News Broadcasting
Cranes sofware to assist CNN-IBN on poll count
NEW DELHI: Even as voters are getting ready to cast their votes in the fifth and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections tomorrow, news television channels are gearing up to give live coverage of the results as they come in and trends that emerge on the counting day, 16 May.
Cranes Software International Limited (Cranes) will analyse the findings of opinion and exit polls as well as do the analysis of early trends for the CNN-IBN TV news channel on the counting day.
Dr Rajeeva Karandikar, Cranes Software executive vice president, a former professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, has been driving this exercise along with the team from the Analytics Group of Cranes. The team uses Cranes’ in-house statistical software product Systat and its derivatives to analyse the data.
In January and February 2009 as a run up to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Cranes Software team analysed data collected during the opinion poll commissioned by CNN-IBN. The raw data was collected by CSDS – the Center for the Study of Developing Societies under the leadership of noted psephologist Yogender Yadav, while the statistical analysis and implications of the data on the final composition of the Lok Sabha was presented by Karandikar in a TV program anchored by Rajdeep Sardesai on CNN-IBN.
The Cranes team has been involved in assimilating, analysing and preparing the raw data received from AC Nielsen for use in the graphics that go on air. The team at Cranes uses their powerful statistical analysis and graphics software – Systat, to run statistical models on early counting trends and make early seat projections of the final composition of the house. The graphics team at CNN-IBN then renders the findings into graphs which are then telecast on the CNN-IBN channel along with IBN7 (Hindi), IBN Lokmat (Marathi) and occasionally on CNBC channels.
This exercise is to take place again during the post election coverage on CNN-IBN between 13 May and 17 May.
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.
