News Broadcasting
NDTV to challenge SEBI order in alleged non-disclosure of loan agreements matter
NEW DELHI: Challenging the SEBI order imposing a fine of Rs. 27 crore for alleged non-disclosure of certain loan agreements, NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy and promoter company RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd have decided to appeal against it.
SEBI had imposed the fine on them for violation of various securities norms by concealing information from shareholders regarding certain loan agreements, which had clauses having an adversarial effect on NDTV shareholders.
In a filing to the stock exchanges, the company said Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, founders and promoters of NDTV, and promoter group company RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd have repeatedly cleared that they have never directly or indirectly, through any transactions or agreements, allowed for a transfer of control of NDTV and they continue to hold 61.45 per cent of the total paid-up share of the company.
The core issue of the alleged surrender of control is pending adjudication at the Securities Appellate Tribunal, which, in 2019, granted a stay in favour of the founders of NDTV till the tribunal decides the matter.
“The founders’ lawyers will appeal against the order and its baseless findings at the Securities Appellate Tribunal. Their lawyers have advised that the SEBI order will not withstand scrutiny in appeal,” the company stated.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
