News Broadcasting
India Ahead CEO Chetan Sharma moves on
MUMBAI: India Ahead (IA) CEO Chetan Sharma has decided to move on from his current position at the Andhra Prabha Group's news channel after almost a two-year long stint.
India Ahead MD Mootha Goutam announced his departure via a letter to the company employees writing, "After seeing the channel through some momentous events in the short history of IA – such as general elections in the world's largest democracy, Parliament sessions, Pulwama attacks etc, Chetan has decided to move on to pursue other interests that are close to his heart, in the areas of teaching and writing. I, personally wish him all the very best in his endeavors and he shall ever remain in the hearts of "Team IA".
Goutam added, "I would like to place on record the immense work put in by Chetan Sharma, who came on board IA during its formative years as the first CEO and steered it through with meticulous planning and put in place a platform in a record time, thus enabling us to move forward with more vigour."
He also announced the beginning of a new chapter for the channel touted 2.0 with some new appointments: group president, news room operations and editorial strategies Sudeep Mukhia; president, national editorial affairs Amit Goel, president, editorial affairs Sudha Sadanand; and president, sales, marketing, new strategies amd collaborations Arjun Pandey.
Goutam further stated in his letter, "My vision for India Ahead, as a promoter, is to stay nimble, fast, relevant; and in this era of technology, I would like us to be seen, perceived and accepted by our viewers as a "tech enabled electronic media" driven by "news channel at the front end and fuelled by a robust "Digital Platform" at the back end. With the advent of the following team members joining today, I foresee a tectonic shift in the process and methodology of delivering news. Your experience, energy and passion should usher in a new era for India Ahead."
News Broadcasting
Network18 channels lead YouTube news viewership in March 2026
CNN-News18, News18 India and CNBC channels top categories with record views
MUMBAI: When the world hit refresh on breaking news, Network18’s channels were already streaming ahead. As geopolitical tensions and war-driven headlines fuelled a surge in global news consumption, the network’s digital playbook delivered big clocking record Youtube viewership across English, Hindi and business news categories in March 2026.
At the forefront was CNN-News18, which emerged as the clear leader in the English news segment with 130 million live and video-on-demand views. The channel edged past competitors such as Times of India (126.5 million), Times Now (101.1 million), India Today (88.2 million) and NDTV (77.5 million), according to Databeings data for March.
In the Hindi news arena, News18 India delivered a commanding performance, racking up a staggering 3,297 million views on YouTube. The channel comfortably outpaced NDTV India, which recorded 3,119 million views, underlining its deep reach and consistent engagement with mass audiences, as per Playboard data.
The network’s dominance wasn’t confined to general news. In the Hindi business segment, CNBC Awaaz topped the charts with 92 million views, narrowly ahead of Zee Business (90 million) and well ahead of ET Now Swadesh (57 million). Meanwhile, its English counterpart CNBC-TV18 posted a strong 58 million views, reinforcing the network’s cross-category strength.
The spike in viewership reflects a broader shift in audience behaviour, with viewers increasingly turning to digital platforms particularly Youtube for real-time updates and in-depth coverage during high-intensity news cycles. For Network18, the numbers signal more than just scale; they underline the effectiveness of a multi-platform strategy that blends speed, credibility and continuous coverage.
In a month where the news never paused, it seems viewers chose to stay tuned where the stream never stopped.
