News Broadcasting
DD News plan dumped after Swaraj says no
NEW DELHI: The much-touted revival of Doordarshan’s News channel has finally been put on the backburner.
According to sources in Prasar Bharati, which oversees the functioning of DD and All India Radio, the plan of reviving the defunct DD News has been “buried” for the time being. Although the official reason being bandied about is that “reviving DD News was more of a media wish,” the real reason seems to be that the information and broadcasting ministry (read minister Sushma Swaraj) put her foot down on any such move.
However, it is also a fact that both the chief executive and director-general of DD had said on record that Prasar Bharati was considering a revival of DD News. So much so, that a tentative date for the re-launch (DD’s birthday on 15 September) too had been zeroed down upon.
DD News was started over two years ago with much fanfare during Pramod Mahajan’s tenure as the I&B minister. The channel was closed down almost 18 months later on 26 January, 2002 on the ground that it had become a money guzzler.
Meanwhile, with the influx of new recruits at DD, who now do most of the anchoring and reporting on the news front, the pubcaster may see the exit of some senior people, including its main anchor Rahul Dev, a former resident editor of Jansatta, who has also spent time at satellite Hindi news channel Aaj Tak. According to the market buzz Dev has opened up talks with a private satellite news channel.
However, Prasar Bharati insiders insist that the newcomers at DD are still raw and may not be able to adequately do half-hour current affairs shows or newsfeatures at the moment.
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.
