News Broadcasting
BBC’s ‘Business Bites’ returns with a new series from 9 January
MUMBAI: BBC World business programme – Business Bites, has come back with a new series featuring two top competing industry leaders each week, discussing the key issues and challenges facing their sectors. The new series will begin from 9 January and will be aired at 11 am and 10 pm.
This weekend’s episode focuses on the core infrastructure sector of power with Tata Power managing director Firdose Vandrewalla and Maharashtra State Electricity Board chairman Jayant Kawale. The programme sees them discussing the need for reforms, the concept of free power and the lack of private investment in the sector.
Vandrewalla believes the biggest challenge facing the sector is that of commercial issues getting mixed with development issues at the cost of the utilities. Says he, “The power sector should be treated as a service sector. Any utility that does not perform up to the mark should be penalised.”
On the issue of free power, Kawale feels that the concept of free power is a political reality in India, while Vandrewalla quotes a recent study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), saying, “Farmers don’t want free power, they actually want available, accessible, affordable power,” and hence emphasises the need for innovative packaging of services by both the SEBs and the private players.
Hosted by Ronnie Screwvala, Business Bites is part of the channel’s India Business Report strand. The programme provides an insight into the men and women who shape the Indian economy, and their perspective on where their respective industries are headed.
In the following week, Business Bites will feature Mahindra and Mahindra COO Dr Pawan Goenka and Toyota Kirloskar managing director Atsushi Toyoshima, sharing their views on neck-to-neck competition in the automobile sector and the potential of the SUV segment.
Corporate bigwigs like Nandan Nilekani, Vivek Paul, Uday Kotak, Vijay Mallya and others from the information technology, pharmaceuticals, banking, insurance, and FMCG industries, who featured in the first series of Business Bites broadcast last year, will also be seen on the show.
The programme is produced for BBC World by UTV and sponsored by Tata, HP Gas and the Aditya Birla Group.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
