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‘New government should lay foundation for improving relationship with media industry’
MUMBAI: The relationship between the media and entertainment industry and the government has “broken”. The industry and the new government that would be formed after the general elections should lay a new foundation for improving the relationship.
That was the clarion call by Star India CEO and FICCI Media and Entertainment Committee Chairman Uday Shankar in his opening remarks at the 15th FICCI-Frames in Mumbai.
Unless all the stakeholders get together for the betterment of the industry, the vibrancy of the media and entertainment sector will be at stake and the biggest victim will be free expression, said Shankar.
He asked, “Why not nourish an industry that has huge potential? Why not support an industry that needs policy support and nor resources support?”
The media and entertainment industry needs recognition that it is a potential economic growth engine and a force multiplier, he stated.
He said the media and entertainment industry grew by 12 per cent in 2013 despite economic headwinds and added “it is a testament to the tenacity of the industry.”
There is now tension between the media and entertainment industry and the government with the successive governments limiting free speech, he said.
Surprisingly, irrespective of the party, the media has been at the receiving end. “Whether you trumpet youth leaders or the state leaders, media is asked to be accountable,” Shankar said.
He also pointed out that the media created a political party out of thin air and put it in power, but eventually the same outfit has started making accusations against the media the moment accountability was sought.
The government has not been able to harness the potential of the media and before the elections kick starts there needs to be a new “contract” between the media industry and the government, Shankar said.
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India’s AI Future Gets a Neural Kick-Off in Delhi
NDTV IND.AI Summit on 18 Feb 2026 to debate governance, ethics, and India’s big-tech ambitions.
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence is about to get a very Delhi welcome smart, spirited, and ready to out-think the room. On 18 February 2026, New Delhi plays host to the inaugural NDTV IND.AI Summit, a high-stakes pow-wow that promises to put India’s AI ambitions under the brightest spotlight yet. Billed as a deep dive into how artificial intelligence is already rewiring the nation’s economy, policy playbook, and strategic dreams, the one-day event is curated by NDTV in partnership with the Startup Policy Forum. At its core lies a single, sharp question: how do you unleash AI’s transformative power while keeping trust, equity, and sanity intact?
The guest list reads like a who’s-who of global AI heavyweights. Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak headlines a special session on AI in governance, sharing hard-won lessons on how the technology is reshaping statecraft and decision-making. Joining the fray are OpenAI’s Chris Lehane, UC Berkeley’s AI safety pioneer Stuart Russell, and Google’s James Manyika, voices that will anchor India firmly in the international conversation on accountability, risk, and cross-border cooperation.
Beyond the policy wonks, the Summit rolls up its sleeves for real-world impact. General Catalyst’s Hemant Taneja and other top-tier investors will unpack how AI is redrawing the rules of capital, innovation, and long-term value creation. Separate tracks will tackle AI’s footprint in workplaces, large-scale adoption, productivity shifts, evolving job roles, and organisational culture. India’s digital public infrastructure, often hailed as a global blueprint for inclusive tech gets its own spotlight, alongside a dedicated segment on AI sovereignty: what does true national control look like in a borderless tech universe?
NDTV CEO and editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal framed the event’s bigger picture, “The IND.AI Summit is about the kind of future we are choosing to build. India has the scale, the talent, and the moral imagination to shape how AI serves society and this Summit is our way of bringing the most credible voices together to define that direction.”
In a world where AI chatter can feel abstract, the New Delhi gathering aims to ground the debate in India’s own story, one that ties cutting-edge innovation to public purpose, domestic priorities to global influence, and raw ambition to responsible stewardship. Whether you’re an algorithm enthusiast or just mildly curious about tomorrow’s headlines, this Summit is India signalling it’s not just catching the AI wave, it intends to help steer it.
