News Broadcasting
India at the Chaupal as News18 sets the stage for big voices and bold views
MUMBAI: The nation’s most powerful voices are pulling up a seat at the table or rather, the Chaupal. News18 India, the country’s No. 1 Hindi news channel, is gearing up to host its flagship summit Chaupal 2025 – Ab Bharat Ki Baari on October 16, 2025, in New Delhi.
For years, News18 India Chaupal has been where India’s ideas meet India’s icons, a melting pot of politics, policy, and perspective. This year, the conversation turns to self-reliance and global ambition, as India continues to make waves across sectors, from infrastructure to innovation.
The lineup reads like the guest list for democracy’s most high-profile brainstorming session. On the dais: Nitin Gadkari, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jayant Chaudhary, and Smriti Irani. Adding to the mix are Tenjem Imna Along from Nagaland, K. Kavitha, Imran Masood, and Mukhtar Naqvi ensuring every corner of Bharat has a voice in the dialogue.
But Chaupal isn’t just about politics. It’s a culture of conversation and the guest list proves it. Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, actor Bobby Deol, South African High Commissioner Dr. Anil Sooklal, German Ambassador Dr. Philipp Ackermann, French ambassador Thierry Mathou, and artistes like Suzanne Bernert, pianist Andreas König, Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen, and filmmaker Rafael Stemplewski will bring their unique global and cultural perspectives to the mix.
“News18 India Chaupal serves as a premier platform for impactful dialogue and national discourse,” said Network18 Group chief strategy officer, Puneet Singhvi. “It brings together the country’s top voices to strengthen governance, democracy, and nation-building.”
Adding to that Network18 (Broadcast) and MD, A+E Networks | TV18 CEO Avinash Kaul said, “Staying true to its legacy of fearless journalism, Chaupal unites voices that shape India’s narrative. It continues to evolve as one of India’s most distinguished thought leadership forums.”
Since its inception, Chaupal has been more than a summit, it’s become a symbol of meaningful exchange. The 2025 edition promises high-decibel debates, insightful exchanges, and the kind of unscripted moments that remind viewers why democracy thrives on dialogue.
So, whether you’re a policy wonk, a culture buff, or just someone who loves a good debate, mark your calendars. News18 India Chaupal 2025 goes live on 16 October, from 11 am onwards bringing India’s biggest names under one roof to ask, answer, and argue what’s next for Bharat.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
