News Broadcasting
Queen Mary 2 docks in India on Discovery
MUMBAI: Blame it on Titanic! A potent mixture of risk and glamour, travel in luxury liners is such a great lure that makers often push themselves to the limit. Making of Queen Mary 2 luxury cruiser is one such tale of recent times and Discovery is all set to air the well documented fare.
Airing as part of Friday Spotlight, Queen Mary 2: Birth of a Legend will premiere on the infotainment channel on 16 April 2004 at 8 PM
Screened for a section of media, in noon, Queen Mary 2: Birth of a Legend tells a story about the building of an ambitious engineering marvels of all time. While the narrative was crisp, construction footage was good, it seemed more like late 90’s documentary but nevertheless was an entertaining fare.
The tale of its successful sea trials, using archival footage, computer graphics and time-lapse photography, together with visually stunning aerial shots made it an awe inspiring film.
The premier of the two-hour special -about the ship’s journey from concept to completion-, will conicide with the cruise liner’s maiden westbound transatlantic venture: the liner will be crossing from Southampton to New York on 16 April 2004.
Touted as the liner par excellence, ever created by man, be it in terms of technology, power, luxury and grandeur, the amazing part about the one of the costliest cruise liners is its story about inspirational vision of a few, and the expertise of many more.
An Ardent Dune Associates production, the film provides an exclusive look at early design work and computerised virtual reality impressions of the exterior and interior, intercut with the actual construction and assembly. Chantal Bernheim is the executive producer and Adriana Silva is the producer for Discovery Networks International.
In addition to showcasing the technical finesse, the film also highlights the problems and challenges encountered along the way, as the workforce grapples with installing 1,310 cabins, 2,500 kilometers of electric cable, 80,000 lighting points, 5,000 stairs and 2,000 bathrooms. The fares for the transatlantic voyage, on this floating city, range from $1,500 to $30,000 (US). Luxury is indeed the first port of call!
Besides the focussing on the brains making the liner, the special also showcases tete-e-tete the charismatic Chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation Mickey Arison, who commissioned the $800 million liner. In 1999, Carnival purchased the renowned Cunard Line, which also owned and operated all previous ‘Queens’.
Reflecting on the ambitious vision for the QM2, Arison is quoted in a company release saying, “It’s an amazing, amazing ship. The concept of a liner, the concept of space, the concept of size and strength is quite unique in this project, quite different than what we’ve done in other ships.”
The huge ship was built in Chantiers de l’Atlantique, in St. Nazaire on the west coast of France. Completing the ambitious vessel involved five years of planning and construction, and thousands of workers from around the globe. The making of the ship was truly an international undertaking, utilizing engines from Finland and the United States; the four giant “Mermaid Pods”, or electric motors, which propel the liner, came from France; the stabilizers from Scotland and the bow section was created in Gdansk, Poland. Many of the interior elements were prefabricated in Sweden, then shipped on board and assembled.
Among the many nations working together on the ship are 350 Indian craftsmen contracted to install the air-conditioning, says the release.
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.
