News Broadcasting
FDI guidelines in news, current affairs publications issued
NEW DELHI: The government has issued guidelines for permitting 26 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in news and current affairs publications in a venture subject to the condition that the largest Indian shareholder controls at least 51 per cent equity in the company.
This 51 per cent equity is exclusive of that held by public sector banks and financial institutions and of the total FDI envisaged in any joint venture at least 50 per cent will have to be inducted by issue of fresh equity, an official statement said here. The balance 50 per cent can be from the existing equity base of the company.
Foreign holding component in the equity of the Indian shareholder companies will be duly reckoned on pro rata basis to arrive at the total foreign holding in the company while calculating the 26 per cent FDI in equity of the company. The guidelines further stipulate that at least 75 per cent of the directors and all key executives and editorial members of the company should be resident Indians.
According to the guidelines, it is obligatory on the part of the Indian company to take prior permission from the ministry of information and broadcasting before changing the foreign shareholding pattern of the company and the shareholding of the largest Indian shareholder.
While rejecting the idea of a golden share, the government has said that the applicant and the new entity has to make full disclosure, at the time of application, of shareholders agreements and loan agreement that are finalised or proposed to be entered into. Any changes in these have to be disclosed to the ministry of information and broadcasting within 15 days.
The new entity framing its articles and memorandum of association has to ensure compliance with these norms. Besides as a measure to check the credentials of the foreign equity partner, the Indian company is required to inform the names and details of all the non resident Indians who are to be inducted in the boars of directors of the company
The Indian company is also required to inform the names and details of any foreign nationals and non resident Indians to be employed and engaged in the company as consultants or in any other capacity for more than 60 days in a year as regular employees.
All the proposals for FDI in Indian companies publishing news and current affairs publications shall be processed and decided by the information and broadcasting ministry in consultation with the home ministry and other ministries.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
