News Broadcasting
Mirchi KAAN Awards, a Tribute to Creativity
Bangalore, March 23, 2006 – Following an overwhelming response for the ‘Mirchi KAAN Awards’ in the first and the second year, Radio Mirchi, India’s largest private FM radio, is now open for entries for the third ‘Mirchi KAAN Awards’, from the creative fraternity, till March 27, 2006.
Radio Mirchi has already received a phenomenal response for the third ‘Mirchi KAAN Awards’ from both the advertising agencies and the corporates. The radio station has invited entries for the work aired for the first time between January 2005 and February 28, 2006 and is confident of receiving over 450 entries this year vis-?-vis the 350 received last year. Judging is conducted by a broad segment of industry professionals, comprising of names known for presiding over a section of awards at the International Advertising Festival at Cannes, the most recognised awards for the advertising fraternity the world over.
Interestingly, in view of the growing pester power of radio; today acknowledged by national and local advertisers, both in India and internationally, last year the Advertising Festival at Cannes too had introduced the radio advertising category for the very first time.
With three ego sizes, namely Gold, Silver and Bronze, the ‘Mirchi KAAN Awards’ night is scheduled to be a glittering affair and will be held in Mumbai in early May 2006. Spread across 20 different categories, these are definitely India’s best looking radio advertising awards if not the most prestigious.
Work, which falls under the Outstanding Category, will be eligible for the Crystal award, to be awarded to the ‘Agency of the Year’. Radio Mirchi will sponsor two radio creative writers below the age of 30, to the Cannes Advertising festival. Furthermore, Radio Mirchi will refund the entry fees for the radio spots designated as the winner in the Gold category at the KAAN Awards, provided the entry has already made its way to Cannes 2006.
Sharing his thoughts on the initiative Prashant Panday, Deputy CEO, Entertainment Network (India) Limited (ENIL) said, “Category building is an important aspect of Radio advertising. With a visible lack of any awards instituted to laud excellence in radio advertising, we decided to institute these awards two years back. Our objective is to provide a forum through which the advertising industry can showcase its creativity, reward individual accomplishment, and set new standards against which future advertising will be judged.”
The Jury for this prestigious event comprises of advertising stalwarts and top-notch names in the business including Abhijeet Choudhary, Agnello Dias, Elsie Nanjie, Gangadharan Menon, K.S. Chakravarthy, K.V.Sridhar, Mohammed Khan, Piyush Pandey, Prahlad Kakkar, Prasoon Joshi, R. Balakrishnan, Rajat Dholakia, Ram Madhvani, Ram Sampath, Ravi Deshpande and Rekha Nigam.
The award categories comprise of Foods; Beverages; Toiletries & household care; Business products & services; Health & cosmetic care; Clothing, footwear & accessories, Consumer durables; Homes, décor & leisure; Automotive & accessories; Services for the household sector; Sports, entertainment, travel & leisure; Media; Public service/charity – fund raising; Retail outlets, fast-food stores, restaurants and Unreleased works in the single/campaign entries. Moreover, there are special awards for the most outstanding voice of the year, radio writer of the year, excellence in production and client of the year.
Some of the winners for last year included McCann Erickson (agency of the yaer), Leo Burnett, Lowe, RMG David and Rediffusion.
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.
