Budget
Times presents ‘budget’ programming line-up
MUMBAI: Times Network, the television broadcast division of India’s largest media conglomerate The Times Group, has always been at the forefront of economic events that have a big impact on the nation. Times has a special programming lined up for the biggest announcement of the year – Budget 2017, across its three leading news channels, ET NOW, TIMES NOW and MAGICBRICKS NOW.
ET NOW
Leading the power-packed campaign will be ET NOW, India’s leading English business news channel, with an exclusive campaign ‘Budget 2017: Tryst with Destiny’. In a way ET NOW will be a chronicler of history, considering the big shift in the functioning of the economy in the wake of demonetization.
The channel will be the torch-bearer of budget debates, anchored by Sandeep Gurumurthi, Supriya Shrinate, Nikunj Dalmia, Mythili Bhusnurmath, Faye D’Souza, Ayesha Faridi, Tanvir Gill and Swaminathan Aiyar. The channel will ensure that viewers get all the relevant information comprehensively on ET NOW, well ahead of competition.
The one-hour special ‘Budget Debate’, anchored by Supriya Shrinate, will present views from India Inc’s top CEOs and renowned economists, policy makers like Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank; Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC; Pawan Goenka, MD, M&M; Nitin Gadkari, Union Highways Minister; Piyush Goyal, Union Power Minister; Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog; Prakash Javadekar, Union HRD Minister; Nirmala Sitaraman, Industry & Commerce Minister; Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Aviation; Ramdeo Agrawal, Motilal Oswal; Rashesh Shah, Edelweiss Group; Nilesh Shah, Kotak AMC; and Jahangir Aziz, JPMorgan; Shaktikanta Das, DEA Secretary; Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor; Arvind Panagariya, Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog; Nalil Kohli, BJP Spokesperson; Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress Spokesperson and Shashi Tharoor, Congress Leader.
As finance minister Arun Jaitley sets the agenda for Budget 2017, ET NOW will bring the insights from world renowned economists while ET NOW’s Consulting Editor, Swaminathan Aiyar, will break up the key takeaways for the common man.
Supporting the on-air line-up, ET NOW has designed a 360-degree campaign across different platforms, including print, OOH, radio, digital and trade. The channel has also lined up a contest for its viewers to enhance consumer engagement.
Marketing plan for Budget 2017
The marketing plan for Union Budget 2017 included Print ads across eight major metros on February 1, 2017; Out Of Home (OOH) Advertising in Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore at major bus shelters, metro panels and branding at airports; EPG Branding at Hathway, DEN & Asianet; Radio announcements Mumbai, Delhi & Bangalore; Digital campaigns for Budget special with hash-tag promotion; Trade promotions with Newsletter branding & Page Pushers and Viewer contest which includes Watch & Win IPhone 7.
TIMES NOW
The undisputed leader among English news channels, TIMES NOW will present non-stop programming from 7 am on Feb 1, 2017, titled ‘Budget 2017: Votes or Vision’. The penultimate budget before the current Governments term ends; expectations are intense from this budget. The government is walking a tight rope; it’s a double edged sword as an extreme reform oriented budget might be unpopular among the masses, especially with elections to 5 key states just around the corner. On the other hand a populist budget with sops will hit the nation long term economic growth. How will they strike the balance? Will it be votes for the party or vision for the nation?
Catch a power-packed panel including Rajiv Kumar, Senior Fellow at Centre for Policy Research, Rajiv Desai, Comma Consulting, Lord Meghnad Desai, Economist and Omkar Goswami, Chairperson of CERG Advisory decode the historic budget into news that the viewers can use.
The budget coverage will begin with discussions on dissecting the economy in the run-up to the FM’s speech. With the help of advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) graphics and holograms, TIMES NOW will reach out to the common man.
MAGICBRICKS NOW
Tracking the Budget announcements closely, Magicbricks NOW will break up key policy decisions and analyze their impact on the Urban Citizen. Investor’s Guide, the exclusive show on personal finance, will decode the Budget from multiple angles and not just the lens of real estate. It will give an in – depth analysis on the tax policy and how it affects your wallet. The channel will bring live audience from across five cities, with personal finance experts answering all their queries on tax implications, investment possibilities and home buying.
The channel will feature top experts like Dhirendra Kumar, CEO, Value Research, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman, Dh Consultants, Anuj Puri, CEO, JLL and Pankaj Razdan, CEO & MD, Aditya Birla Life Insurance. This show will be anchored by Faye D’Souza, Senior Editor, Personal Finance and Real Estate of ET NOW and Editor of Magicbricks NOW, will be telecast live across all three news channels – TIMES NOW, ET NOW and MAGICBRICKS NOW — at 7:00 pm.
It’s a Budget that can change the course of the Indian economy, a budget that can kick off the next phase of growth. This year, the network talks about Revolution on ET NOW, Votes or Vision and Eco-Political scenario on TIMES NOW and impact of Budget on common man on Magicbricks NOW, as world-renowned economists, corporate honchos and market experts debate the hits and misses.
MUMBAI: Anuj Singhal, managing editor at CNBC- AWAAZ and CNBC BAJAR, operates at the sharp end of India’s business news ecosystem. With over two decades in business journalism, he has earned credibility for decoding policy, markets and macro trends for millions of Hindi-speaking investors. Equal parts newsroom leader and market analyst, he shapes editorial direction while anchoring flagship shows that break down the economy, politics and corporate India in real time.
Known for cutting through jargon and hype, Singhal blends data, discipline and clarity — a mix that has made him one of the most trusted voices in Hindi business news.
In this interaction, he discusses the Union Budget, trade deals, newsroom strategy and what truly moves markets and ratings.
• What was the single most market-moving announcement in this Budget, and why?
The most market-moving element was the clear commitment to fiscal consolidation without compromising capex. The glide path on fiscal deficit reassured bond markets and foreign investors, while sustained public investment kept growth expectations intact. That balance removed a big overhang for both equities and debt.
• Do you see this Budget as growth-oriented, fiscally cautious, or politically calibrated?
This Budget is growth-led but fiscally disciplined. It avoids overt populism, stays within macro guardrails, and prioritises medium-term competitiveness over short-term optics. Politically, it is restrained; economically, it is deliberate. The message is clear: stability over spectacle.
• How is CNBC-AWAAZ programming different, especially in decoding trade deal impact?
CNBC-AWAAZ goes beyond headline reaction. We translate policy into portfolio impact — sector by sector, stock by stock.
On trade agreements, our focus is on:
-Earnings visibility
-Export competitiveness
-Currency implications
-Margin sustainability
We don’t treat trade deals as political milestones. We decode them as profit-and-loss events for corporate India and map them to FY earnings trajectories.
• Which sectors look like clear winners and laggards over the next 12–18 months?
The next 12–18 months favour sectors aligned with structural spending and supply-side strengthening.
– Clear beneficiaries:
Capital goods and infrastructure
Manufacturing linked to export chains and PLI ecosystems
Power, defence, and logistics
– Relative laggards:
Consumption segments dependent on immediate demand revival
Businesses facing margin pressure from global volatility or pricing power erosion
This is not a momentum-driven market environment. It is execution-driven. Balance-sheet strength and order visibility will matter more than narrative.
• One headline to sum up this Budget 2026 for India Inc?
“Steady Hands, Long-Term Vision: A Budget That Rewards Discipline Over Drama”.
• What editorial filters do you apply before calling something ‘market-positive’ or ‘negative’?
We apply three structured filters:
– First: Earnings translation — does this materially change earnings visibility or cash flow outlook?
– Second: Time horizon — is the impact immediate, cyclical, or structural?
– Third: Valuation context — good news priced in or not.
If a policy doesn’t move earnings or risk perception, we don’t oversell it.
• How has business news consumption changed around big policy events?**
There has been a clear behavioural shift. They’re less interested in what was said, more in what it means for their money. There’s also a clear shift toward second-screen consumption, with digital platforms complementing live TV. The audience seeks sharper accountability. Viewers no longer accept broad optimism or pessimism — they want frameworks, numbers, and sector mapping.
• CNBC-AWAAZ decisively outperformed on Budget Day. What editorial and distribution choices mattered most?
Three deliberate strategic choices:
– Preparation depth:
We build scenarios months in advance — deficit ranges, sectoral incentives, tax calibrations — so we’re ready with analysis the moment numbers are announced.
– Language of impact:
We translate macro policy into investor-friendly Hindi without diluting complexity. That bridges accessibility and sophistication.
– Integrated distribution:
Television, YouTube, and digital platforms operate as one editorial grid, not parallel silos. This ensures continuity of narrative.We stayed analytical while others stayed reactive.
• How different is your YouTube audience from your TV audience?
The behavioural differences are subtle but important. TV audiences prioritise authority, structured debate, and context. YouTube audiences want speed, clarity, and actionable insights — often sharper, sometimes more opinionated. However, both share one expectation: accuracy. The format evolves; the trust benchmark does not.
• How do you retain viewers after the budget speech ends?
By shifting from announcements to implications.Retention comes from shifting the narrative from announcement to implication. We break down sectoral breakouts, stock-level impact, and what to do next. The speech is just the trigger; analysis is the destination.
• Is Budget Day your biggest traffic day?
It is one of the biggest — but more importantly, it is among the deepest in engagement. Viewers spend longer durations, revisit segments, and seek follow-up programming. That indicates behavioural trust, not just traffic.
• What’s the first thing you personally track on Budget Day — the speech or the markets?
The markets. They’re the fastest truth-teller. The speech explains intent; markets reveal interpretation.
• Your personal Budget-day ritual?
Early morning prep, minimal distractions, and once the speech begins, complete immersion. For me, Budget Day is less about reaction and more about reading between the lines.
• What drove your Budget-day ratings dominance, and how are Budget and trade deals shaping markets now?
Our dominance came from credibility, consistency, and clarity.
As for markets, both the Budget and recent trade deals are reinforcing a narrative of policy stability and global integration, which supports valuations even amid global volatility.
For Singhal, the market is the final judge. Policies can promise and speeches can persuade, but prices reveal what investors truly believe. As India’s investor class grows more informed and more demanding, business journalism is shifting from commentary to calibration. The premium is on clarity, context and credibility. In a landscape flooded with noise, the real edge lies in interpretation. In the end, the markets listen to numbers, not narratives , and Singhal’s craft is helping viewers tell the difference.
