News Broadcasting
Bombay HC to take up Mirchi case
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court is scheduled to hear Entertainment Network India Ltd (Radio Mirchi)’s petition seeking an injunction against the government from encashing its bank guarantee.
The petition, which was listed for hearing at 2:30 pm, did not come up till 6 pm, information available with indiantelevision.com indicates.
At the time of posting this report, inquiries with FM industry sources could not conclusively ascertain when and if the case was to finally be heard.
ENIL, which runs FM radio station Radio Mirchi, had petitioned the court last week, attempting to get legal cover, while getting the government to accede to its request to get the deadline for payment of license fees postponed. ENIL, which runs FM stations in seven cities in India including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Indore and Ahmedabad, is scheduled to pay up license fees of over Rs 110 million for Mumbai itself for the third year of broadcast by 29 April.
The legal route is being tried out by Mirchi, as well as other players who contemplate taking the same road, in an attempt to stall payments in the current government’s reign, in the belief that the next government that comes to power after the ongoing Lok Sabha (Lower House) elections, will take a more lenient view of the radio licensing regime.
But government officials say that at this time, it would not be prudent for the government to defer the license fee payment as it would need a cabinet okay, which could be questioned by opposition political parties as the election process is on and the present government is just a caretaker one.
More importantly, officials point out, that if a deferment of the license fee happens, then it may result in financial loss for the government as the total license fee of various players put together amounts to almost Rs 1000 million.
FM broadcasters have been trying to get the government to rationalise the sector by getting a revenue sharing model in place of the license structure. Information and broadcasting minister R S Prasad had hinted in favour of the proposed model during Frames 2004 held in Mumbai in March. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, earlier this month, issued its interim recommendations on private FM broadcast. According to the recommendations, FM licensees were given the option of deferring payments, which could fall due till a final decision is taken.
The final recommendations of Trai would address the issue of license fee payable as well as the relevant interest rate. The I&B ministry however, has not taken a decision on the recommendations thus far.
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.
