News Broadcasting
John Dickie is BBC’s head of corporate affairs
MUMBAI: John Dickie has been appointed as UK pubcaster the BBC’s new head of corporate affairs.
Dickie, currently head of public affairs for the BBC and responsible for the organisation’s relationship with Parliament and politicians, will take on the new, broader role immediately, retaining the public affairs remit.
The appointment, working to the BBC’s Head of Communications Sally Osman, is part of the wider restructuring of the Marketing, Communications & Audiences division (MC&A). He will also take responsibility for all PR research, events and publications and manage a group of senior PR project managers.
Dickie has been a key member of the Charter Review team under the BBC’s Director of Strategy, Caroline Thomson, over recent years; and was involved in conveying the BBC’s position on the latest Communications Act.
A former public policy consultant with Prima and then GPC, Dickie, 41, was also Regulatory Affairs Director of the European Competitive Telecommunications Association.
Osman said, “We are nearing the end of the Charter Review and Licence Fee settlement process in which John and his team have played an integral role. The focus will soon shift to wider communications priorities through to 2012, strengthening relationships and shifting perceptions. John has great intuition, intelligence and ideas so I’m delighted he and his team are joining the Communications group.”
Dickie said, “I’m delighted to be have been given the opportunity by Sally to bring together the BBC’s public affairs and public relations teams. Working together, and with colleagues across the BBC, we will be showing how the BBC is delivering its public purposes under the new Charter.”
The four-strong Public Affairs team, which includes Andrew Scadding, a former BBC producer and ex-head of Broadcasting with the Conservative Party, will also move in to the communications team within the BBC’s MC&A division.
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.
