News Broadcasting
BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ gets into the interactive mode musically
MUMBAI: What is the greatest driving song of all time? That is the question that the BBC is looking to answer through its car show Top Gear. Over the following weeks the producers of the show will be conducting a poll in the UK. Fans of the show are invited to vote for the song that gets their motors running, spins their wheels or quite simply takes the stress out of the daily commute.
After the votes are in, a shortlist of the five most popular songs will be drawn up. Then, over the following five weeks, each episode of Top Gear in the UK will feature a film made by a champion urging viewers to vote for that song.
The show’s host Jeremy Clarkson says, “It is that moment when you’re in your car on a great road and that one song that makes driving in your car just amazing There are obviously hundreds to choose from – I’ve got my favourites, which the others naturally think are rubbish; but we want you, the public, to decide.”
The winner could be the product of a classic rock icon like Bruce Springsteen or U2. It could be power pop from Lenny Kravitz or Sheryl Crow; perhaps a Motown Classic, an RnB hit. Viewers may well decide to go with a late night driving song like The Doors’ Riders on the Storm.
Queen’s rock opera Bohemian Rhapsody, Eric Clapton’s Layla and Steppenwolf’s hymn to the open road Born To Be Wild can also win.
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.
