News Broadcasting
Times Group taking up stake in IOL Broadband
MUMBAI: Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL), which is the holding company of the Times Group, is picking up a small stake in IOL Broadband for Rs 50 million.
IOL, which has a content delivery affiliation contract with MTNL for IPTV in Mumbai, will make a preferential allotment of 500,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each to BCCL. “We will be making the allotment to BCCL at around Rs 100 per share,” says IOL Broadband director Oberai.
IOL is also making a preferential allotment of 700,000 warrants to Maula Trading Company for Rs 70 million. “We will be in raising additional funds to expand our rollout. We plan to launch IPTV also in Bangalore with BSNL,” adds Oberai.
IOL Broadband has already signed an IPTV deal with the Star network and is offering 24 channels. “We are in talks with other broadcasters. We are offering video on demand (VoD) services and are planning to ramp up our movie library. We currently have rights for 50 movies,” says Oberai.
IOL is planning to increase the authorised share capital from Rs 500 million to Rs 70 million, divided into 70 million equity shares of Rs 10 each. The company also plans to increase the limit for foreign institutional investors to 49 per cent of its paid up equity share capital.
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.
