News Broadcasting
CNBC and ICICI hold ‘Emerging India Forum’ in Mumbai
MUMBAI: CNBC TV18 and ICICI Bank have come together to host a unique initiative called The ‘Emerging India Forum’ for the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector.
The aim of this forum is to provide a platform for the SMEs to discuss ways and means to capture opportunities in the present global scenario as well as air their grievances to the government and the relevant audiences.
This forum was held on 2 August in Mumbai and had a host of personalities relevant to the SME space where they discussed various issues related to the growth of SME enterprises in India.
The speakers at the forum were ICICI Bank head retail business V Vaidyanathan, Naishad Parekh (currently on the board of Arvind Mills), All India Small Drug Manufacturers Association president S R Vaidya, CII (Western Region) chairman Gaurav Nanavati and Apparel Export Promotion Council vice chairman Premal Udhani.
CNBC – TV 18 CEO Haresh Chawla said, “SMEs have always been the engine of growth in developing as well as in transition economies. Their role in building a solid industrial base can be gauged from the fact that they represent over 80 percent of industrial enterprises in most developing countries. Keeping in line with their endeavor to initiate dialogue between the industry and decision makers, CNBC-TV18 has this year provided a platform for various small and medium enterprises to voice their opinions.”
After agriculture, SMEs are high on banks’ investment list. Attractive returns of around eight per cent to 10 per cent have prompted banks to redesign schemes catering to SMEs. ICICI Bank head retail business V Vaidyanathan said, “ICICI Bank has made significant investments in corporate and consumer banking. We are keenly focused on lending to the SME sector. The need of the hour is to define which enterprises fall under the purview of SMEs to enable us to serve them better.”
Commenting on ICICI Bank’s tie-up with CNBC-TV 18, ICICI Bank Small Enterprises Group head Vijay Chandok said, “This association of ICICI Bank and CNBC TV-18 will charter a new regime for the SME segment. This campaign will give the segment the exposure it always deserved and a platform to strategise for sustenance and growth of the SMEs in the post-2005 era.”
The Emerging India initiative – Gearing up for Growth – will later culminate into an awards ceremony to felicitate the most deserving SMEs in different categories in October 2004. As part of the initiative, eminent small and medium scale entrepreneurs and enterprises will be profiled in an ongoing televised series.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
