News Broadcasting
Lalli is new Prasar Bharati CEO
NEW DELHI: Baljit Singh Lalli, an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1971 batch from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is to take over as the new Prasar Bharati CEO.
The post had been vacant since K S Sarma retired on 30 June after serving a term of six years. However, the post was held on a temporary basis first by Doordarshan Director General Navin Kumar until his retirement and then by All India Radio DG Brijeshwar Singh.
The candidature of Lalli, who is presently the secretary in charge of border management in the union ministry of home, was selected on 21 December by a high-level committee meeting under vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. The name could not be announced earlier as information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi was out of the capital.
Under the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act 1990, the selection of the chief executive has to be made by a high-level committee comprising the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Press Council of India Chairman (Justice G N Ray), and a nominee of the president. It is understood that S K Arora who is secretary in the I&B ministry was the third member on the committe.
The chief executive normally has a term of six years and functions under the Prasar Bharati board that is headed by a Chairman.
Meanwhile, AK Jain who is a 1977 batch IAS Officer has taken over as the member (Finance) of Prasar Bharati, following his appointment to the post on the recommendations of the high powered selection committee. He will hold the office of member (Finance) for a period of six years, as per the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act.
V. Shivakumar is the new member (Personnel) of Prasar Bharati. He is presently holding the post of director (HR) in MTNL – a board level position. The post of member (personnel) was lying vacant since the retirement of D P S Lamba.
Jain, an M.B.A. in finance and marketing from the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi, also holds an MBA in finance and public sector management from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. He claims to have grounding in financial management and corporate affairs and has worked in the department of public enterprises/ heavy industries and the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers in his previous postings. He acquired first hand experience in the functioning of commercial enterprises as the executive director of NAFED.
Having served a tenure as the joint secretary in the ministry of home affairs, Jain was the principal secretary to the government of Nagaland before his new assignment.
The appointment of a full-time member (Finance) assumes significance in view of the corporate restructuring plan being worked out for Prasar Bharati. A group of ministers is deliberating the issue.
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.
