News Broadcasting
Tourism heavyweights gather in Delhi for Iconic Summit 2025
NEW DELHI: The Iconic Tourism Summit 2025, staged by Redhat Communications in collaboration with TV9 Network, drew policymakers, diplomats, industry bosses and cultural figures to ITC Maurya for a day of discussion and recognition of excellence in tourism.
The morning sessions, under the banner “Innovation, Transformation and Impact”, tackled themes from content-driven travel to building “iconic experiences”. Speakers included Niharika Rai, tourism secretary, Delhi; Rajesh Magow, co-founder and group chief executive of MakeMyTrip; Mugdha Sinha, managing director of ITDC; Shriji Huzur Dr Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar of Udaipur; Sandeep Dwivedi of Amadeus; Anshul Sethi of Indigo; and Yummi Talwar of VFS Global.
The evening climaxed with the Iconic Awards, presented by culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who shared the stage with Amitabh Kant, Jyotsna Suri, Ishika Taneja, Manoj Adlakha, Suman Billa and Sandeep Marwah. Ambassadors from Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Greece, Serbia, Seychelles and Malta lent an international sheen.
Awards spanned aviation, hospitality, travel tech and cultural achievement. Indigo, Emirates, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, ITC Hotels, Accor, Amadeus and VFS Global were among the corporate winners. Individual honours went to hoteliers, innovators and cultural figures—from Rajesh Magow, named Iconic Technology Innovator, to Dr Ruby Makhija for sustainability and Kavita Bhartia for fashion. Jyotsna Suri was hailed as the Iconic Beacon of Brilliance 2025, while Suman Billa was named Changemaker of Indian Tourism.
The jury boasted luminaries such as former governor Vinod Kumar Duggal, BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi, former ITC director Nakul Anand, craft revivalist Madhu Jain and PR veteran Dilip Cherian.
With its mix of policy talk and high-profile awards, the summit underscored India’s ambition to position tourism as both a growth engine and a soft-power asset.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
