News Broadcasting
NDTV & Network 18 win top ‘NT’ honours; Aroon Purie gets Lifetime Achievement
NEW DELHI:The NDTV and Network 18 groups bagged top honours at the Second annual Indian News Television Awards held in New Delhi on Saturday, August 9, 2008.
Conceptualised and executed by IndianTelevision.com, the top honours were as follows:
In the English news segment: NDTV 24X7 won the News Channel Popular – (English) on the basis of TAM viewership ratings, CNN-IBN was the Numero Uno English News Channel of the year on the basis of maximum number of awards won in the news category and TIMES NOW was conferred the Best News Channel Critics – (English) award.
In the Hindi news segment, AAJ TAK was honoured with the Best News Channel popular – (Hindi) award while the Numero Uno Hindi News Channel of the year award went to NDTV INDIA.
In the Business news channels segment, Best Business news channel (Critic) award was bagged by CNBC TV18, while the Numero Uno Business Channel of the year honours were shared by CNBC TV18, NDTV Profit and CNBC Awaaz.
TV Today Group editor-in-chief and chairman Aroon Purie was honoured with the NT Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the TV news industry. He received the award from NDTV chairman Prannoy Roy.
Purie said, “I love news. Twenty-four-hour news channels are the greatest invention of recent times. They have changed the way of public discourse. India is a great country to have so many news channels as many things keep happening every day at every hour. It is like a Formula1 race car, which never stops.”
Purie has been instrumental in redefining journalism in India. In 1975, he founded the India Today Group, which is now acknowledged as one of India’s most diversified media conglomerates. The TV Today Group has launched a pack of four news channels, with Aaj Tak as a leader in the Hindi space.
Among the luminaries who attended the function at the Taj Palace hotel were MP Rajeev Shukla, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, former Test cricketer Madan Lal, BAG Films and Media MD Anurradha Prasad and fashion designer Ritu Kumar among others.
The show, anchored by Channel V veejays Lola Kutty and Juhi, saw spirited performances by A Band of Boys.
Award List:
Sr.no. Category Awardee News Channel
1
Most Popular English News Channel
NDTV 24×7
NDTV 24×7
2
Most Popular Hindi News Channel
Aaj Tak Aaj Tak
3
Numero Uno English News Channel
CNN-IBN
CNN-IBN
4
Numero Uno Hindi News Channel
NDTV India
NDTV India
5 Numero Uno Business News Channel CNBC-TV18, NDTV Profit, CNBC Awaaz
CNBC-TV18, NDTV Profit, CNBC Awaaz
6
Best News Channel (Critics’ Choice) – English
Times Now
Times Now
7 Best News Channel (Critics’ Choice) – Hindi
8 Best News Channel (Critics’ Choice) – Business
CNBC-TV18
CNBC-TV18
9 Best TV News Anchor – English Rajdeep Sardesai
CNN IBN
10 Best TV News Anchor – Hindi Pankaj Pachauri
NDTV India
11 Best Business News Anchor – English Shivnath Thukral NDTV Profit
12 Best Business News Anchor – Hindi Mehraj Dubey NDTV India
13 Best Entertainment Critic Rajeev Masand CNN IBN
14 Best Entertainment News Show Host – Hindi Shekhar Suman Star News
15 Best Sports News Show Presenter – English Sonali Chander (Sports Unlimited) NDTV 24×7
16 Best Sports News Show Presenter – Hindi Afshan Anjum (Jeet Lee Duniya) NDTV India
17 Best TV News Reporter – English Poonam Aggarwal NDTV 24×7
18 Best TV News Reporter – Hindi Kamal Khan NDTV India
19 The Indiantelevision.Com Editor’s Special Award for Excellence as an Anchor
Romana Issar Zee News
20 Best Crime Show – Hindi Criminal
IBN 7
21 Best Crime Show – English India 60 Minutes (BMW Expose) NDTV 24×7
22 Best Auto Show – Hindi Chakke Pe Chakka Aaj Tak
23 Best Auto Show – English The Car & Bike Show NDTV Profit
24 Best Promo Campaign By a News Channel IBN CJ Concept CNN IBN
25 Best Promo for any News Show Aap Ka Budjet Aaj Tak
26 Best Promo for a Channel 21 Years Of Experience NDTV 24×7
27 Lifetime Contribution to Television News Aroon Purie, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief
TV Today Network
28 Best Lifestyle & Fashion News Show – Hindi Zaika India Ka NDTV India
29 Best Lifestyle & Fashion News Show – English Business On Course NDTV Profit
30 Best Entertainment News Show – Hindi Jai Jawan NDTV India
31 Best Entertainment News Show – English Jai Jawan NDTV 24×7
32 Best Sports News Show – Hindi Jeet Lee Duniya NDTV India
33 Best Sports News Show – English Final Score
CNN IBN
34 Best Talk Show on News Channel- Hindi
Zindagi Live (Family Of Suicide Victims)
IBN 7
35 Best Talk Show on News Channel- English State Of The Nation CNN IBN
36 Best Business Talk Show – Hindi Kaun Rahega Corepati CNBC Awaz
37 Best Business Talk Show – English Young Turks CNBC TV 18
38 Best Business News Programme – Hindi Stock Talk CNBC Awaz
39 Best Business News Programme – English UP South CNBC TV 18
40 Best Investigative News Report – Hindi Maya (Godmen OR Conmen) & Operation Kalank (Gujarat Riots)
IBN 7 &
Aaj Tak
41 Best Investigative News Report – English (NDTV Special) Bangladesh Special NDTV24x7
42 Best News Documentary Programme-limited Episodes – Hindi Khas Khabron Ki Khabar – Bundelkhand NDTV India
43 Best News Documentary Programme – limited Episodes – English Remembering 7/11: Let We Forget CNN IBN
44 Best Show On Environment Awareness – Hindi Shikhar Se Oonche NDTV India
45 Best Show On Environment Awareness – English A Question Of Land CNN IBN
46 Best Current Affaris Programme-Limited (Home & International) – Hindi Khas Khabron Ki Khabar – Sez NDTV India
47 Best Current Affairs Programme-limited (Home & International) – English Devil’s Advocate CNN IBN
48 Best Daily Newscast – Hindi News Point NDTV India
49 Best Daily Newscast – English India 60 Minutes NDTV 24×7
50 Best-Presented Popular News Show – Hindi Khabardar NDTV India
51 Best-Presented Popular News Show – English Face The Nation (Chak Diya India Special) CNN IBN
52 Most Popular Entertainment News Show Saas Bahu aur Saazish Star News
53 Best News Channel Website
IBN Live.com CNN IBN
SPECIAL AWARDS PRESENTED BY MOVICO
54 Movico Technology Award for Business News Channel To Watch Out for in the coming year UTVi UTVi
55 Movico Technology Award for Pioneering initiatives in Digital Technology
NewsX
NewsX
56 Movico Technology Award for Hindi News Channel To Watch Out for in the coming year Voice of India Voice of India
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
