News Broadcasting
NDTV accelerates growth spending as revenue climbs in transformation push
NEW DELHI: NDTV is pressing the accelerator on its transformation strategy, ramping up investment in marketing and expansion even as revenue growth gains momentum. The Adani-controlled broadcaster posted a 12 per cent increase in half-year revenue to Rs 230 crore whilst completing a Rs 396 crore oversubscribed rights issue and merging four subsidiaries to streamline operations.
Revenue from operations rose 10 per cent year-on-year to Rs 123 crore in the September quarter on a consolidated basis, reflecting improving traction as the company positions itself for a new era. For the six months ended September, the top line climbed to Rs 230 crore from Rs 205 crore, signalling steady progress in a fiercely competitive media landscape.
The numbers reveal a company making bold strategic bets. Marketing, distribution and promotional expenses surged 33 per cent to Rs 115 crore for the half-year—a clear signal that management is prioritising audience acquisition and brand visibility over short-term profitability. The September quarter alone saw Rs 58 crore deployed towards growth initiatives, up 29 per cent year-on-year.
“This is classic growth investing,” said one analyst who tracks the media sector. “NDTV is leveraging its capital raise to build market share and strengthen its competitive position whilst the fundamentals improve.”
The rights issue, completed on 9 October, was oversubscribed 1.11 times, with proceeds specifically earmarked for expansion, brand-building, debt reduction and corporate purposes. The successful raise increased paid-up capital from Rs 26 crore to Rs 45 crore, providing ammunition for the company’s ambitious reinvention plans.
NDTV also executed a major structural overhaul, merging NDTV Networks, NDTV Worldwide, NDTV Media and NDTV Labs into the parent company with effect from 1 October. The consolidation, sanctioned by the regional director of the ministry of corporate affairs, is designed to eliminate operational silos and create a more agile organisation. Authorised share capital now stands at Rs 237 crore.
The broadcaster is simultaneously pursuing inorganic growth. NDTV has entered a binding term sheet to acquire the GoodTimes channel and associated intellectual property from Lifestyle & Media Broadcasting, pending regulatory approval from the ministry of information and broadcasting. The deal would expand the company’s content portfolio and distribution footprint.
Management changes underscore the focus on operational excellence. Akhil Kumar Gupta, a chartered accountant with 19 years’ experience spanning media, infrastructure, healthcare and entertainment, will assume the chief financial officer role from 1 December. Gupta, who previously held senior positions at Adani Enterprises, Zydus Lifesciences and Bharti Airtel, brings deep expertise in financial transformation, digital systems and strategic decision-making. He replaces Anup Dutta, who reaches superannuation.
The board also re-appointed independent director Viral Jagdish Doshi for a second three-year term beginning January 2026, ensuring continuity in governance as the company navigates its transition.
NDTV’s investment phase reflects a calculated gamble: sacrifice near-term margins to capture long-term market share in India’s rapidly evolving media ecosystem. With a freshly capitalised balance sheet, a streamlined corporate structure, and aggressive growth spending, the broadcaster is positioning itself as a serious player in the battle for eyeballs and advertising rupees.
Whether the strategy succeeds depends on execution—and whether revenue growth can eventually outpace the current marketing blitz. But for now, NDTV is signalling it has both the resources and the resolve to compete. The transformation is underway, and the company isn’t holding back.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
