News Broadcasting
NDTV says on track for end-March launch
NEW DELHI: NDTV’s proposed news channels in Hindi and English are slated to be launched between end-March and early April 2003, according to a senior executive of the Delhi-based production house which is soon to turn into a broadcaster too.
The senior executive of NDTV also clarified that the foreign equity component in the proposal for a news channel, cleared by the Indian government, is FII investment which was made about five years ago.
“The work on the channels (in Hindi and English) is going on fine,” the senior executive of NDTV told indiantelevision.com this morning, adding, “The two channels are expected to be on-air between end-March and early-April.”
According to the executive, the foreign equity of “about 16 per cent”, which Swaraj was referring to, is the FII investment from the “likes of Goldman Sachs made about five years back in NDTV.”
Swaraj had informed the Rajya Sabha yesterday that the government had approved the proposal of New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) to start a 24-hour news channel with a foreign equity component of 16.47 per cent, while the application of Star News Broadcasting is still under process.
Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha that while NDTV’s proposal was cleared in June 2002, Star’s proposal for starting a 24-hour news channel, also to be uplinked from the country, was still under process.
This is the second project by the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star that is awaiting government approval, the first being the KU-band direct-to-home (DTH) operation in the country.
The government is yet to clear the proposal to start the direct-to-home operation that was submitted in April this year.
“Star News Broadcasting has informed that its head office is in Hong Kong and registered office in British Virgin Islands. The company has three directors – two Americans and one British,” Swaraj told fellow parliamentarians, adding the proposed channel would be indirectly owned by News Corporation Ltd.
She also pointed out that Jain Studios’ news channel is 20 per cent foreign owned, while in Zee News foreign holding is 57.54 per cent. The latter uplinks from India from its studio on the outskirts of New Delhi.
The minister said the proposal of NDTV to start a 24-hour news channel, which will be uplinked from India, was cleared in June this year while those of Jain Studios and Zee Telefilms were cleared last year.
According to the present norms all satellite channels irrespective of their ownership, equity structure or management control are at present permitted to uplink from India.
Swaraj had earlier said that she plans to take the proposal by the Rupert Murdoch – promoted Star to start a 24-hour news channel in India for the consideration of the Union Cabinet.
The decision was taken as the ministry feels that there is a need for a greater consensus before a decision is taken on the issue.
Star had sought the government’s clearance in October this year to start a new channel in the country, as its five-year contract with NDTV to generate news and current affairs content in India comes to an end on 31 March, 2003.
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.
