News Broadcasting
DD owed over Rs 3.3 billion by 45 errant agencies
NEW DELHI: If Doordarshan revenues are on the downswing, then blame it on those who owe DD money and the inadequacy of the current system to recover that money. As many as 45 agencies, including some advertising agencies, owe Doordarshan, the national broadcaster, a total of Rs 3,344.58 million.
Information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj admitted this to the Lower House of the India Parliament (Lok Sabha) last week.
Swaraj in her reply to a question on dues owed to DD said in the LS, ” The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report for the year ended March 2001 (Transaction Audit Observation No. 2 of 2002) has referred to systematic deficiencies and procedural lapses in the billing practices of commercial programmes of DD. It has highlighted that Rs. 33445.84 lakhs (Rs 3,344.584 million) is outstanding against 45 agencies.”
The minister further said that the CAG report is under examination by the ministry in consultation with Prasar Bharati, the autonomous body that oversees the functioning of DD and All India Radio.
The minister did not reveal whether the 45 errant agencies were still being allowed to produce programmes for DD whose total revenues revenues in the financial year 2001-02 ended March 31, 2002 stood at just Rs 6,152.1 million, slightly down from the previous year.
Prasar Bharati officials had admitted to indiantelevision.com some time back that there is a “cash flow problem”. This cash problem has resulted in some people not getting their dues.
It had also been said that the Prasar Bharati is in the process of signing an MoU with the government that will facilitate release of funds from the government in two tranches.
Meanwhile, it has also come to light that DD1 is setting up more studio complexes in the country over the next two years.
Nine studios are, at present, under implementation in various parts of the country.
The studio projects are underway at Warrangal (Andhra Pradesh), Hissar (Haryana), Rajouri (Jammu & Kashmir), Calicut (Kerala), Patiala (Punjab), Gangtok (Sikkim), Coimbatore and Madurai (Tamil Nadu) and Delhi.
And if there was any hope for the revival of the DD News channel, the optimists can take a break. Swaraj has now made it public in Parliament that “at present there is no proposal to start a news channel.”
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.
