition of the programme was aired on 3 October 2014.
Brands
Trump announces $300bn Texas oil refinery with Reliance, calls it the biggest in US history
First new US refinery in 50 years planned at Brownsville port with Reliance
WASHINGTON: The United States may soon see the first brand-new oil refinery built on its soil in half a century.
Donald Trump announced a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Texas, calling it a landmark moment for American energy production and jobs.
Posting on Truth Social on 10 March, Trump said the facility would be built at the Port of Brownsville and developed by a company called America First Refining, with major investment from India’s Reliance Industries.
The announcement frames the project as a centrepiece of the administration’s push for “energy dominance”, with Trump claiming it would deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity to South Texas.
If realised, the plant would mark the first all-new major refinery constructed in the United States since the 1970s. In recent decades, oil companies have largely chosen to expand existing facilities rather than build new ones, citing high costs, regulatory hurdles and environmental scrutiny.
Trump described the proposed investment as the “biggest in US history”, positioning it as proof that policy changes such as streamlined permits and lower taxes are drawing large-scale energy investments back into the country.
The refinery is planned for the Port of Brownsville, a strategic Gulf Coast location that provides easy access to shipping routes and export markets.
A key partner in the project is Reliance Industries, controlled by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The company already runs the world’s largest refining complex in Jamnagar, India, making it one of the most experienced operators in large-scale petroleum processing.
The Texas venture would mark a significant step for the group into America’s domestic refining sector, potentially strengthening industrial ties between the US and India.
The proposed refinery is being promoted as a next-generation facility capable of processing American shale oil while maintaining high environmental standards. Trump said it would be “the cleanest refinery in the world”, although the specific technologies behind that claim have not yet been detailed.
Industry observers also note that the $300 billion figure is unusually large for a refinery project, and analysts are waiting for more clarity on whether the number reflects total construction costs, long-term infrastructure investment, or broader economic impact estimates.
As of 11 March, Reliance Industries had not publicly confirmed the investment size or the structure of its involvement.
For now, the announcement has sparked equal parts excitement and curiosity in energy markets. If the plan moves from promise to pouring concrete, the refinery could reshape the Gulf Coast energy landscape, and reopen a chapter in American refining that has been quiet for nearly fifty years.
