News Broadcasting
Navbharat Times pushes for gender-inclusive Hindi with new campaign
MUMBAI: On International Women’s Day, Navbharat Times, in collaboration with FCB Ulka, unveiled a pioneering initiative, ‘Barabari Ki Bhasha’,aimed at making the Hindi language more inclusive and gender-equal.
For centuries, Hindi has been a gendered language, often lacking female-specific terms for professions and achievements, particularly in male-dominated fields such as STEM, politics, sports, and entrepreneurship. This campaign seeks to address this gap by introducing new, gender-neutral or female-centric words, ensuring language no longer limits aspirations.
Research indicates that language shapes society by influencing participation in various fields. The absence of feminine equivalents for certain professions often discourages female involvement, reinforcing gender disparities. By introducing these new words, the initiative hopes to empower young girls, providing them with the language to dream, aspire, and succeed.
The Times of India Group president & chief brand officer Partha Sinha stated, “The first step in understanding a culture is through its language. With a gendered language, some inclusiveness is always left out. ‘Barabari Ki Bhasha’ aims to reflect the true desires and aspirations of society, marking a significant cultural shift.”
FCB Ulka chief creative officer Hemant Shringy added, “‘Barabari Ki Bhasha’ is more than a campaign; it’s a movement. Language shapes how we think, and by introducing these new words, we take a meaningful step toward true equality. Every girl deserves to see herself represented in the words we use daily.”
Initially launched in print, the campaign will expand to digital platforms and other media to maximise its impact.
News Broadcasting
Times Network to air JVC Exit Poll across 5 regions on April 29
Four-hour broadcast spans states and Puducherry with data-led analysis
MUMBAI: Times Network is set to roll out what it calls one of its most expansive election programming efforts yet, culminating in the JVC Exit Poll on 29 April, with a multi-hour broadcast spanning key poll-bound regions.
The exit poll will air across Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, beginning at 5pm and 4pm respectively. Co-powered by Vedanta and Jindal Stainless, the programming aims to combine on-ground reportage with data-driven projections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The network has deployed over 50 journalists across these regions, gathering voter sentiment and local insights in the run-up to polling. The effort builds on its ongoing election formats such as Election Yatra and Election Premier League, which have tracked campaign narratives and community-level issues.
In parallel, Times Now Navbharat has focused on constituency-level reporting in West Bengal through its Jan Gan ka Mann series, capturing voter opinions across diverse segments.
The coverage has also featured interviews with prominent political leaders. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheesan have appeared on the network’s election specials. From Tamil Nadu, voices including deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran, BJP leader K Annamalai and NTK’s Seeman have also featured in discussions.
On the day of the exit poll, the network’s primetime anchors, including Navika Kumar, Zakka Jacob and Sumit Awasthi, will lead the coverage. They will be joined by a panel of political analysts, psephologists and senior journalists offering real-time insights and interpretation of trends.
The programming will integrate grassroots reportage with analytics from the JVC Exit Poll, aiming to give viewers an early sense of electoral outcomes ahead of the official results on 4 May.
With its combined English and Hindi broadcast reach, Times Network is positioning this effort as a comprehensive look at voter sentiment, blending field reporting, data and debate to decode what could lie ahead when the final mandate is revealed.
