News Broadcasting
BBC chairman Grade affirms BBC’s commitment to interactive TV
MUMBAI: BBC chairman, Michael Grade has reinforced the broadcaster’s commitment to working more closely with the interactive TV industry to create a vibrant market.
In his keynote speech to the Interactive TV Show Europe in Barcelona, Grade said the BBC had “a duty” to “invigorate the market” by working more closely with independent production companies and sharing the BBC’s expertise.
“We must never forget that the BBC has been able to achieve its current leadership position in interactive partly because its secure funding has allowed it to make substantial investments in this new technology at a time when others in the industry have not been able to. That puts certain obligations on us.”
Grade added that as a producer of interactive TV services, the BBC would be prepared to share its expertise if companies asked for help. “The great store of knowledge the BBC has amassed about interactive is not just a BBC resource, but a resource for the whole industry including other broadcasters.”
Stressing that for audiences “great content” is their imperative for using new technologies, Mr Grade said the BBC’s Board of Governors “have a duty to ensure the BBC is run in the public interest, and that includes ensuring a level playing field in the supply of content as between BBC in-house producers and those working in the independent sector. “In principle that must apply to the supply of interactive television content as to anything else.”
News Broadcasting
India Today Group debuts AI anchor ‘Sutra’ at AI Impact Summit 2026
Sutra aims to simplify live policy debates using sovereign AI models
NEW DELHI: India Today Group has unveiled Sutra, an AI-driven news anchor designed to deliver real-time, contextual reporting, marking the group’s latest push to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream journalism.
The AI anchor was introduced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and developed in collaboration with BharatGen, with the initiative showcased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
India Today Group said Sutra is built to navigate complex policy discussions and fast-moving developments by synthesising information into concise, accessible insights, aimed at narrowing the gap between high-level debates and public understanding. The AI anchor was used to surface live takeaways from key sessions at the summit.
India Today Group chief AI officer Nilanjan Das, said the project was focused on clarity and accessibility without diluting editorial rigour. He added that working with BharatGen aligned the group’s AI ambitions with India’s broader push towards sovereign technology capabilities.
BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal, said the partnership reflected a shift from basic automation towards deeper contextual intelligence in media. He emphasised the importance of indigenous, multimodal AI models capable of understanding Indian languages, regional dialects and cultural nuance, particularly as AI-driven news formats gain traction.
The launch positions India Today Group among the first major Indian media houses to deploy an AI anchor backed by home-grown technology, underscoring a growing convergence between journalism, public policy and sovereign AI infrastructure.
