News Broadcasting
Thackeray wants CAS in Delhi first
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena stance on CAS remains unsoftened. Shiv Sena supremo chief Bal Thackeray, who had reportedly eased up on his objections to conditional access during his meeting with information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday, has reiterated that his party continues to be opposed to CAS.
Thackeray now wants CAS to be first implemented in Delhi before it is taken to other cities, including his preserve, Mumbai. In a statement, Thackeray said in a statement, Implement CAS first in the national capital. If its successful there, then we will see about carrying it out in Mumbai.
The Sena supremo maintains that his talks with the minister remained inconclusive, while Prasad had on Friday, told the media that he had Thackeray’s blessings for CAS once his concerns about protecting consumers were assuaged.
Thackeray has in his statement said that he had told the minister that the Sena would not accept CAS just because the government had taken a decision on it. He made it clear that his party would consider agreeing to set-top boxes only if the interests of consumers and cable operators were protected.
The Sena chief warned that the government would have to pay a heavy price for forcing people to buy set-top boxes worth Rs 6,000. He had, last week, told the media that the government had struck a deal with a UK-based business magnate to dump set-top boxes in India.
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.
