News Broadcasting
Campus to newsroom Network18 bets early on India’s next media leaders
MUMBAI: Careers, like headlines, are better when they start strong. Network18 has unveiled the NextGen Young Leadership Program (NYLP), a future-facing initiative aimed at spotting and shaping high-potential talent from India’s leading business, law and engineering campuses.
Rather than a conventional graduate intake, NYLP is positioned as a fast-track immersion into the country’s rapidly converging media and technology ecosystem. The idea is simple: move beyond induction decks and put young professionals into live environments where decisions, deadlines and data collide from day one.
Designed for engineering students, B-school graduates and media-tech enthusiasts, the programme blends on-the-job training with real-time business exposure. Participants will work on live projects, tackle active business challenges and rotate across functions and platforms, gaining a ringside view of how one of India’s largest media networks operates.
Network18 says the emphasis is on learning by doing. Cross-functional exposure and mentorship from senior leaders are built into the structure, allowing participants to develop commercial thinking alongside technical and editorial awareness, a skill mix increasingly critical in modern newsrooms and content businesses.
The programme also reflects a broader talent strategy. According to Network18, NYLP is intended to create a long-term pipeline of young, diverse professionals while building sustained partnerships with universities and educational institutions across the country.
For a network of Network18’s scale, the stakes are high. The group operates 20 television channels across more than 12 languages, alongside seven digital news platforms in 13 languages. Its portfolio includes national brands such as CNN-News18, News18 India, CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz and digital heavyweights like Moneycontrol, Firstpost, News18.com and ForbesIndia.com.
As news, information and infotainment businesses become increasingly technology-led, the competition for adaptable, future-ready talent is intensifying. NYLP appears to be Network18’s answer to that challenge, an attempt to meet young professionals earlier in their careers and shape them within the organisation’s evolving media-tech ecosystem.
In an industry often accused of reacting late to change, Network18’s latest move suggests one thing: when it comes to talent, the network would rather break the story early.
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.
