News Broadcasting
BBC using WhatsApp and WeChat at Indian elections
MUMBAI: The BBC is taking to instant messaging to hear what voters across India think as they go to the polls. ‘BBC News India’ accounts are being launched today, on instant messaging platforms WhatsApp and WeChat giving Indian audiences of BBC World News, bbc.com and BBC World Service unprecedented coverage of the Indian election campaign.
‘BBC News India’ will receive user generated content directly from Indian voters whilst also distributing the best of BBC coverage of the election including videos, special graphics and interview clips. This will provide people with top analysis of the election and also go behind the headlines to tell the personal stories that reveal what’s really at stake.
On the launch of ‘BBC News India’ Trushar Barot, Assistant Editor for the Social Media Hub at BBC News, said: “Instant messaging apps have had phenomenal user growth in the past year. We know that hundreds of millions of people are using these platforms to stay connected, but increasingly also to share news stories, pictures and videos. This has been particularly evident with the Indian election campaign, so it’s the perfect news event to pilot our use of these apps. We’ll be using these accounts to encourage Indian voters – and those from around the world with an interest in Indian politics – to share their key issues, questions and experiences of the election campaign. We’ll also be sharing with them the best of our content from inside these platforms”.
The launch of ‘BBC News India’ will complement a host of election dedicated content going out throughout April and May across BBC World News and BBC.com with the focus on providing audiences in India and around the world with top analysis and the latest developments as the campaign progresses. Access to news stories will now be made even easier for Indian audiences with the launch of the India edition of BBC.com on mobile. The edition will also give people access to news headlines from the BBC World Service’s Hindi and Tamil websites, bbchindi.com and bbctamil.com.
And with social media increasing in popularity the BBC Trending team will also be reporting from India on what’s popular and why (@BBCtrending).
Users can connect to the BBC News India WhatsApp account by sending a message to it after adding this number on their phone’s contacts: +919650801273
Users can connect to BBC News India on WeChat by searching for the ID ‘BBCNewsIndia’ inside the app and clicking ‘Follow’.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
