News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati claims having earned more than it spent in 2004
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio, may be making a hue and cry about the high cost of acquiring sporting events for telecast, but has said that during 2002 and 2004 it has earned more that it had spent on acquisition of rights.
Quoting figures provided by Prasar Bharati, information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy today informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) that in 2002-03 Prasar Bharati’s expenditure on sporting events was approximately Rs 630 million, while the revenue generated was over Rs 1.5 billion. During 2003-04 while Rs 670 million was spent on telecast rights, etc, revenue earned amounted to over Rs 1,300 million.
Reddy did not clarify whether the amount mentioned for 2004 also included the Rs 500 million deposited with Supreme Court in the wake of a legal controversy involving Doordarshan and Ten Sports over the telecast of cricket matches during the Indo-Pakistan series played in Pakistan.
Reddy also informed fellow parliamentarians that DD, being a public service broadcaster, did not operate a profit and loss account.
In reply to another question relating to Prasar Bharati, Reddy has clarified that the organisation was “not facing shortage of funds due to its expansion” activities, but was under a financial burden due to “additional liabilities on account of payment of various taxes and levies imposed on it.”
(Reddy is lobbying with the finance ministry for exempting Prasar Bharati from paying various taxes as it has been registered as a trust doing work for the benefit of public at large. The tax sops, if they come through, would include largely income tax.)
While denying that DD’s revenue model has been badly hit, the I&B minister also said that the pubcaster has earned Rs. 930 million in the first quarter of this financial year (April – June), compared to Rs 480 million clocked for the corresponding period previous year.
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.
