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News18 expands Rising Bharat Summit with regional editions
Bengaluru to host first event as series builds towards Rising Bharat Summit 2027
MUMBAI: Big ideas are leaving the conference hall and hitting the road. News18 Network has expanded its flagship Rising Bharat Summit into a series of regional editions, partnering with HDFC Bank to spotlight the ideas, industries and innovators shaping India’s growth ahead of the Rising Bharat Summit 2027.
The regional series will begin with the South edition in Bengaluru on 24 July 2026, centred on the theme “Enterprise Nation”. The initiative will travel across South, North, East and West India, highlighting how each region is contributing to the country’s economic transformation through entrepreneurship, technology, infrastructure and innovation.
The Rising Bharat Summit has established itself as News18 Network’s flagship thought-leadership platform, bringing together leaders from politics, governance, business, technology and culture to discuss India’s growth story and its expanding role on the global stage.
The inaugural Bengaluru edition will feature a wide-ranging line-up of policymakers, industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Confirmed speakers include D. K. Shivakumar, Dr G. Parameshwara, Priyank Kharge, Krishna Byre Gowda, Dr M. B. Patil, Dr K. G. Arunraj, D. Sridhar Babu, T. G. Bharath, T. Siddique, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Dr Preetha Reddy, T. V. Mohandas Pai, Hari Marar, Mallanna Sasalu, Pawan Kumar Chandana, Tarun Mehta, Ramesh Lakshminarayanan, Saina Nehwal, Sandhya Ramachandran Arun, Swapna Bapat, Nikhil Mittal, Kavikrut and actor Rakul Preet.
Discussions will focus on the South’s contribution to India’s economic growth, exploring sectors ranging from technology and healthcare to manufacturing, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and digital innovation. The summit will also examine how closer collaboration between governments, businesses and emerging enterprises can accelerate inclusive and sustainable development.
Commenting on the initiative, Shivakumar S, CEO of News18 Studios, said the regional editions would bring conversations closer to where economic transformation is taking place, enabling the platform to capture a broader range of voices and ideas before culminating in the national summit.
Ravi Santhanam, Chief Marketing Officer of HDFC Bank, said the partnership reflects the bank’s continued focus on supporting MSMEs, entrepreneurs and digital-first businesses through financial solutions and deeper engagement across regions.
The four regional editions will culminate in the Rising Bharat Summit 2027, bringing together insights from across the country into a single national platform. By taking the conversation beyond the metros and into India’s regional growth centres, News18 is betting that the next chapter of the country’s growth story will be written not in one city, but across many.
