News Broadcasting
NDTV forays into online wedding market; raises funding from CerraCap
MUMBAI: In a bid to capitalise on the lucrative $40 billion India wedding industry, NDTV has now forayed into the online wedding market space with Special Occasion Limited.
For the new wedding and festival platform, NDTV has raised funding at a valuation of $20 million from US based venture capital firm CerraCap Ventures.
The company has named Sachin Singhal as CEO of Special Occasion Limited. With 10 years of experience in key startups in the country, Singhal has been instrumental in setting and scaling up leading brand likenaaptol.com.
“The wedding industry in India is a $40 billion market, which is highly disorganized and has operated the same way for decades. With India’s growing tech savvy populous; this market is ripe for disruption. Special Occasions has the right team, vision and platform to enable this disruption and be a leader in this space,” said CerraCap Ventures managing partner Saurabh Suri.
NDTV Group president revenue Smeeta Chakrabarti said, “I am delighted to welcome CerraCap and Saurabh Suri as a partner in this exciting venture. The wedding business in India is growing at huge 20 per cent year on year. There are 10 million weddings every year in India and this is a massive opportunity. Not just weddings, festival spending is also huge and this platform will be the go to destination when you are getting married or attending a wedding or celebrating any special occasion.”
Sports marketing, entertainment & licensing firm Baseline was responsible for the partnership between NDTV & CerraCap.
Baseline managing director Tuhin Mishra said, “It is always a pleasure to work with an NDTV enterprise and to facilitate CerraCap’s foray into this venture of NDTV. We are very excited with this tie up and are so gung-ho about the concept of wedding and festival e-commerce that Baseline will also be investing in.”
On his appointment, Singhal said, “People are looking for answers on how to achieve their dream wedding. How to navigate from dream to reality? The new platform will be a game changer and will provide 360 degree solutions in the wedding and festival space. With the growing internet population and the adoption of smart phones, this space will disrupt too.”
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
