News Broadcasting
Sony readying five new shows for launch post-World Cup
MUMBAI:The thrust has been given. Now it has to build on the momentum. Sony Entertainment Television will be launching five new shows once the World Cup is over.
SET is also in the middle of a major revamp of the shows currently on air as far as plotlines and storyboards are concerned, SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta told indiantelevision.com. One show that will witness a new twist in the tale for certain is Sony’s top soap Kkusum, from the Balaji Telefilms stable. If what is happening on some Balaji soaps currently airing on rival Star Plus is any indication though, expect to see the death of one of the main protagonists of Kkusum.
Dasgupta said that while most of the shows that were being promoted on MAX as well as on Sony were those currently running, the second half of the World Cup would see a major promo effort around the upcoming shows.
Queried as to the genres of the shows that would be on air, as well as the time bands they would be slotted in, Dasgupta said all shows would be in the 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm prime time band. As far as the genres were concerned, Dasgupta revealed that one show would be a musical, one a thriller, as also family dramas.
The thriller is being slotted in the 10 to 10:30 pm band which puts a question mark on Achanak – 37 Saal Baad, the daily supernatural suspense show that is currently occupying that time band.
What there is no question about is the fact that Balaji’s weekend series Kya Haadsa Kya Haqeeqat will not be making a comeback. The telecast of World Cup matches on SET has meant that the one-hour suspense thriller series, which airs at 8 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, has gone into suspended animation. Dasgupta said post-World Cup, the vacant slot would be filled by weekend movies whose telecast would be pushed forward an hour, so as to begin airing at 8 pm.
While Kya Haadsa… makes a quiet exit, another show whose launch was announced along with it, way back in July 2002, will finally take its bow on SET. Kuch Kehti Hai Yeh Dhun, hosted by Raageshwari is a musical quiz show and is part of the new line up of shows that SET will be announcing soon.
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.
