News Broadcasting
Studio 18 gears up for first Bollywood release
MUMBAI: TV18 group’s film division, Studio 18, is gearing up to make its first foray into Bollywood. It will be releasing Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s romantic comedy Honeymoon Travels Private Limited on 23 February The movie directed by Reema Kagti is will be released worldwide with 50 prints.
In the pipeline are six other releases namely Raaj Kumar Santoshi’s Halla Bol starring Ajay Devgan and Vidya Balan and Kya Love Story Hain from VR Entertainment starring Tusshar Kapoor and Ayesha Takia.
Studio 18 was set up last year by Raghav Bahl, along with Sandeep Bhargava, the former head of Sahara Motion Pictures. Since then it has roped in the likes of Ashoka Holla, Tanuj Garg and Gayatri Batra.
Talking about the appointments Bhargava says, “The three have had experience in releasing some of the biggest money-spinners overseas including experience in syndication, festivals, new market development and exploitation of emerging media.”
The international division, with offices in the US and UK, will market and distribute in-house productions and external acquisitions in foreign markets.
Adds Holla, “The focus will also be on broadening the appetite of the overseas audience by being first-movers in presenting an alternate menu to them. This division of Studio 18 intends to assemble a diverse slate – that is mainstream Bollywood features of viable sizes, genres and set-ups and exploit them through a bouquet of available rights to the maximum.”
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 to spotlight India’s global rise
PM Modi keynotes two-day event on 27–28 February in New Delhi with ministers, diplomats and icons.
MUMBAI: India’s rise isn’t just making headlines, it’s headlining its own summit, and this time the guest list reads like a global power playlist. News18 Network will host the Rising Bharat Summit 2026, a high-powered thought-leadership forum anchored around the theme “Spotlighting Bharat’s Rise: Driven by Strength Within.” The two-day event kicks off on 27 February 2026 at 10:00 AM in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, strategists, innovators, and cultural icons for conversations that aim to define India’s confident, self-assured role on the world stage.
Prime minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address, setting the tone for discussions on economic momentum, geopolitical positioning, and long-term aspirations for the decade ahead.
The ministerial lineup includes Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry), Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & IT), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (Communications & Development of North Eastern Region), and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
Global diplomacy and strategic voices feature former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo, ex-UK Chief of defence staff general Sir Nick Carter, former US commerce secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, and ambassadors from Norway (May-Elin Stener), Germany (Philipp Ackermann), and Sweden (Jan Thesleff).
Industry, innovation, and economic perspectives come from veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems Founder & CEO Dr Vishal Sikka, and Deeptech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
Defence, technology, and thought leadership include Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Apple expert Patrick McGee, military aviation historian Tom Cooper, and defence scholar Adrian Fontanellaz.
Culture, sports, and popular influence bring actor-MP Kangana Ranaut, Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal and PR Sreejesh, cricketers Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mithali Raj, plus film stars Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
Broadcast live across News18 Network channels, CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, and streaming platforms from 10:00 am on both days, the summit aims to move beyond headlines and shape deeper narratives around policy, leadership, and innovation at a decisive moment for India’s global trajectory.
In a world watching Bharat’s next moves, this gathering isn’t just talk, it’s the opening scene of a story that’s already rewriting the script.
