News Broadcasting
Industry leaders foretell the future
MUMBAI: The 15th edition of FICCI FRAMES witnessed a panel on ‘Television 3.1 Era’, where thought leaders discussed the future of the broadcast industry in terms of content, marketing and distribution in an era of convergence and multi-platform delivery mechanisms.
The panel was constituted by Celestial Tiger Entertainment CEO Todd Miller, Reliance Broadcast CEO Tarun Katial, NDTV Group CEO Vikram Chandra, MSO Alliance president Ashok Mansukhani, TV France International executive director Mathieu Bejot and Zee Entertainment chief content and creative officer Bharat Kumar Ranga.
Having been there in the cable industry for nearly two decades, Mansukhani said there was a need for the industry to start providing content at a time of the viewer’s choice, at a price of the viewer’s choice, and in a manner of the viewer’s choice. “The young generation watches television on the iPhone or iPad. There is one big change that needs to come in the entire industry, which is to start addressing the young consumer in terms of his/her technological needs, content needs and legal rights to access content in whichever way they want to,” he said.
Chandra said, “Years ago, we used to say that TV as we knew it will be gone forever. That trend is going to accelerate and linked to that is the crashing of price point of smart phone devices. We have to be prepared to change the way we are viewing our own models.”
He said monetization is a challenge because online in India is still not at a stage it is in say the US though it will get there.
According to Ranga, “We must not remain an India-based multi-national company, but we need to become a meta-national company. Every market in India, whether it is Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, we have to look at each market individually, closely, and work on it. The moment we do that, we will be able to call ourselves a meta-national company. That is a big change.”
Ranga further said that the understanding between the network and the consumer is all important. “Finally, consumer-ish understanding is important as compared to market-ish understanding,” he said and added that the first two things would add up to the value of off-screen talent going up and that would take India ahead.
Miller opined that while multi-screen content viewing would become fundamental in India in the next ten to fifteen years, it was a long road ahead. “TV viewing will still be the primary medium. So in India, HD is the thing and has a lot of room to grow,” he said.
On his part, Katial said, “India has to see content as the central issue. In this area, India is very much ahead of some other countries where companies are providing content specifically for digital or TV. India however does broadcast quality content for digital.”
Mansukhani drew attention to the fact that the youth will probably want to view more niche television. “There is a lot of international content that has to be made available. Also, regional content has to be customized. The value of local content cannot be ignored. A little more money for a little more valuable content can lead to better changes in the way we watch television,” he concluded.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
