News Broadcasting
ESPN to air Himachal Biking Challenge
MUMBAI: Hercules MTB Himachal 2006, the second edition of India’s first Mountain Cycling ride and race is scheduled to take place in Himachal Pradesh from 4-13 October 2006.
The event is being marketed and promoted worldwide by IMG/TWI. IMG/TWI will produce and broadcast this event on Trans World Sport reaching 260 million households over 131 countries worldwide. IMG/TWI will also broadcast this event via SNTV that delivers sports news 365 days of the year to 850 million people. In India, the event will air on ESPN.
Being tagged as one of the most adventurous sporting event of the country in its first year, the second edition of the challenging ride promises to be bigger, better and more exciting. With over 160 international and Indian riders competing for the championship, the race will be test of physical endurance and mental determination.
In this second edition, the riders will be pedaling the distance of over 600 kilometers in the wilderness trails of Himalayas. The riders will be challenged to make their way through single track, double track, and broken tarmac and sometimes-just footpaths. The entire terrain of over 600 kilometers will see long down hills and grueling up hills.
As cyclists will pass through straight stretches, there are sections of hike and bike, and there are fast paced gravel roads. Hercules MTB Himachal 2006 promises to offer little bit of everything for riders of all initiations (Mountain Bikers, Road Riders etc), and just not dirt roads and single tracks.
Hercules, which manufactures mountain terrain bikes in the country, is sponsoring the event. Conceputlised in 2005, Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (Hastpa) are the orgnisers of Hercules MTB Himachal. Hastpa is an organisation working towards sustainable tourism development in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Hastpa is organising the race under the aegis of the International Mountain Bicycling Association and the event is supported by the Department of Tourism, Government of Himachal Pradesh.
The event is being organised as a wilderness mountain bike race, where participants sleep in tent villages that are set up prior to their arrival and broken down immediately after the start each morning. Enthusiasts will be faced to endure the climate and physical challenges of the Himachal Himalayas. All legs begin at 8:00 am and riders are expected to reach the finish line by 6:00 pm daily. Stages include breakfast, a pre-designated lunch area, beverages along the route, dinner and an awards ceremony each night where the winners are awarded Leader Jerseys.
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.
