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
Times Now Summit 2026 to convene top leaders as network marks 20 years
Policymakers, global voices and industry leaders gather to shape India’s roadmap to 2047
NEW DELHI: Times Network is turning 20 and using the moment to set the agenda for India’s next 25 years. The broadcaster will host the Times Now Summit 2026 on March 26 and 27 in New Delhi, bringing together a heavyweight lineup of policymakers, global leaders and industry voices under the theme “Celebrating Times Now @ 20, Shaping India @ 100.”
The two-day summit aims to move beyond rhetoric to results, with keynote addresses, panel discussions and debates focused on India’s growth story, its challenges and the road ahead. Designed as a platform for high-impact dialogue, the event will evaluate promises versus performance while spotlighting actionable solutions to accelerate the country’s trajectory.
The speaker roster reads like a power list. Amit Shah, minister of home affairs and minister of cooperation; Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of railways, minister of information and broadcasting, and minister of electronics and information technology; Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of petroleum and natural gas; and Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, minister of civil aviation will headline discussions.
They will be joined by political leaders and public figures including Akhilesh Yadav, national president of Samajwadi Party and member of parliament; Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister of Delhi; Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team; and Kriti Sanon, actor and entrepreneur, among others.
Global perspectives will come from Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India, and Juan Antonio March Pujol, ambassador of Spain, alongside other international voices.
Day one will also double up as a branding pivot for the network, with the unveiling of a new identity that positions Times Network not merely as a broadcaster but as a bridge connecting India to the world and the world to India in a continuous exchange.
The summit underscores Times Network’s ambition to remain at the centre of national conversations, curating dialogue that shapes policy, business and culture.
As India marches towards its centenary as an independent nation, the message from Times Now Summit 2026 is clear: the next chapter will be written not just in studios or boardrooms, but on platforms that bring power, policy and people into the same room — and force the future into focus.
