Collective Newsroom to produce BBC content in Bangla and Urdu in India

MUMBAI: Collective Newsroom (CNR) has been commissioned by the BBC to produce journalism in Bangla and Urdu for audiences in India, marking an expansion of its multilingual news operations.

With the addition of the two languages, CNR’s mandate now spans eight Indian languages along with English, further strengthening its role in delivering credible public-interest journalism to diverse audiences across the country.

The newsroom will produce news, current affairs, digital-first storytelling and in-depth features covering subjects ranging from history and culture to business and health. The programming will also place particular emphasis on engaging younger audiences and women, while continuing to follow the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality, accuracy and trust.

The move reflects a growing appetite for quality journalism in Indian languages and signals CNR’s expanding presence in the country’s evolving media landscape. By bringing Bangla and Urdu into its multilingual operations, the organisation also aims to encourage deeper cross-language collaboration and wider audience engagement.

Collective Newsroom editor-in-chief and co-founder Rupa Jha, said the development marks an important step in connecting with more communities across India.

“Bangla and Urdu have rich literary and journalistic traditions, and we are proud to bring focused, high-quality content to these audiences in India. Our priority remains delivering journalism that is accurate, independent and relevant to people’s everyday lives,” she said.

Collective Newsroom managing editor and co-founder Sanjoy Majumder, said the expanded remit will span digital, video and social platforms to reach increasingly mobile-first audiences.

“We will continue to invest in editorial talent, technology and regional partnerships to strengthen our multilingual output. This milestone reinforces our mission to build an inclusive newsroom that reflects India’s linguistic and cultural diversity while maintaining the highest editorial standards,” he said.

Collective Newsroom, a wholly Indian-owned company founded by former BBC employees, took over most of the BBC’s India operations in April 2024. The organisation currently produces BBC content in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu, along with English content on YouTube.

CNR also manages and produces the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year initiative, which recognises women athletes and para-athletes.

Teams producing BBC News Bangla and BBC News Urdu for audiences outside India will continue to operate from Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.