Shah Rukh to host Star India's new talk show 'TED Talks India: Nayi Soch'

In a global first, Star India and TED have come together the show in a language other than English

Star India, a unit of 21st Century Fox announced green-lighting a show called 'TED Talks India: Nayi Soch,' a Hindi TV talk show created in partnership with TED, the non-profit devoted to 'ideas worth spreading'. The show will be hosted by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. This will be the third time Khan will be hosting a show on Star Plus having hosted 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' in 2007 and Kya Aap 'Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai' in 2008.

The show on Star Plus will be titled 'TED Talks India: Nayi Soch,' which translates to 'new thinking'. Nayi Soch is also the tag-line that the channel has adopted as part of its latest brand campaign. The show will feature speakers sharing big ideas in TED's signature format of short, powerful talks. This is the first time TED is collaborating with a major network and leading actor to produce a TV series featuring original TED Talks in a language other than English.

Uday Shankar, chairman and CEO, Star India, said: "At Star, we have always believed in pushing the boundaries of 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 endeavour."

Shah Rukh Khan added: "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."