News Broadcasting
Trai exempts Chennai from CAS denotification list
NEW DELHI: Broadcast and telecom regulator today said that its order, ratified by the government, denotifying conditional access from the four metros would not be valid in Chennai as a court order has stayed the
denotification there.
AIt has also removed any distinction between CAS and non-CAS areas saying that for such erstwhile notified mandatory CAS areas,where CAS was not actually implemented, the ceiling of 26 December, 2003, will
continue.
Trai had frozen cable services rates as of 26 December till further notice. Subsequently, its recommendation to denotify CAS in the four metros for three months was also upheld by the government.
In a clarification note issued today, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)said, Except Chennai Metropolitan Area, where interim stay has been granted
by Madras (Chennai) high court in writ petition numbers 4863, 4890, 4936 and 4919 of 2004,the Order shall cover tariffs for all Telecommunication (Broadcasting and
Cable)Services throughout the territory of India as also those originating in India or outside India and terminating in India.
Trai has further stated that for those areas where CAS was implemented, like in Chennai, CAS may continue on a voluntary basis.
For erstwhile notified mandatory CAS areas where CAS was implemented, the Authority recognises that CAS may continue on a voluntary basis and in such a case the ceiling would again be the rates prevailing on 26 December, 2003,which the Authority recognises may have been lower than the rates in non-CASareas, the Trai note sates.
TRAI has added that the notification issued today is not applicable for Chennai Metropolitan Area on account of
stay granted by a local high court.
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.
