News Broadcasting
CNBCTV18.com launches new series ‘Front Runners’
MUMBAI: CNBCTV18.com, India’s leading business website under Network18 Digital, introduces ‘Front Runners’, a new series that features some of India's top CXOs who reveal how they marshal their athletic self-discipline into assessing and resolving a raft of issues in the workplace. In addition to exploring their fitness mantras and regimes, the show will dive into their lives, allowing audiences an exclusive peek into how these industry stalwarts are able to strike the perfect balance between their professional and personal lives.
Frontrunners also uncovers how these corporate honchos discovered the joy of running that helped them impact and improve their businesses. The show features prominent names such as Rajat Khurana, Managing Director, ASICS INDIA; Karthik Raman, Chief Marketing Officer and Head – Strategy, and Products, IDBI Federal Life Insurance; Siddharth Banerjee, Global Sales Organisation, Facebook India; Avinash Pant, Director, Marketing, Red Bull India; Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18; and Rashesh Shah, Chairman, and CEO, Edelweiss Financial Services.
All these corporate personalities embody success in their line of work. Their stories about leading disciplined lifestyles to stay efficient, and in turn, be more productive at work are proof that there is a co-relation between a physically-fit chief running a financially-fit company.
Timed to release prior to the Mumbai marathon, the show is hosted by Shibani Gharat, anchor and senior producer at CNBC-TV18, a fitness enthusiast herself who is an avid marathon runner.
CNBC-TV18 anchor and senior producer Shibani Gharat said, “Today’s CXOs must be ‘fit for purpose’, which increasingly means being fit. Besides keeping you fit, running is a great sanity saver. Whenever you step out to run, as you hit the road, you feel that it brings you mental clarity and leaves you energized through the day. Plus, it is one activity that you can manage anywhere; even with your erratic schedule and travel. Hence, we are seeing a spike in CXOs indulge in running marathons along with managing marathon meetings, and speaking about personal bests and quarterly figures in the same breath.”
CNBCTV18.com business head Ranjita Sehgal said, “Staying fit is an integral part of everyone’s lives. The stress of the boardroom needs to be balanced and relieved with health and fitness activities outdoors. We have chosen a few boardroom warriors who are regular athletes as well. Our newest series, Front Runners helps you see the balance between the relationship of business mantras and fitness rituals. The series is airing across all CNBC-TV18’s digital and social media platforms. ASICS, the partnering brand, will be taking the Joy of Running narrative to the influential and aspirational audience of CNBC-TV 18 across digital and television.”
In a bid to further promote the need to live a healthy and fit life, the show has partnered with ASICS India and features their initiative ‘Joy of Running’ that inspires people to run simply for the joy of it and inculcate a healthy lifestyle.
ASICS India marketing head Gautam Raheja comments, “In a bid to take our 10-year association with the Mumbai Marathon forward, we felt Front Runners was apt to demonstrate our commitment towards the sport of running. Showcasing stories of c-suite executives who run a successful business using running as a catalyst was an ideal fit for our brand's narrative. Choosing CNBCTV18.com was an obvious choice as it provides the right audience for our brand. ASICS strongly believes in the Joy of Running and this campaign encapsulated the message very well.”
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
