Star India, TED Collaborate on New Talk Show

MUMBAI/NEW YORK: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will host a new Hindi-language talk show created by Star India in partnership with TED.

TED Talks India: Nayi Soch (New Thinking) will air on Star Plus and feature speakers sharing big ideas in the signature format that TED Talks are known for.

Uday Shankar, chairman and CEO of Star India, said, “At Star, we have always believed in pushing the boundaries with new ideas, creativity and fresh thinking. Nobody reflects this belief more than TED and we are thrilled to collaborate with them in bringing the power of ideas to our audiences with TED Talks India: Nayi Soch. In an age of high volatility, the role of ideas to fuel positive change cannot be overstated. We are delighted to have Shah Rukh Khan share our vision and lend his charisma to this exciting endeavor.”

Khan noted, “Star India’s legacy of using television as an instrument of social change, and TED’s unequivocal drive to showcase simple but unique ideas in an effort to spark debate and conversation are a very powerful combination. I believe TED Talks India: Nayi Soch will inspire many minds across India. It is a concept I connected with instantly, as I believe that the media is perhaps the single most powerful vehicle to inspire change. I am looking forward to working with TED and Star India, and truly hope that together, we are able to inspire young minds across India and the world.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing TED to India in this form,” said TED curator Chris Anderson. “The country is teeming with imagination and innovation, and we believe this series will tap into that spirit and bring insight and inspiration to many new minds. We’ve been so impressed by the passion of our partners at Star TV and our host Shah Rukh Khan. We cannot wait for the launch.”

Juliet Blake, head of TV at TED and executive producer of the series, added, “The sheer size of Star TV’s audience, with more than 650 million viewers, makes this a significant milestone in TED’s ongoing effort to bring big ideas to curious minds. Global television is opening up a new frontier for TED.”