News Broadcasting
Aastha Broadcasting Network to set up Singapore subsidiary
MUMBAI: India’s prominent spiritual network, Aastha Broadcasting Network Ltd (ABNL), is setting up a Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS) in Singapore.
The subsidiary will take care of the company’s international operations including the distribution and marketing of Aastha group of satellite channels.
“The subsidiary will handle ABNL’s international operations. Our US and UK operations will be looked after by this proposed subsidiary while the ABNL India will take care of the Indian operations,” ABNL director Hiren Doshi told indiantelevision.com. Doshi didn’t divulge the investment details.
A meeting of the Board of Directors, held on 28 June, approved the plan.
Doshi said the company wouldn’t be listed in the Singapore stock exchange, but didn’t rule out the possibility of doing so in the future. “The board of directors has just approved the proposal. Our next mission is to get all the requisite permission from the government. We are yet to finalise a name for the company,” Doshi added.
ABNL’s move throws light on the company’s aggressive plans to tap the international market. In the US, Aastha channel is available on the DirecTV platform. “The network has obtained licences to launch on BSkyB’s direct-to-home (DTH) platform in the UK and Europe and the Asian Television Network (ATN) platform in Canada,” offers Doshi.
According to Doshi, Aastha will be targeting New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the next phase. “ABNL will diversify in all parts of the world wherever Asian Indians are present,” he says.
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.
