News Broadcasting
Chacha charts the change as Viksit asks why in Oneindia’s new explainer IP
MUMBAI: If government schemes ever needed a translator with a twinkle, Oneindia has just delivered one with a chacha–bhanja twist sharp enough to turn policy into prime-time punch. The platform has launched Viksit Bharat, a storytelling-led, citizen-first explainer series that swaps jargon for joy, complexity for clarity, and the usual monotone for a lively tug-of-war between curiosity and wisdom.
At the heart of this new IP are two characters made for India’s policy maze. Viksit, the Gen-Z nephew with more questions than patience, represents young India’s sceptical, why-does-this-matter instinct. Bharat, the seasoned chacha, is equal parts memory, experience and mellowed understanding, the voice that has seen schemes, cycles, slogans and shifts over decades. Together, they turn the “policy paralysis” stereotype on its head, turning every scheme into a story and every question into a conversation.
Each episode follows a simple but clever rhythm: Viksit refuses to take any announcement at face value, challenging the logic, probing the intention, and demanding to know how a welfare initiative actually lands in the real world. Meanwhile, Chacha Bharat breaks down the purpose, the design, and the long-term national stakes of these programmes connecting policy dots with the ease of someone who’s lived through their evolution.
That back-and-forth becomes the show’s engine, making Viksit Bharat less like a civics lecture and more like India’s favourite living-room debate equal parts earnest and entertaining. With every episode focusing on a single government initiative, the series explains:
• how the scheme benefits citizens
• real-world use cases
• its economic and national significance
The idea is simple: simplify the schemes shaping tomorrow’s India without flattening their nuance.
The series will premiere exclusively on Oneindia’s Youtube channel, which boasts a reach of 21.8 million subscribers, alongside its website, ensuring visibility across languages, regions and age groups. The rollout begins with weekly episodes, each decoding a different government programme. The first instalment has already gone live.
For Oneindia, Viksit Bharat isn’t just another digital property, it’s a strategic push into high-impact public information content, aimed at boosting civic literacy and building a more informed citizenry.
Oneindia CEO Ravanan N framed the move as a democratic nudge more than a broadcasting milestone. “Viksit Bharat strengthens our mission to make credible public information accessible to every Indian,” he said, emphasising how the series translates policy into opportunity by offering clarity and context that citizens can actually use.
Oneindia head of government relations Jogajyoti Pati echoed the sentiment, noting that the initiative is designed as a “public knowledge” tool. “Viksit Bharat turns complex schemes into clear, structured knowledge citizens can actually use,” he said, underscoring the importance of verified, structured insights in enabling informed participation in India’s growth journey.
With its inventive chacha-bhanja lens, Viksit Bharat aims to move public communication away from dry notifications and towards conversations that feel personal, practical and genuinely empowering. If it succeeds, policy might just become the next big category of binge-worthy content and India’s development story might finally get the relatable narrator it has long deserved.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
