News Broadcasting
Star hikes capital base in Space TV
NEW DELHI: Star TV affiliate Space TV has made some changes in its application for permission to start a KU-band DTH venture that involves increasing the company’s financial base, a senior government official has said.
Pointing out that the clearance of a DTH application does not solely depend on the information and broadcasting ministry but other ministries as well, a senior I&B ministry official was quoted as saying that , “As far we understand, Space TV has made some changes in its application and expanded its financial base to qualify as a serious player.”
Space TV is understood to have increased the paid-up capital of the company to about Rs 100 million from a low paid-up capital base of just Rs 500,000.
“This move has been necessiated as the finance ministry had pointed out that permission to start a big ticket venture like DTH ought not to be given to a company which had a low paid-up capital. The official also said that no time frame can be provided for clearance of the two applications which have come for DTH (the other has come from Subhash Chandra’s Agrani).
“However, our aim is to give the clearance as soon as possible and the moment we get all the necessary go-aheads from other places like the home ministry, we will proceed,” the official said.
Meanwhile, he also pointed out that Star News broadcasting’s request for permission to start a news channel in India and also uplink to an Indian satellite is being “processed.”
“Since they have applied as a foreign company, the necessary security and other checks have to be done before a permission is given. But it looks like a routine matter,” the official said.
Faced with some opposition from within the government, Star reworked its application and sought permission to start a news channel (Star News) under the foreign news channel’s category. It has also emphasised that Virgin Island registered Star News Broadcasting Ltd will source news content from Star India.
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.
