News Broadcasting
HARDtalk celebrates tenth anniversary
MUMBAI: BBC World’s flagship current affairs interview programme HARDtalk , will celebrate its tenth anniversary this week and will air repeat telecasts of interviews of some people who have made history.
Known for its interviews with politicians and newsmakers from around the world, the special anniversary episodes will put the spotlight on Dr Naji Sabri and Sir Jeremy Greenstock on 16 April, Meles Zenawi on 17 April and Romeo Dallaire on 18 April.
Presenter Stephen Sackur says, “I’ve met many world leaders who have enormous respect for HARDtalk, and I can think of no bigger programme with which to be involved. I’ve had pretty much the best job in the BBC as a foreign correspondent, and the only way of topping that was through HARDtalk, putting tough questions to the people who shape our world.”
Stephen took over from former presenter Tim Sebastian in January 2005. Tim presented HARDtalk since it began in March 1997 and recorded more than 1500 editions.
Tim adds, “It was an enormous privilege to be in a position to ask leading questions and to travel the world trying to get answers. We left some bruised political egos in our wake, and some important feathers ruffled.”
HARDtalk is broadcast on BBC World daily from Monday to Thursday, with five showings per day in Europe, the Americas and Africa and three in Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. The programme has gained an international reputation for asking tough questions of global leaders, political figures, the military, campaigners and representatives of the world’s leading organisations. HARDtalk is edited by Carey Clark.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group debuts AI anchor ‘Sutra’ at AI Impact Summit 2026
Sutra aims to simplify live policy debates using sovereign AI models
NEW DELHI: India Today Group has unveiled Sutra, an AI-driven news anchor designed to deliver real-time, contextual reporting, marking the group’s latest push to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream journalism.
The AI anchor was introduced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and developed in collaboration with BharatGen, with the initiative showcased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
India Today Group said Sutra is built to navigate complex policy discussions and fast-moving developments by synthesising information into concise, accessible insights, aimed at narrowing the gap between high-level debates and public understanding. The AI anchor was used to surface live takeaways from key sessions at the summit.
India Today Group chief AI officer Nilanjan Das, said the project was focused on clarity and accessibility without diluting editorial rigour. He added that working with BharatGen aligned the group’s AI ambitions with India’s broader push towards sovereign technology capabilities.
BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal, said the partnership reflected a shift from basic automation towards deeper contextual intelligence in media. He emphasised the importance of indigenous, multimodal AI models capable of understanding Indian languages, regional dialects and cultural nuance, particularly as AI-driven news formats gain traction.
The launch positions India Today Group among the first major Indian media houses to deploy an AI anchor backed by home-grown technology, underscoring a growing convergence between journalism, public policy and sovereign AI infrastructure.
