News Broadcasting
AXN set to enter Pakistan next month
The ongoing political stand-off between India and its neighbour has put paid to Sony Entertainment Television’s plans to launch in Pakistan for the foreseeable future. But the launch of action channel AXN is very much on the cards.
Shantonu Aditya, senior vice president, franchise channels and distribution, SET India Ltd, said the English language action channel from Sony Pictures, which is part of the Sony Entertainment bouquet, is launching in Pakistan next month. Queried about the status of SET’s launch plans, Aditya said it was tied to political temperatures between the two neighbours cooling down.
As per the original schedule, the Hindi language entertainment channel was to launch in Pakistan in December 2001. Distribution was being handled by Lahore-based Leo Communications for which the Sony was to be paid a minimum guaranteed amount aside from a revenue sharing arrangement that had been worked out.
Aditya said the distribution of set top boxes had been completed and as and when the air clears up, SET could star beaming with a a very short lag time. Aditya has been quoted as saying there are 6,000 headends in Pakistan and eight million cable and satellite homes.
Though Pakistan is not happening for the moment, SET’s newest area of operations is Indonesia. SET began airing in the South East Asian country last month and is being distributed through a local company called Cabelvision. Plans for launch in the Philippines and Fiji are also on the anvil for which talks are still going on, Aditya said.
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.
