News Broadcasting
TRAI to be broadcast industry regulator
NEW DELHI : The Indian government has decided that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) would be the body that would regulate the broadcasting sector too.
A notification in this regard is slated to be issued later today or latest by tomorrow. The law ministry has okayed the proposal, government sources told indiantelevision.com. The law ministry also advised the information and broadcasting ministry that taking piecemeal decisions on issues like CAS, permissions for uplinking, etc. is not the right way to go about addressing the needs of the broadcasting industry that is not only growing, but is also attracting a lot of investment.
The government decided to appoint TRAI as a regulator as in the TRAI Act itself there is a provision that the body would take up issues and sectors, apart from telecom, as notified by the government from time to time.
Notifying TRAI as the regulator for the broadcasting sector can be termed as a good decision on the part of I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. It would mean that TRAI would now take a final call on the rollout of CAS, currently being implemented in a haphazard fashion in South Delhi.
Under its terms of reference, TRAI would not only be responsible for licensing issues related to the broadcasting sector, but would also take up technical issues like standardization of set-top boxes.
As part of its mandate, TRAI would also look at issues like capping advertising time on pay channels as per norms prevalent globally.
Stay tuned for further details…
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.
