News Broadcasting
Channels to end year with film fare
MUMBAI: For those destined to spend New Year’s eve at home in front of the telly, mainstream channels have readied a line up of filmi fare. Prime Bollywood acquisitions figure high on the agenda, as does the usual song-n-dance routine.
Soap stars to reign supreme on Star
Star Plus and Balaji Entertainment have chalked out a starry New Year’s Eve Special for their viewers . Hosted by popular actor Aman Verma, the special will showcase stars of superhit soaps-Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in an atmosphere full of fun and frolic. For the first time ever -Tulsi, Parvati, Prerna, Shaina, Pallavi, Ramola, Komolika, Mihir, Om, Anurag, Kunal (characters from various Balaji serials) will come together under one roof, to ring in the New Year, states an official release. The special will air on 31 December at 11 pm.
Star Gold, the Hindi movie channel that recently revamped its programming strategy by airing Hollywood Blockbusters dubbed in Hindi, will herald 2003 with the dubbed version of the millennium blockbuster Titanic. which will be aired on 31 December at 7:00 PM
For all the ‘James Bond’ fans, Star Movies will unfurl some interesting Bond documentaries like Now Pay Attention 007 at 7:00 pm and Top Ten Bond films at 8:00 pm.The World Is Not Enough will premiere at 9:00 pm and Bond girls forever, at 11:00 pm on 31 December, with a repeat at midnight.
Star World will celebrate the new year by showing two specials -VHI Divas Live and American Bandstand: 50th Anniversary Celebration. While the former is slated to be one of the most memorable musical events with Divas from all genres such as Celine Dion, Cher, Sakira, The Dixie Chicks performing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, followed by spectacular performances from Anastacia and Stevie Nicks, the latter will include live performances and exclusive clips that salute the legendary music show’s ground breaking contributions to popular music history. There will be live performances by superstars like Micheal Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Alanis Morrisseltte, Kiss, Cher and more.
‘Come to the Party’ hosted by Sony
While Star Plus’ New Year Special centers around the television artists alone, Sony has included popular Bollywood stars as well. The channel’s recently unveiled year-end theme, ‘Come to the Party’, will beckon the New Year with three hours of film and music based shows on two consecutive days starting 29 December. The New Year Special includes Bollywood Ke Superstars, featuring stars like Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Sonali Kulkarni, Preeti Jhangiani and Kashmira Shah. The show airs 8:00 pm on 29 December. The Band of Boys, Meet Brothers, Vinod Rathod and Jaspinder Narula will perform while Saif will engage in some candid conversation with Simone ‘Heena’ Singh. The event will be hosted by Suchitra Krishnamurthy.
On 30 December, the channel will show a special edition of Boogie Woogie Jalwa, set in an Hawaaian backdrop and interspersed with big names from the world of Indi pop – Daler Mehndi, Kamal Khan, Sukhwinder, Sunidhi Chauhan and Mahalakshmi along with film personalities Pooja Batra, Rani Rajlaxmi, Ganesh Acharya to name a few. Artistes from the hit soaps on the channel including Kkusum, Kutumb and Meri Biwi Wonderful will also be making an appearance on the show, states an official release.
Finally ,New Year’s eve will showcase Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, the channel’s second biggest acquisition this year after Lagaan. It will premiere on 31 December at 8 pm.
The film will be introduced in a unique manner with the film’s stars talking about their special experiences during the making of the film.
While Zee TV is yet to go public with its plans for the year end, Zee Cinema will air Gadar Ek Prem Katha at 8 pm. The blockbuster, aired earlier on Zee on 15 August, had helped the channel top the ratings stakes for the week.
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.
