News Broadcasting
Zee counting on ideators to get it back on track
Zee Telefilms, which has seen its position in the channel stakes further eroded in recent times and is currently wallowing in the No. 3 position, is pumping in some fresh ideas to get it back on course.
Zee has announced the appointment of Vinta Nanda as director – ideation of the Zee Network. She started working on the job yesterday.
Subhash Chandra, Sandeep Goyal and company are no doubt hoping that Vinta Nanda can turn the fortunes of the broadcasting major around. The network desperately needs new innovative strategies as well as out of the box thinking to get over the fiasco of last year when the big bang launch of 24 shows on 27 August fell on its face.
At indiantelevision.com’s scriptwriters workshop Qalam 2001 held last month, Vinta Nanda spoke of the degeneration of content in television soaps and programmes. According to her social commitment need not necessarily mean making documentaries, but being sensitive to viewers’ tastes and thinking about the impact of their writing on people who tune in.
At Zee, she along with her team of 5-6 ‘ideators’ will work to develop new concepts, formats and on experimentation with new thought processes on Zee’s channels. Amrish Sethi, ex-creative director of MTV, will join Vinta’s team later this month.
She had these remarks to make about the new post: “This is a great opportunity for me. It is also a very wide canvas. My brief is to think different, break the mould and create products that will catch the pulse of the viewer, build genres and fiction that entertain as well as engage emotionally. I am happy to be joining Zee!”
Her resume includes writing as well as directing ‘Tara’ a tele-serial of the early 90’s. She has over two dozen tele-serials, tens of documentaries and six telefilms to her credit over the last 15 years. In the past she has written serials for both Zee and its rival Star like Sansaar, Rishtey, Star Bestseller, X-Zone. She has also concerned herself with making documentaries and short films on social issues like maternal and child health, drinking water, environmental and gender bias for UNICEF, UNFPA, VHAI, and BBC.
Currently she is the president of Project Smita Society, an NGO started by her to utilise the power of television and films in India to bring about social change in areas like maternal and child healthcare. She is also a Director of Tracinema, a leading software producer for television.
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.
