News Broadcasting
FM b’cast policy tipped for a change before general elections
NEW DELHI: The government is contemplating on taking a final view on the recommendations of an expert panel, on FM radio broadcast policy, before the country gets into the general elections mode, which is likely to happen March onwards.
According to government sources, the last date for sending in feedback on the panel’s suggestions expires on 19 January, after which the information and broadcasting minister proposes to move a cabinet note to effect changes in the existing policy, if need be. Any change in the FM radio broadcast policy would have to have the green signal from the full Cabinet.
“This is evident from the fact that work on a paper on FM radio broadcast policy is going on at the moment so that not much time is wasted in seeking Cabinet okay on the changes suggested,” a government source said, adding that this is despite the fact that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been appointed the regulator for the broadcast sector too.
Since clarity on I&B ministry’s role, post TRAI development, is still not forthcoming, the I&B ministry would have a say in the formulation of policies regarding broadcast and cable sector, though TRAI, technically, comes under the telecom ministry, the source said.
The FM radio panel, headed by Ficci’s secretary-general Amit Mitra, last year had submitted its recommendations after extensive consultation with the industry and government officials.
Amongst some of the radical suggestions, it had been said that news and current affairs programming be allowed on private FM radio stations as also bring foreign investment norms in such ventures at par with those prevalent in the electronic and print media.
In the print and electronic medium, for the news category, foreign investment is permitted up till 26 per cent. Of course, such investments come with heavy riders to safeguard against foreigners taking full control of news ventures in India.
News Broadcasting
India’s AI Future Gets a Neural Kick-Off in Delhi
NDTV IND.AI Summit on 18 Feb 2026 to debate governance, ethics, and India’s big-tech ambitions.
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence is about to get a very Delhi welcome smart, spirited, and ready to out-think the room. On 18 February 2026, New Delhi plays host to the inaugural NDTV IND.AI Summit, a high-stakes pow-wow that promises to put India’s AI ambitions under the brightest spotlight yet. Billed as a deep dive into how artificial intelligence is already rewiring the nation’s economy, policy playbook, and strategic dreams, the one-day event is curated by NDTV in partnership with the Startup Policy Forum. At its core lies a single, sharp question: how do you unleash AI’s transformative power while keeping trust, equity, and sanity intact?
The guest list reads like a who’s-who of global AI heavyweights. Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak headlines a special session on AI in governance, sharing hard-won lessons on how the technology is reshaping statecraft and decision-making. Joining the fray are OpenAI’s Chris Lehane, UC Berkeley’s AI safety pioneer Stuart Russell, and Google’s James Manyika, voices that will anchor India firmly in the international conversation on accountability, risk, and cross-border cooperation.
Beyond the policy wonks, the Summit rolls up its sleeves for real-world impact. General Catalyst’s Hemant Taneja and other top-tier investors will unpack how AI is redrawing the rules of capital, innovation, and long-term value creation. Separate tracks will tackle AI’s footprint in workplaces, large-scale adoption, productivity shifts, evolving job roles, and organisational culture. India’s digital public infrastructure, often hailed as a global blueprint for inclusive tech gets its own spotlight, alongside a dedicated segment on AI sovereignty: what does true national control look like in a borderless tech universe?
NDTV CEO and editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal framed the event’s bigger picture, “The IND.AI Summit is about the kind of future we are choosing to build. India has the scale, the talent, and the moral imagination to shape how AI serves society and this Summit is our way of bringing the most credible voices together to define that direction.”
In a world where AI chatter can feel abstract, the New Delhi gathering aims to ground the debate in India’s own story, one that ties cutting-edge innovation to public purpose, domestic priorities to global influence, and raw ambition to responsible stewardship. Whether you’re an algorithm enthusiast or just mildly curious about tomorrow’s headlines, this Summit is India signalling it’s not just catching the AI wave, it intends to help steer it.
