News Broadcasting
Star Plus, 3 other network channels launch in the US
MUMBAI: Star has finally launched in the US on the News Corp controlled DirecTV platform.
Alongside flagship channel Star Plus, the three other channels that launched are newest kid on Star block Star One, Hindi news channel Star News and Tamil language entertainment channel Star Vijay, Sameer Nair, Star India COO, confirmed to indiantelevision.com.
Nair said the four channels started beaming into the US from 2 November.
With this latest initiative, Star’s “Indian channels” have now become available in Asia, Middle East, United Kingdom and the USA.
Commenting on the US launch of the network’s news channel, Star News CEO Uday Shankar stated, “We are extremely proud to be India’s first and only global news channel catering to the Indian diaspora spread across the globe.”
Meanwhile, the decks appear to have been cleared for the official re-entry of the Star channels into neighbouring Pakistan. That they are already available in most Pakistani C&S homes that can afford them is of course another matter. According to a report put out last Saturday by Pakistani daily The News, the country’s information ministry has sent a formal summary to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s office, seeking his approval to grant permission to Star TV channels.
The report said that with rumours of relaxation of the ban, several cable TV operators in Islamabad have already begun (openly instead of clandestinely) telecasting Star Plus and Star Utsav channels.
The justification for the lifting of the ban on Indian channels that has been in force since 2001 specifically and only for the Star Network channels. According to Pakistan’s information ministry, an exception can be made in Star’s case as it is a non-Indian multinational media group.
A rather strange argument to say the least, if one were to take into consideration the fact that the ban on Indian channels came into being to protect Pakistani television from being “overwhelmed” by Indian offerings. And that applies far more to a Star Plus than a Zee TV, for which the ban recommendation stays.
And why wasn’t Sony Entertainment TV India accorded the same benefit as Star since it is also “a non-Indian multinational media group”? Well, Sony didn’t push for it unlike Star which lobbied strenuously to get the permissions, is the reasoning offered by sources who have been following the developments.
The formal request for distribution and marketing of Star channels in Pakistan was made by SATSTAR Media, a wholly owned subsidy of the Star Group.
The ministry has sought the required permission to be granted to the channel by changing the existing policy, The News has reported.
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.
