News Broadcasting
Hydrogen and green fuel will be India’s future fuel’, says Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari
Mumbai : Hydrogen is our future fuel, and future vehicles in India will run on hydrogen and green fuels, said Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Speaking at the ABP Network’s second Ideas of India Summit, he stated that while he never mentioned India’s EV targets for 2030, India will undoubtedly shift to electric vehicles in the coming years.
“We import Rs. 16 lakh crore worth of fossil fuel every year but pretty soon our farmers will produce green fuel and green hydrogen,” he said adding that Lithium ion batteries will lead the shift from petrol and diesel driven cars. Reiterating that Lithium ion battery costs will come down in the next year or so, the minister said that India will soon become a net exporter of Lithium and become a major global player.
Expressing satisfaction with the development of highways in the country, Gadkari said, “In the coming years, public transport will be revolutionised in the country and the new highways will bring down travel time between key cities drastically.”
The minister also expressed confidence that the NDA and BJP will form the government both at the Centre and Maharashtra in the coming elections and said that performance audit of the ministers was more important than financial audit. He said that the government had created a positivity among people which will bring growth.
The minister however, said that his ministry and government had failed to curb the accident rate on Indian roads. “We wanted to reduce road accidents by 50 per cent by 2024 but we are not going to achieve it,” he said. For this, he said, human behaviour has to change as people were still not following rules of red lights, car seat belts or two wheeler helmets. He urged the society to introduce road safety education at the primary level to make Indians aware about this at a young age.
Gadkari also said that his target is to build 60 kms of roads every day and announced that new facilities like helipads and drone pads will be built on new toads for quick and emergency transport.
The ABP India Summit brought together the brightest brains from diverse sectors to address the question- where does India stand at this moment in history, with its burgeoning economy successfully tackling the energy divisions of yet another war in Europe, with a post-pandemic recalibrating world looking up to her as a global leader and a whole new generation of Indians impatient to lead across sectors? This year, the grand second edition of the ‘Ideas of India’ summit was woven around the theme of Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out.
The second edition of ABP’s ‘Ideas of India’ Summit is taking place at a time of extreme global churn where India has a critical role to play in the changing global dynamics. With the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections just a few months away, issues like geo-political tension, inflation, unemployment and digitization have become important points of discussion. The two-day event will put the spotlight on where India stands today amidst such turbulence. The two-day event will help people know more about these prevailing issues and disruptions through the lens of those dealing with them at the strategic and core levels.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
