MAM
IBN7 dons a new look from today
MUMBAI: IBN7, the Hindi news channel of Network18 is now ‘Bebaq. Bekhauf‘. The channels‘ new slogan which went on air today, replaces its previous slogan ‘Khabar har keemat par‘, which had defined the channel for nearly seven years. The channel has also perked up its logo and altered its colour as well as the font. The changes have been made to keep pace with the changing times.
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IBN7 CEO Dilip Venkatraman said, “The channel has been fearless in its reporting. The new slogan has a sharper focus which is clear in stating what it wants to offer to its viewers. The logo has been designed keeping in mind different screens with the rise of convergence of media. The new font, which has been designed especially for IBN7 will be used across the channel and is also designed to appear outstanding on the digital platform.”
Speaking to www.indiantelevision.com CNN-IBN, IBN7 and IBN-Lokmat Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai said, “The rebranding of IBN7 is to re-emphasise its core values as a Hindi news channel committed to fearless and independent journalism and qualities which have given IBN 7 a distinctive appeal in the Hindi news universe. Our aim is to keep the look direct and classy.”
The campaign titled ‘Nidar. Atal. Prachanda. Satya.‘ is only being done for IBN7 and not for the remaining channels of Network18. IBN7 Managing Editor Ashutosh said, “The revamped look of the channel celebrates many glorious years of bringing the untold truth to our viewers. The move is aimed to reiterate the channel‘s vision and philosophy and convey its message in a firm manner.”
“The defining value of IBN7 which projects fearlessness, boldness and an unbiased approach will now reflect in the channel‘s everyday reporting. India‘s Channel of Impact, with its refined positioning, will continue to stand out from the rest,” reiterated to Network18 Media CEO Sanjay Dua.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
