Budget
I&B budgetary allocations up by Rs 600 crore; Prasar Bharati’s grants-in-aid upped
NEW DELHI: The total budget of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been raised to Rs 3711.11 crore for 2015-16 against the revised budget of Rs 3176.80 crore (against the initial allocation of Rs 3316 crore) for the year 2014-15. This was announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to the Parliament on Saturday, while presenting the Union Budget 2015 – 16.
Additionally, the grants-in-aid for Prasar Bharati have been also raised from the revised estimates of Rs 2361.54 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 2824.55 crore for 2015-16, apart from an investment of Rs 200 crore by the government in the pubcaster.
The investment in the pubcaster was stopped over the past two years but has been revived this year in the budget for 2015-16.
Although the grants-in-aid for Prasar Bharati had provided for Rs 90 crore for the Kisan TV channel in the budget presented by Jaitley in July last year after the new government took over, the revised estimates for 2014-15 show the amount as Rs 21.68 crore and this amount has been raised to Rs 45 crore in the budget for 2015-16.
An explanatory memorandum says that the grants-in-aid is meant for meeting salary and salary related expenditure. In addition, there is a proposal for Kisan TV for making available information to farmers across the country.
(Expenditure on salaries of Prasar Bharati has fallen on the shoulders of the government since all Prasar Bharati employees, who were in employment as on 5 October, 2007 have been given deemed deputation status.)
The allocation under ‘Secretariat – Social services’ covering centenary of cinema celebrations and digitisation of cable television among other things has gone up to Rs 235.23 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 92.81 crore. Other subjects under this head include the National Film Heritage Mission, anti-piracy measures, promotion of Indian cinema overseas, production of films and documentaries, and setting up a centre of excellence for animation, gaming and visual effects. The explanatory note adds that Secretariat – Social services also covers expenses on development of community radio, and development support to the north-east as well as Jammu and Kashmir and ‘other identified areas’.
The allocation under the Film Sector has been reduced to Rs 130.69 crore for 2015-16. The budget for the film sector for 2014-15 was Rs 135.81 crore while the revised estimates had put this figure at Rs 128.40 crore. There is an additional outlay of Rs 7.68 crore towards certification of cinematographic films.
For the sixth year in a row, the government has not announced any investment in the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
The allocation for Press Information Services, which includes grants to the Press Council of India has been marginally increased to Rs 71.45 crore from last year’s revised estimates of Rs 65.47 crore to meet the expenses for the Press Information Bureau, and the Press Council of India.
For the first time after almost three decades, there is no allocation to the Press Trust of India for running the non-aligned countries news pool. (The pool had been established in the eighties but had gradually ceased to exist, although the allocation to PTI had continued.)
The allocation to the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre has been reduced marginally to Rs 10.41 crore from the revised estimates of Rs 12.52 crore in 2014-15. The EMMC was set up for monitoring television and radio channels for violation of programme and advertising codes.
The allocation for advertising and visual publicity has been more than halved to Rs 91.02 crore against the revised estimates of Rs 210.48 crore and budget allocation of Rs 230.37 crore for 2014-15, covering expenditure incurred by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity for publicity campaigns through advertising and other printed materials, as well as through radio, television, exhibitions and other outdoor campaigns.
The allocation for research and training in mass communication has been raised marginally to Rs 26.26 crore as against the revised estimates of Rs 24.48 crore and the budgetary allocation of Rs 33.54 crore for 2014-15. This covers the Indian Institute of Mass Communication and the Research and Reference Division of the I&B Ministry, which collects and collates basic information on subjects of media interest for providing assistance to the Ministry and to its media units, Indian missions overseas, and newspapers and news agencies.
There is an increase in the lump sum provision for projects/schemes for development of North-eastern areas including Sikkim to Rs 92 crore for 2015-16. The budgetary allocation had been Rs 100.5 crore in the 2014-15 but had come down in the revised estimates to Rs 75.2 crore.
The Minister has also proposed a Centre for Film Production, Animation and Gaming in Arunachal Pradesh for the North Eastern states. Though there is no separate budgeting for it, Ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that this will come under the lump sum provision for the North East and from the Development of North Eastern Region Ministry.
MUMBAI: Anuj Singhal, managing editor at CNBC- AWAAZ and CNBC BAJAR, operates at the sharp end of India’s business news ecosystem. With over two decades in business journalism, he has earned credibility for decoding policy, markets and macro trends for millions of Hindi-speaking investors. Equal parts newsroom leader and market analyst, he shapes editorial direction while anchoring flagship shows that break down the economy, politics and corporate India in real time.
Known for cutting through jargon and hype, Singhal blends data, discipline and clarity — a mix that has made him one of the most trusted voices in Hindi business news.
In this interaction, he discusses the Union Budget, trade deals, newsroom strategy and what truly moves markets and ratings.
• What was the single most market-moving announcement in this Budget, and why?
The most market-moving element was the clear commitment to fiscal consolidation without compromising capex. The glide path on fiscal deficit reassured bond markets and foreign investors, while sustained public investment kept growth expectations intact. That balance removed a big overhang for both equities and debt.
• Do you see this Budget as growth-oriented, fiscally cautious, or politically calibrated?
This Budget is growth-led but fiscally disciplined. It avoids overt populism, stays within macro guardrails, and prioritises medium-term competitiveness over short-term optics. Politically, it is restrained; economically, it is deliberate. The message is clear: stability over spectacle.
• How is CNBC-AWAAZ programming different, especially in decoding trade deal impact?
CNBC-AWAAZ goes beyond headline reaction. We translate policy into portfolio impact — sector by sector, stock by stock.
On trade agreements, our focus is on:
-Earnings visibility
-Export competitiveness
-Currency implications
-Margin sustainability
We don’t treat trade deals as political milestones. We decode them as profit-and-loss events for corporate India and map them to FY earnings trajectories.
• Which sectors look like clear winners and laggards over the next 12–18 months?
The next 12–18 months favour sectors aligned with structural spending and supply-side strengthening.
– Clear beneficiaries:
Capital goods and infrastructure
Manufacturing linked to export chains and PLI ecosystems
Power, defence, and logistics
– Relative laggards:
Consumption segments dependent on immediate demand revival
Businesses facing margin pressure from global volatility or pricing power erosion
This is not a momentum-driven market environment. It is execution-driven. Balance-sheet strength and order visibility will matter more than narrative.
• One headline to sum up this Budget 2026 for India Inc?
“Steady Hands, Long-Term Vision: A Budget That Rewards Discipline Over Drama”.
• What editorial filters do you apply before calling something ‘market-positive’ or ‘negative’?
We apply three structured filters:
– First: Earnings translation — does this materially change earnings visibility or cash flow outlook?
– Second: Time horizon — is the impact immediate, cyclical, or structural?
– Third: Valuation context — good news priced in or not.
If a policy doesn’t move earnings or risk perception, we don’t oversell it.
• How has business news consumption changed around big policy events?**
There has been a clear behavioural shift. They’re less interested in what was said, more in what it means for their money. There’s also a clear shift toward second-screen consumption, with digital platforms complementing live TV. The audience seeks sharper accountability. Viewers no longer accept broad optimism or pessimism — they want frameworks, numbers, and sector mapping.
• CNBC-AWAAZ decisively outperformed on Budget Day. What editorial and distribution choices mattered most?
Three deliberate strategic choices:
– Preparation depth:
We build scenarios months in advance — deficit ranges, sectoral incentives, tax calibrations — so we’re ready with analysis the moment numbers are announced.
– Language of impact:
We translate macro policy into investor-friendly Hindi without diluting complexity. That bridges accessibility and sophistication.
– Integrated distribution:
Television, YouTube, and digital platforms operate as one editorial grid, not parallel silos. This ensures continuity of narrative.We stayed analytical while others stayed reactive.
• How different is your YouTube audience from your TV audience?
The behavioural differences are subtle but important. TV audiences prioritise authority, structured debate, and context. YouTube audiences want speed, clarity, and actionable insights — often sharper, sometimes more opinionated. However, both share one expectation: accuracy. The format evolves; the trust benchmark does not.
• How do you retain viewers after the budget speech ends?
By shifting from announcements to implications.Retention comes from shifting the narrative from announcement to implication. We break down sectoral breakouts, stock-level impact, and what to do next. The speech is just the trigger; analysis is the destination.
• Is Budget Day your biggest traffic day?
It is one of the biggest — but more importantly, it is among the deepest in engagement. Viewers spend longer durations, revisit segments, and seek follow-up programming. That indicates behavioural trust, not just traffic.
• What’s the first thing you personally track on Budget Day — the speech or the markets?
The markets. They’re the fastest truth-teller. The speech explains intent; markets reveal interpretation.
• Your personal Budget-day ritual?
Early morning prep, minimal distractions, and once the speech begins, complete immersion. For me, Budget Day is less about reaction and more about reading between the lines.
• What drove your Budget-day ratings dominance, and how are Budget and trade deals shaping markets now?
Our dominance came from credibility, consistency, and clarity.
As for markets, both the Budget and recent trade deals are reinforcing a narrative of policy stability and global integration, which supports valuations even amid global volatility.
For Singhal, the market is the final judge. Policies can promise and speeches can persuade, but prices reveal what investors truly believe. As India’s investor class grows more informed and more demanding, business journalism is shifting from commentary to calibration. The premium is on clarity, context and credibility. In a landscape flooded with noise, the real edge lies in interpretation. In the end, the markets listen to numbers, not narratives , and Singhal’s craft is helping viewers tell the difference.
