News Broadcasting
Power Shift as She Shakti 2025 celebrates women driving Bharat forward
MUMBAI: Who runs the world? At She Shakti 2025, the answer was loud and clear women, and on their own terms. News18 flagship platform, presented by Lions International, returned in Delhi with its grand finale under the theme “From Breaking Barriers to Building Bharat.” From policy corridors to cinema screens, women leaders, changemakers and stars gathered to showcase how they’re rewriting India’s growth story.
The line-up sparkled with names across domains Smriti Irani, former cabinet minister and founder of The Alliance for Global Good; Nidhi Khare, secretary at the department of consumer affairs; Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India; Mallika Srinivasan, chairman & MD of Tractors and Farm Equipment; actors Kriti Sanon and Sanya Malhotra; JNU vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit; and playback legend Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam, among others.
President Droupadi Murmu set the tone with a powerful video message: “As scientists, engineers, doctors, soldiers, artists, entrepreneurs, athletes, academicians, social workers, policy makers, and in many other roles, women are consistently reaching new heights… In reality, this is not just a change, but a revolution.”
Smriti Irani, recalling her rise to becoming the highest-paid television actor 25 years ago, urged women to “scream out loud” about their pay cheques. “Today, women don’t just want a seat at the table; they want the capital, the confidence, and a clear pathway to scale their capacities,” she said.
Kriti Sanon brought an entrepreneurial lens, stressing women’s “problem-solving mindset” in business. Sanya Malhotra drew on her acclaimed film Mrs. to highlight the quiet but seismic fight for freedom at home. “The problem started when she wanted to do something else,” Sanya said of her character, “and wasn’t allowed to.”
Over the years, She Shakti has grown into more than an event, it’s become a stage where stories of resilience, ambition, and leadership converge. This year’s edition underlined that gender diversity isn’t just about inclusion; it’s about powering Bharat’s future with grit, grace, and an unstoppable revolution.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
