News Broadcasting
INCableNet’s Vyas, Hathway’s Bhatia quit
MUMBAI: Talk about bad timing. A key executive each from Mumbai’s Big Two MSOs – INCableNet and Hathway – have put in their papers.
INCableNet COO Rajiv Vyas has resigned from his post as on 31 October, a company statement says.
“Mr Rajiv Vyas served the company for over two years. He has resigned for personal reasons. We wish him all the success in his endeavours,” the official release from the Hinduja Group company says.
The Star India-backed rival MSO Hathway Cable and Datacom has also seen a departure. Hathway vice-president Neeraj Bhatia resigned mid-week.
Spokespersons from both companies said no replacements have been identified at this point but would be announced in due course.
Vyas’ case in particular comes at an awkward time since he was the key pointperson who represented INCableNet in meetings with both broadcasters and government officials these last few months, in negotiations linked to the (non)rollout of conditional access in the metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
December is expected to be a high action month for the MSOs as India kicks off its tour Down Under and the industry is expecting ESPN Star Sports (ESS) to announce its annual rate hike at the time. ESS has exclusive broadcast rights for the series. If the events of last year are any indicator, the other pay broadcasters should also announce their new rate cards soon after.
Additionally, INCableNet has already announced it will implement CAS unilaterally in December, using various ‘carrot’ options for consumers, including pay-per-view services, interactive games and a large offering of up to 114 channels.
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.
