For this Budget coverage, our goal is to identify issues govt should address: Shereen Bhan

As CNBC-TV18 celebrates its 25th anniversary of budget coverage, e4m spoke to Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor, CNBC-TV18, about their preparations for this year, how the coverage has evolved over the years, the significance of this budget for the country, and more.

Edited Excerpts:

Could you explain the significance of this budget for the country and CNBC-TV18, considering its market share among business news channels?

In India, the budget is always a highly anticipated and closely watched economic event for the viewers. Its prominence and relevance are huge in the country, as it communicates the government's economic policies and direction for the coming year. Our efforts at CNBC-TV18 focus on capturing and understanding the fiscal landscape and how it will be shaped by the coming budget. One of the primary areas of focus for us is the analysis of policy announcements made during the budget. We dedicate a lot of time to analysing policy announcements and their implications. We examine how these policies will impact various industries and the broader economy. For instance, a few years ago, the budget introduced a scheme for electric mobility. We took a deep dive into understanding what this meant for the electric vehicle industry, assessing the potential for growth and the challenges ahead. Such detailed analysis helps our viewers grasp the full implications of these announcements.

Our approach involves breaking down the budget into different components and assessing the allocation of resources across sectors. We look at how these allocations will influence industry growth, provide economic stability and ensure overall development. Moreover, our coverage extends beyond the day of the budget announcement. We continuously follow up on the developments, seeking insights from various stakeholders, including government officials, industry leaders, and policy analysts. This detailed ongoing analysis ensures that we effectively capture the evolving impact of the budget on the economy.

For us, the significance of the budget for CNBC-TV18 lies in our ability to inform, educate, and engage the masses on a countrywide scale. We strive to offer a comprehensive understanding of how the budget will shape the country's economic landscape.

As CNBC-TV18 celebrates its 25th anniversary of budget coverage, what are one or two key learnings you'd like to highlight?

For CNBC-TV18, understanding the budget's impact on various fronts is crucial. This involves analysing its implications on the average citizen, various industries, the broader economy, government operations, and the nation as a whole. Over the years, we have made efforts to be innovative and improve our coverage with a comprehensive approach to our budget programming, ensuring we cover every aspect of the budget  thoroughly.  One key learning from the budget would be the importance of the finance minister's speech. This moment is the conclusion of all our efforts and hard work as it’s the time when uncertainty ends and the details of the budget are revealed. From a journalistic and channel perspective, the finance minister's speech reflects what we have been covering and reporting. If there is a convergence between the finance minister’s announcements and our reportage, it validates our efforts and shows that our insights and predictions were accurate. This alignment is what we strive for, as it validates the value of our work to our viewers.

Another key aspect of our budget coverage is the involvement of over 100 experts from various sectors. These experts come from different industries and bring a wealth of knowledge along with unique insights and perspectives. We meticulously  curate a list of influential opinion makers, both domestic and international, to join our coverage. This approach ensures that we provide diverse and informed viewpoints on the budget. Having these experts share their insights in real-time allows us to deliver detailed and comprehensive coverage, giving our viewers the most comprehensive analysis before anyone else. Each year, we revamp the look and feel of our set and graphics to give it a refreshed appearance. This time, we've incorporated more AR and VR tools to enhance the viewing experience. The sheer excitement of pulling off something that looks and feels different is immense. It’s not just about the visuals but creating an engaging and informative experience for our viewers

Can you provide more details on your special programming and the team of experts analyzing the budget coverage? How are you ensuring the analysis is straightforward and actionable? Are there any marketing initiatives tied to the budget coverage you'd like to share?

This year, we are committed to capturing the diverse recommendations from various sectors and industries to the finance ministry. Our goal is to reflect the current economic climate and identify the key issues the government needs to address. We aim to present an innovative and standout budget coverage each year, leveraging our expertise in analysis and presentation. For 2024, we've expanded our scope to ensure broader public participation. We've initiated the Budget Box initiative and taken it to college campuses, malls, and cinema halls, inviting regular citizens to share their thoughts on what the finance minister should prioritise. This initiative makes the budget process more inclusive and interactive. Additionally, we've introduced our new AI-powered Budget Buddy on our website and app, allowing users to ask questions and engage with the budget in a more meaningful way.

This year our efforts to make the budget more engaging includes launching the CNBC-TV18 Town Hall, which gathered top CEOs in partnership with CII, and a market town hall featuring renowned investor Christopher Wood Jefferies, discussing India's economic future. We've also produced various budget-related programs, featuring tax experts and sectoral analyses, broadcasted live on TV and across our YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram channels. To connect with a younger audience, we've created explanatory videos and a "Budget Bible" to simplify key budget terms and concepts. This ensures that everyone, especially younger viewers, can understand the budget's impact on our lives. Our guest list this year includes top market investors, mutual fund managers, global experts, and economists who will provide insights into the budget's fiscal implications. We'll also host CEOs discussing their pre-budget expectations and their post-budget reactions, as well as opposition politicians to provide a comprehensive 360-degree view of the budget, with over 100 guests contributing their perspectives.

Which sectors or industries should we pay attention to in this budget announcement?

In this budget announcement, we should pay close attention to several key sectors and industries. With robust tax collections and a substantial financial boost from the RBI, the government has some fiscal space to announce infrastructure and road development measures. The manufacturing sector, particularly labour-intensive industries, may see additional Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes as part of the ongoing 'Make in India' initiative. Additionally, expectations are high for stability in corporate tax rates, though some relief for the middle class, especially through incentives to shift towards the new tax regime, is anticipated. Furthermore, given the current political landscape, there may be specific budget allocations addressing demands from ally states, introducing new elements to the budget compared to previous years. Overall, the budget is expected to maintain a consistent approach with previous announcements, focusing on confidence-building measures and driving economic growth while also accommodating specific state demands.

How has budget coverage by TV newsrooms changed over the years?

Over the past years, budget coverage by TV newsrooms has significantly evolved, with expertise and specialisation becoming more pronounced. We at CNBC-TV18 have institutionalised budget coverage in the country, leveraging extensive institutional knowledge and muscle memory from covering numerous budgets to provide real-time analysis that adds immediate value to our viewers. Unlike others who may publish insights hours later, our timely insights and diverse perspectives set us apart. Our team, with hundreds of years of collective experience in live event tracking, especially in budget analysis, offers a unique and comprehensive view. Each year, we innovate and scale up our efforts, transforming the look and feel of our budget coverage. Our goal is not just to cover the budget but to be the nation's budget headquarters, a role we have embraced successfully, as evidenced by our unprecedented 90 percent dominance in ratings over many years. We take our job of bringing the budget to the nation seriously, striving to excel both on air and off air.

What professional tips would you like to share with budding business journalists?

Be curious, be like a sponge that absorbs different points of view, learn to listen, focus on the fine print, as they say the devil lies in the detail. Approach a story with humility and courage. Never shy away from due diligence. Diligence can never be too much! It is always important to be accurate, being first is a bonus.