News Broadcasting
Times Network is all geared up for its second digital India summit & awards 2016
MUMBAI: Times Network, the leading English broadcast network in the country, has unveiled the agenda and list of power-packed speakers for its upcoming Second Digital India Summit & Awards 2016, which are to be held on 22 March in New Delhi.
The Second Digital India Summit will see some of the most important architects of India’s digital revolution congregate for the all-day event. Times Network has organized the significant initiative to take a closer look at India’s progress in the digital world. Union Minister of communications and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, chief guest of the second digital India summit will deliver the keynote address at the conclave.
The Sessions and Speakers:
Delivering on Digital India Dream: The Story So Far
This session will have panelists like Arvind Gupta (National Head-BJP-IT Cell) Amit Midha (President Dell Asia Pacific & Japan; Chairman, Dell Emerging Markets-) Noshir Kaka (MD – McKinsey India ) Amit Jain (CEO, Uber India), Satyan Gajwani (Managing Director, Times Internet Ltd), R Chandrasekhar (President- NASSCOM);, Karl Mehta (Founder,CEO Edcast) Joe So (Global CTO Enterprise Business Group-Huawei).
This power packed panel will discuss topics like Digital India: Where Do We Stand and Government’s Key Initiatives under Digital India Program which includes Digital Locker, Twitter Samvad, Swach Bharat Mission Mobile App and Jeevan Pramaan.
Building A Digital Economy
The speakers at this session include Arun Tiwari (Chairman & MD – Union Bank of India) Ravinder Pal Singh (Director Solutions Strategy & Biz Development – Dell) Sandeep Aurora (Director, Marketing and Market Development – Intel South Asia), , Milind Bengali (Chief Operating Officer, Business Operations – GTL Infrastructure Ltd), Chandan Kumar (Director, Marketing and Integrated Solutions – Huawei Telecommunications India Pvt.Ltd) Jagdish Mitra (Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, Head Growth Factories – Tech Mahindra). They will discuss Roadmap To Change India’s Future and throw light on India’s Digital Population that is transforming economy, business landscape, governance and society alike.
Digital India – Developing Digital Entrepreneurs
This important topic will be explored by eminent speakers like Ravi Gururaj (Chairman – Founder & CEO QikPod & NASSCOM Product Council), Sharad Sharma (Co-Founder – iSpirt) Saurabh Srivastava (Entrepreneur & Co-Founder – Indian Angel Network), Kavin Bharti Mittal,Founder & CEO,Hike Messenger, Sanjeev Aggarwal (Founder– Helion Ventures), Sanjay Sethi (Founder & CEO – ShopClues), Mahesh Murthy (Founder & Co-Founder – Pinstorm & Seedfund). The panelists of the third session will discuss about how the internet is enabling entrepreneurs to tap the big Indian e-commerce opportunity. They will also talk about the entrepreneurial opportunities at the intersection of Make in India and Digital India.
Making India an Electronics Manufacturing Hub
The panelists on this session include thought leaders like Ajai Chowdhry (Chairman-Electronics Sector Skills Council of India), Sudhir Hasija (Chairman – Karbonn) , Nitin Kunkolienkar (VP & Director-MAIT & Smartlink) , Sunil Vachani (CMD – Dixon Technologies) and Murali Arikara (Executive Director – Essential Energy India Pvt Ltd). They will discuss subjects like Recent Developments and Incentives for Electronics Industry along with the challenges involved.
Developing Digital Workforce
The discussion on this crucial area will have eminent experts like Rahul Patwardhan (CEO – NIIT), Shrikant Sinha (CEO-NASSCOM Foundation), Raj Raghavan (HR Head – Amazon India) , Prithvi Shergill (Global HR – HCL Tech), Raja Sekhar Reddy (Director & Chief Operating Officer – Innovsource Private Limited), Ashok Reddy (Co-Founder – Teamlease), Vivek Madhukar – Chief Operating Officer (Times Business Solutions)and discuss how critical the skilled workforce digital India mission is, and will examine the Government’s measures to enhance digital literacy in the country. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will give a special address on the occasion.
The Digital India Summit will conclude with an award function in the evening, the Digital India Awards, which will continue the objective of showcasing and honoring the most inspirational digital work in the country. Guest of Honour R S Sharma, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will give away the awards.
Award categories:
* Good For India’ has Smart City solutions in seven categories – E-governance solutions, E-education learning solutions, E-healthcare delivery solutions, Skills & employment solutions, Energy solutions, Environment solutions and Agricultural Solutions
* Good For Organizations’ has four categories under Digital Enterprise, which are Manufacturing, Services, Digital Start-up Innovators and Digital Social Innovation
The awards have received an overwhelming participation from corporates and individuals. An eminent jury comprising of Aruna Jayanthi, CEO, Capgemini, R Chandrasekhar, President NASSCOM, Kiran Karnik, Chairman, CII, National Committee Telecom & Broadband, & Shinjini Kumar, CEO, Payments Bank, Paytm, Joy Chakraborty – COO – P D Hinduja Hospital, Ashutosh Jain, Chief Information Security Officer, Axis Bank judged the award entries in a daylong session. E&Y is the process partner for the awards.
PARTNERS:
Supporting the Event is the Lead Partner for the Summit and Award Partner for the Awards- Huawei, Our Lead Partners- GTL Infrastructure and Union Bank of India, Recruitment Partner-Times Job, Digital Partner Tech Mahindra, Digital Storage Partner Western Digital, Knowledge Partner MAIT and Tech 4 Good Partner NASSCOM Foundation, Exclusive Chamber Partner FICCI.
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.
