News Broadcasting
FT, London picks up 13.8% stake in Business Standard
NEW DELHI: Financial Times (FT) of London will be picking up 13. 8 per cent stake in Business Standard Ltd (BSL), a subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd, which publishes Business Standard newspaper. The UK media company will invest Rs 141 million in BS.
The London Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange-listed Pearson owns the FT Group. Editor and CEO of BS, TN Ninan confirmed the move to indiantelevision.com stating, “The initial agreement has been just signed.”
Though Ninan did not specify the amount of investment that would be made in BSL by the foreign partner, he did admit that the investment would be made “directly by FT or an affiliate”.
“Subsequent agreements and other details are still to be worked out,” Ninan added.
BS is the second newspaper to have said that it has finalized foreign investment after the investment norms were liberalised last year by the government. Recently, Hindustan Times had announced that it was tying up with Hendersen Global for bringing in 20 per cent of foreign investment in a new company called HT Media. It envisages activity in radio, dissemination of news and information, television, Internet, video films, magazines and books, besides newspapers soon.
The others who have evinced interest in either setting up shop in India or tying up with an India media company, include US business magazine BusinessWeek, Par Golf from Exposure Media and Intelligent Computing Chip from TBW Publishing. All of them are interested in starting an Indian edition through licence agreements with the parent companies.
It is not known whether a tie-up with FT would be extended to renewed TV forays or in other specialty magazine segment by BS. But it is expected that after having tied up with Ananda Bazaar Patrika group for Star News venture, Star/News Corp may make an entry into print medium too.
Pearson is an international media company with market-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing. The FT Group is the most international source of business and political news and analysis.
Pearson is listed on the London (PSON) and New York (PSO) Stock Exchanges. In 2002 the company had sales of $6,955 million and operating profits of $794 million.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
