News Broadcasting
Indiantelevision.com feted for ‘Excellence in Brand Building’
MUMBAI: Indiantelevision.com continues to gather accolades. At the 3rd Indira Awards for Marketing Excellence, which were presented at a glittering ceremony in Pune on Sunday, India’s premiere television services portal was feted for Excellence in Brand Building.
indiantelevision.com CEO Anil Wanvari makes a point while accepting the award during the Indira Awards for Marketing Excellence held in Pune on Sunday.
The Indira Awards for Marketing Excellence aim to award and applaud some of the best marketing and advertising talent in the country and is in its third year. It has been instituted by ‘A’ List business school – the Indira Group of Institutes, Pune. Along with Indiantelevision.com founder and CEO Anil Wanvari, five others received Excellence in Brand Building awards for 2003.
They were Bhaskar Parikh, V-P, Zandu Pharmaceuticals Work Ltd, KC Mehra, MD, Forbes Gokak Ltd., Adarsh Gupta, executive director, Liberty Shoes Ltd., S K Jhunjhunwala, MD, La Opala Glass Ltd. and Satish Kumar, CEO, Henkel (FA).
Among the other awards that were handed out on the night included Excellence in Social Marketing, Highly recalled Brand Award, CEO of the Year, Brand Leadership and Innovative Marketing Professional Of the Year. There was a News Channel of the Year award as well that was received on behalf of G Krishnan, Aaj Tak CEO.
There were some big names in advertising present as well. The Outstanding Contribution to the Advertising Industry award went to Ravi Deshpande, president, Lemon Communications Pvt Ltd, the Award for Social Marketing and Awareness to YK Sapru, founder, Cancer Patients Aids Association, Lifetime Achievement Award to Alyque Padamsee, CEO, AP Associates, and the Creative Professional of the Year to Prasoon Joshi, national creative director, McCann – Erickson (India) Ltd.
Nirvik Singh, CEO, Grey Worldwide won for Outstanding Professional of the Year while Arun Kumar, GM – Marketing Kurlon received the Excellence in Brand Building award.
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.
