News Broadcasting
BBC World to launch ‘Back To The Floor’
MUMBAI: The focus is on the basics of business at BBC World.
Starting Sunday, 4 January, the channel will air a seven-part series Back To The Floor, as part of it’s India Business Report strand, at 11am.
The series will have some of the top management from India’s largest business houses return to shop level to gain a real understanding of working life in their companies, interacting with their employees and facing the same challenges and problems as them.
The first series features Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani, who takes on the role of an ordinary shop floor worker for a day, says a company release.
Responsible for leading the $17 billion group into the 21st century, the 46-year-old Stanford graduate will work like one of the 2,000 employees based in India’s biggest refinery in Jamnagar. He will be collecting oil samples and noting temperature readings and handling crises as a radio officer at the Port Operations Control room. In short, he will gains a real insight into life at the sharp end of his business.
Amongst the interesting moments of the programme include him queuing up for meals and getting into crowded buses and then returning to the boardroom for a meeting with his divisional heads to seek solutions for the issues brought to light during his time on the floor.
In yet another episode, Infosys’ Nandan Nilekani takes on the responsibilities as a project manager for three days, he comes in terms with the pressure faced by his staff.
Amongst another series of Back To The Floor is one where the founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals, Dr Pratap Reddy takes on a stint as an intern doctor and take an inside look at emergencies and complicated operations. The experience offered him the opportunity to listen to the day-to-day problems of his employees at various levels.
According to BBC World, commissioning editor, Narendhra Morar, “This is a unique series that will be absolutely fascinating for our viewers in India. The business leaders featured in these seven programmes learn many tough lessons about the reality of life on the shop floor, with cameras capturing every moment of the trials and tribulations they encounter while going Back To The Floor.”
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.
