News Broadcasting
Pay broadcasters meet on pricing issue
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Today could well be the day that the public have a clear inkling of just what will be their payout if they wish to opt for all the pay channels that are available in a post conditional access rollout scenario. And if initial indications are anything to go by, the total monthly tab will almost certainly cross the “magic” figure of Rs 200 that information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has been harping upon.
Representatives of pay broadcasters from Star India, Sony Entertainment Television India and even Zee Telefilms are meeting at 1:30 pm at the ESPN Star Sports offices in Delhi to discuss a common strategy on the pricing issue. The broadcasters hope to have it ready before they head in for their scheduled meeting at the I&B ministry at 3 pm. One pay broadcaster executive on condition of anonymity said he expected something to evolve today.
Today’s all-broadcaster meeting follows confabulations that Star and Sony had yesterday over the same matter. It is reliably learnt that Star had drawn up an initial pricing plan on Monday. CEO Peter Mukerjea and COO Sameer Nair were holed up all day yesterday at the Star offices in Worli, fine-tuning the package.
As far as the price is concerned, whether Star, Sony or Zee, indications are that the total package for each pay bouquet will cost in the Rs 50-55 range, while if a la carte rates are added up it will come to about Rs 70. And the cost of a Star Plus or SET? Around Rs 15, say industry watchers.
Stay tuned for further developments.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group debuts AI anchor ‘Sutra’ at AI Impact Summit 2026
Sutra aims to simplify live policy debates using sovereign AI models
NEW DELHI: India Today Group has unveiled Sutra, an AI-driven news anchor designed to deliver real-time, contextual reporting, marking the group’s latest push to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream journalism.
The AI anchor was introduced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and developed in collaboration with BharatGen, with the initiative showcased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
India Today Group said Sutra is built to navigate complex policy discussions and fast-moving developments by synthesising information into concise, accessible insights, aimed at narrowing the gap between high-level debates and public understanding. The AI anchor was used to surface live takeaways from key sessions at the summit.
India Today Group chief AI officer Nilanjan Das, said the project was focused on clarity and accessibility without diluting editorial rigour. He added that working with BharatGen aligned the group’s AI ambitions with India’s broader push towards sovereign technology capabilities.
BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal, said the partnership reflected a shift from basic automation towards deeper contextual intelligence in media. He emphasised the importance of indigenous, multimodal AI models capable of understanding Indian languages, regional dialects and cultural nuance, particularly as AI-driven news formats gain traction.
The launch positions India Today Group among the first major Indian media houses to deploy an AI anchor backed by home-grown technology, underscoring a growing convergence between journalism, public policy and sovereign AI infrastructure.
