News Broadcasting
India Today Group unleashes five regional AI anchors to team up with Sana
Mumbai: In a historic moment at the 5th India Today Conclave in Mumbai held on 5 October, India Today Group managing director Kalli Purie, joined Sana, India’s First AI anchor, to introduce a cutting-edge roster of AI anchors. Representing diverse regions of India, these AI regional anchors are set to redefine how news is delivered and consumed, marking a significant milestone in newsroom evolution.
The India Today Group ushered in a new era of AI journalism earlier this year when it introduced India’s First AI Anchor, Sana; in March. Since then, Sana has tirelessly delivered 200 hours of programming, transcending various genres, languages, and platforms. In less than six months, Sana has already added several credits to her belt including interacting with PM Modi (first AI Anchor to interact with a head of the state), anchoring a dedicated segment on prime-time, and interacting with global leaders like Brad Smith of Microsoft and Shahrukh Khan.
On the concluding day of India Today Conclave 2023 in Mumbai, Purie took the opportunity to get Sana to introduce a diverse array of AI anchors: SAIli, the pioneering AI Marathi news anchor for Mumbai Tak; AIshwarya, the authoritative Hindi anchor for UP Tak, Bharat Tak, and News Tak; NAIna, the engaging Bhojpuri anchor on Aaj Tak 2; AIna, India’s inaugural Bengali AI anchor on Aaj Tak Bangla; and JAI, the articulate English AI anchor on India Today TV, representing the global perspective.
Speaking about the group’s AI anchors, Purie said, “For the first time in our group’s 48-year history, we’ve taken a leap by creating an anchor from scratch rather than hiring one! These AI Anchors exemplify our unwavering commitment to always looking out for new tech that can enable our newsroom to deliver a richer faster more personalised news experience.
The AI news anchors cater to diverse linguistic communities across the nation, appreciating and understanding their local preferences in terms of content preference, dialect, culture, and language, creating a personal connection with the audience. This strategic move underscores the Group’s dedication to innovation and its commitment to a superior quality audience experience.
AI Anchor profiles
Aaj Tak now has the dynamic AI anchor NAIna, who spearheads the Bhojpuri news segment on the Aaj Tak 2 digital platform. Across India, Bhojpuri-speaking audiences are known to be the raging group driving YouTube-based news consumption. Infused with an innate understanding of the language’s nuances, AI Naina seamlessly captivates audiences, ensuring the delivery of Bhojpuri news with an amalgamation of authenticity and precision.
In a significant stride towards bolstering regional representation, the Mumbai Tak digital platform proudly presents SAIli, its first AI news reader, proficient in Marathi. Saili’s eloquence and understanding of the regional flourish harmoniously resonate with the Marathi audience.
AI anchor AIshwarya brings cheer to the Hindi-speaking audience on News Tak, Bharat Tak and UP Tak. An embodiment of credible journalism and precision reporting, she effortlessly fosters a robust connection with the audience through her seamless news delivery with utmost accuracy.
Possessing absolute proficiency in Bangla and personifying the Bengali culture, AI anchor AIna establishes a compelling bond with viewers who seek news in their native tongue. Her accent, eye for detail, and cultural sensitivity establish an immediate connection with the audience of Aaj Tak Bangla.
JAI, the dashing AI anchor, is at the helm of the English news spectrum analysis on India Today TV. His high-speed data analysis capability for churning out news content that resonates with its audiences nationwide and his innovative storytelling is highly captivating. His mastery of the language and the ease of communication make him dear to his viewers.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
