News Broadcasting
Republic Bharat has made a smashing entry into the Hindi News genre
MUMBAI: The Week 1 performance means that in just 7 days Republic Bharat has made tremendous inroads and on boarded audiences that some established brands have taken many years to reach. The breathtaking start for Republic Bharat, which delivered exclusive after exclusive in novel formats within the hard news space, has not only shaken up the entire Hindi news genre with its thunderous entry but has also sounded the bell for all content players in Hindi news ahead of the crucial election.
Coming on the back of storming into English news with Republic TV in May 2017, Arnab Goswami’s Hindi news brand’s Week 1 reach is unprecedented when compared to other launches within the Hindi Genre. The Highest reach genre which is Hindi Movies has seen 2 launches in last 3 years i.e. Rishtey Cineplex and Sony Wah andboth the channels launched with a reach of 5 Crs in its opening week and have grown today 3X of their entry reach numbers.
Meanwhile, continuing his run of being the top-news anchor in the country, Republic Bharat’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami’s own 7pm debate show, Poochta Hai Bharat, on his newly launched Hindi channel has garnered the highest reach in the genre.
“This is a brilliant start. Republic Bharat has beaten six channels and has a reach of seven crore plus in week one. No Hindi channel has had such a start and it's a matter of time before we hit no 1 now,” Republic Media Network editor in chief and managing director Arnab Goswami said.
Bharat’s extensive focus on big stories within its first week of broadcast creative massive impact with #MamtaBlocksCBI and #ShardaStings which not only delivered blockbuster impressions on social media but have also got Republic Bharat the #2 position in West Bengal.
Republic Network CEO Vikas Khanchandani said, “We are extremely happy that Republic Bharat has opened the charts with a massive 73 Mn reach in its maiden week. Our distribution and content teams have worked very hard to give us this fantastic start within the mass reach genre. The reach garnered is the highest that any new hindi channel launch has delivered in its opening week in the last 3 years. I am extremely confident that with this magnificent start the channel will move into the top slot much faster than I anticipated. I am extremely grateful to our audiences and partners that have helped us with their support and acceptance within the Hindi news category.”
With Republic Bharat leaping into the market and basing its content on bringing back hard news to Hindi news television right from Week 1, the large-scale debut of the channel clubbed with its unmatched launch-week reach means that the channel is all set to be a front runner in the category in the big election season.
IPG Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha said, “The Republic team has worked hard to deliver a reach of 73 MN in its week of launch. They have given a repeat performance on their launch strategy by delivering big breaking stories and delivering massive reach. It's a very good start and will give them an opportunity to build reach and market share in the coming weeks as the news genre sampling is very high in the run up to Elections. The Hindi genre is seeing an entry of another strong brand after a long gap of 6 years.
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.
