News Broadcasting
Network 18 to raise 2 billion via rights issue
MUMBAI: Network 18 will be raising around Rs 2 billion through a rights issue to fund the film business, pay back debt and enter into other media opportunities.
The company, which holds TV 18 Group, also houses Studio 18 and Shop 18. While Studio 18 is engaged in film business, Shop 18 is a television network dedicated to home shopping.
“We will be using the money to fund our movie business and also retire some debt. We are also looking at opportnities in entering into new lines of media business,” says a source in the company.
Network 18 board today also approved the rights issue of partly convertible cumulative preference shares (CCPS) of Rs 200 (face value) each in the ratio of 1:5.
A detailed structure and other terms of the issue will be decided later. The rights issue committee of the Network 18 board will work in consultation with the lead managers to the issue.
Director Sanjay Ray Chaudhuri shall be excluded from the promoter category of the company. “In any future correspondence with the Stock Exchanges / shareholders etc., name of Chaudhuri shall not be included in the Promoter / Promoter Group of the company,” Network 18 said in a statement.
Meanwhile, TV 18’s board has declared an interim dividend of 40 per cent or Rs 2 per equity share of Rs 5 each.
Network 18 fell 6.2 per cent on the BSE to close the day at Rs 322.25 even as its board approved a rights issue. TV 18, on the other hand, slipped 5.42 per cent to end at Rs 525.20.
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.
