News Broadcasting
BSkyB subscriber base sky rockets
MUMBAI: British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) has hit a viewer milestone. On Friday, the UK/ Ireland satellite TV platform controlled by News Corp claimed that it had added 170,000 net subscribers in its last fiscal quarter, taking its total to more than 7 million.
With the subscriber base crossing 7 million, the revenues for the company increased by 17 percent to 850 million pounds. According to the media reports, the company claimed that DTH revenues increased by 17 percent to 628 million pounds, which was attributed to a 12 percent increase in the number of satellite TV subscribers.
According to the report, the satellite broadcaster has achieved its goal of signing up seven million subscribers, three months ahead of schedule. The company was originally hoping to attract seven million subscribers latest by the end of this year.
During the tenure of CEO Tony Ball, the firm began to attract a mass audience with the set-top boxes and minidishes to decode digital television signals. The company’s subscriber base has grown strongly since then. Also what boosted the subscriber base was its exclusive deal to screen football matches between the elite English Premier League clubs.
With CEO James Murdoch taking over the reins from Tony Ball, the company is now aiming to increase its total subscriber base to eight million by the end of 2005. It also wants to boost average revenue per user to ?400, up from ?366 in June 2004, reports say.
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.
