News Broadcasting
BBC’s new production fund for the UK
MUMBAI: Three UK production companies will be the first to benefit from a new BBC fund.
They are Twofour Productions, Pier Productions and Multi Media Arts. They had applied for the £100,000 You Don’t Need To Live In London fund.
The fund aims to boost regional production in the UK unearthing talent which would benefit hugely from a cash injection. The announcement followed a tough selection process which attracted applicants from throughout the UK. They had never previously produced network entertainment.
The above mentioned companies will be mentored by BBC Entertainment senior commissioning executive Alan Brown. They will develop and shape their ideas over the course of a year. Twofour Productions has made mostly leisure/lifestyle programmes with recent credits including Gardens Through Time (BBC Two), Accidents Can Happen (BBC One), The City Gardener (Channel 4).
Pier Productions was selected on the basis of its strong track record in radio production in drama, factual and comedy. Multi Media Arts makes factual and factual entertainment shows such as Reality Bites, Powerhouse and The Blizzard of Odd.
BBC Entertainment commissioning controller Jane Lush said, “We were all impressed by the quality of the applicants and the final decision was a hard one. Twofour Productions, Pier Productions and Multi Media Arts demonstrated creativity coupled with very promising ideas and I look forward to seeing our relationships develop over the next few months.”
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 to spotlight India’s global rise
PM Modi keynotes two-day event on 27–28 February in New Delhi with ministers, diplomats and icons.
MUMBAI: India’s rise isn’t just making headlines, it’s headlining its own summit, and this time the guest list reads like a global power playlist. News18 Network will host the Rising Bharat Summit 2026, a high-powered thought-leadership forum anchored around the theme “Spotlighting Bharat’s Rise: Driven by Strength Within.” The two-day event kicks off on 27 February 2026 at 10:00 AM in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, strategists, innovators, and cultural icons for conversations that aim to define India’s confident, self-assured role on the world stage.
Prime minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address, setting the tone for discussions on economic momentum, geopolitical positioning, and long-term aspirations for the decade ahead.
The ministerial lineup includes Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry), Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & IT), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (Communications & Development of North Eastern Region), and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
Global diplomacy and strategic voices feature former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo, ex-UK Chief of defence staff general Sir Nick Carter, former US commerce secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, and ambassadors from Norway (May-Elin Stener), Germany (Philipp Ackermann), and Sweden (Jan Thesleff).
Industry, innovation, and economic perspectives come from veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems Founder & CEO Dr Vishal Sikka, and Deeptech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
Defence, technology, and thought leadership include Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Apple expert Patrick McGee, military aviation historian Tom Cooper, and defence scholar Adrian Fontanellaz.
Culture, sports, and popular influence bring actor-MP Kangana Ranaut, Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal and PR Sreejesh, cricketers Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mithali Raj, plus film stars Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
Broadcast live across News18 Network channels, CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, and streaming platforms from 10:00 am on both days, the summit aims to move beyond headlines and shape deeper narratives around policy, leadership, and innovation at a decisive moment for India’s global trajectory.
In a world watching Bharat’s next moves, this gathering isn’t just talk, it’s the opening scene of a story that’s already rewriting the script.
