News Broadcasting
Rahul Kanwal to steer NDTV as CEO from June; revenue & losses rise in FY 25
MUMBAI: In a high-voltage move, New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) has tapped veteran journalist Rahul Kanwal as its new chief executive officer and key managerial personnel, effective 16 June 2025. The appointment, cleared by the board at its meeting on 25 April, awaits the final nod from the ministry of information and broadcasting.
Kanwal, who resigned as news director of India Today and Aaj Tak, and executive director of Business Today about a fortnight ago, brings more than 25 years of newsroom grit to the corner office. Known for his prime-time presence, election dissections and hard-nosed investigations, Kanwal has built a formidable brand in Indian journalism.
An alumnus of the general management program at Harvard Business School and a Chevening Scholar, Kanwal honed his reporting chops at Delhi University and Cardiff University, specialising in international broadcast journalism. He is also a Roy Peck Trust Grant awardee for hostile environment journalism — and no stranger to both on-ground turbulence and boardroom manoeuvres.
Kanwal’s editorial journey spans senior stints at Zee News and Headlines Today, marked by multiple awards for journalistic excellence. As he trades the anchor desk for the CEO’s chair, industry watchers are keen to see whether his instinct for headline-grabbing stories will translate into headline-grabbing strategies at NDTV.
Meanwhile, the news broadcaster wrapped up FY25 with a cocktail of heady revenue growth and strategic bravado — and a side of losses. Busy transforming itself into a global, next-gen media powerhouse, NDTV posted a 19 per cent jump in fourth-quarter revenue and a full-year top-line surge of 26 per cent.
The network’s bold gambit included expansive coverage of heavyweight events like the Mahakumbh and Delhi Elections, alongside marquee brands such as Yuva and the NDTV Auto Awards. Meanwhile, its digital arm raced ahead, clocking a 47 per cent year-on-year jump in users across websites and apps.
This was no year of half-measures. NDTV went all in — expanding distribution, overhauling its production and digital ecosystems, and splashing out on brand-building. It also widened its portfolio, launching NDTV Marathi to capture regional audiences and NDTV World to beam India’s view to global shores. The year also saw the launch of the ambitious NDTV World Summit, a high-powered gathering of global movers and shakers.
However, ambition comes at a cost. Heavy investments meant NDTV ended the year in the red — a deliberate sacrifice, the company says, to sow the seeds for sustainable, profitable growth ahead.
“FY 2024-25 was a defining year where we chose to lead with ambition and invest in the future,” said NDTV executive director and editor in chief Sanjay Pugalia. “We are confident the strategic decisions taken this year will deliver long-term value for our audiences, partners, and stakeholders.”
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
