News Broadcasting
TV9 in talks to buy 26 per cent stake in Indiavision
MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (ABCL), which operates under the TV9 brand, is in talks to acquire a 26 per cent stake in Malayalam news channel Indiavision.
ABCL and Indiavision have had the first round of discussions but couldn’t agree on the valuation, a source familiar with the negotiations says. Indiavision was valuing the company at Rs 1 billion but ABCL is agreeable to a much lower figure, he adds.
The move is seen as a counter to the aggressive plans drawn by national broadcasters to step into the regional space. Zee News Ltd has already launched a Marathi news channel and others like Raghav Bahl’s TV18 Group are waiting in the wings.
ABCL already runs a Telugu and a Kannada news channel. The company plans to launch a string of channels including a Mumbai-centric Hindi news channel. It is planning to raise Rs 2.5 billion from private equity funds to support all its expansion plans.
Senior executives of ABCL will be visiting Indiavision office next week to thrash out some form of deal, the source says. If talks on equity participation break, discussions on forming a strategic alliance will be pursued.
“ABCL could take up the marketing of Indiavision and an arrangement on infrastructure sharing could be worked out. Both the regional news networks realise that they need to strike an alliance as new competition is going to come from the bigger players,” the source adds.
When contacted, Indiavision chairman and political leader Dr M K Muneer declined to comment.
ABCL is 80 per cent owned by iLabs, a venture fund, and Unified Group. The balance 20 per cent is held by Ravi Prakash and five other professionals.
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.
