News Broadcasting
CNN’s new weekday programme to start with Micromax CEO
MUMBAI: CNN is all set to put the spotlight on one of the world’s fastest growing economy, India. Starting 17 November, a series of vignettes will be featured in a show titled “India 20 Under 40.” The show will see 20 young Indian entrepreneurs who are re-shaping how India does business.
A new entrepreneur will be featured every fortnight commencing with Micromax CEO Rahul Sharma. It will air within CNN Money with Maggie Lake airing from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm every Monday to Friday.
A week of special programming will be broadcast from 28 November on the channel. India 2020 will take viewers to meet some of the entrepreneurs who are overcoming various obstacles and bringing their ideas to life in India. These include visionaries and innovators across diverse industries.
An iconic motorcycle brand
Royal Enfield is one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers with die-hard fans, who gather for weekend rides and huge festivals. The company was struggling when Siddhartha Lal took the helm back in 2000, at the age of 26. Now the Chennai-based company is expanding sales in the U.S. and Europe, and building a third manufacturing facility.
The future of manufacturing
The robotics industry is expected to double in India over the next 3-4 years. Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz is an up-and-coming company based in Gurgaon whose innovations include India’s first indigenous driverless car. The world’s first production brain controlled wheelchair, “Manav” is completely made in India by A-Set. As cutting-edge research continues to push the industry forward, CNN meets A-set’s Head of robotics and research Diwakar Vaish who is helping to lead the way.
Innovating from ancient tradition
Indian innovators are finding new inspiration from old ideas. Take turmeric: an ancient, and common spice in Indian cooking is a hot commodity thanks to its applications in medicine and beauty products. The Himalaya Drug Company has a long tradition of creating products ranging from facewash to toothpaste, supplements to shampoo by applying scientific research to Ayurvedic principles. CNN catches up with CEO Philipe Haydon, who has helped transform the company, reaching consumers in 92 countries.
Brighter businesses
In India, two out of 10 people do not have access to electricity. Orb Energy manufactures and distributes solar energy systems with more than 100 branches across eight Indian states and employing about 500 people in the field. It’s opening a new factory to produce solar modules in Bangalore and aims to provide 2 gigawatts of solar energy by 2022, or 5 per cent of the national total.
Creating new opportunities
India’s animation and VFX industry grew nearly 14% in 2015, and is projected to be a US$1.6-billion industry by 2020. One such leading studio is Makuta VFX. It’s working on the sequel to Baahubali, one of India’s highest grossing movies. Makuta is based in Hyderabad, which is trying to position itself as a hub for gaming and animation. The government has broken ground on a new facility to house more than 200 startups in multimedia and entertainment, and recently launched an initiative to connect those emerging companies to the global marketplace.
India 2020 half hour special airs at:
November also marks the launch of a fully dedicated CNNMoney India subpage devoted to covering business and economic news coming out of the country. The launch of CNNMoney India underscores the company’s commitment to bringing global audience the latest economic developments from India and will highlight the most exciting young innovators from the region, and the successes and challenges of doing business here.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group debuts AI anchor ‘Sutra’ at AI Impact Summit 2026
Sutra aims to simplify live policy debates using sovereign AI models
NEW DELHI: India Today Group has unveiled Sutra, an AI-driven news anchor designed to deliver real-time, contextual reporting, marking the group’s latest push to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream journalism.
The AI anchor was introduced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and developed in collaboration with BharatGen, with the initiative showcased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
India Today Group said Sutra is built to navigate complex policy discussions and fast-moving developments by synthesising information into concise, accessible insights, aimed at narrowing the gap between high-level debates and public understanding. The AI anchor was used to surface live takeaways from key sessions at the summit.
India Today Group chief AI officer Nilanjan Das, said the project was focused on clarity and accessibility without diluting editorial rigour. He added that working with BharatGen aligned the group’s AI ambitions with India’s broader push towards sovereign technology capabilities.
BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal, said the partnership reflected a shift from basic automation towards deeper contextual intelligence in media. He emphasised the importance of indigenous, multimodal AI models capable of understanding Indian languages, regional dialects and cultural nuance, particularly as AI-driven news formats gain traction.
The launch positions India Today Group among the first major Indian media houses to deploy an AI anchor backed by home-grown technology, underscoring a growing convergence between journalism, public policy and sovereign AI infrastructure.
