News Broadcasting
Sahara finally launches Urdu news channel Aalami Sahara
NEW DELHI: Claiming the highest readership for its three Urdu publications, Sahara India Pariwar today launched its first exclusive Urdu news television channel Aalami Sahara aimed at reaching four million viewers in India and manifold eyeballs in 53 other countries.
The channel was launched at a function here this evening in the presence of a large number of dignitaries, amid a poetry recitation by Munnawar Rana from his book ‘Muhajir-nama’ and a comic presentation by stand-up comedian Raju Srivastava.
This 24X7 news channel will not only reach countries with large concentrations of Urdu speaking people including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh but also those with large Indian diaspora like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Brunei, Jordan, Behrain, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Macau, Maldives, Fiji, Myanmar, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, Australia and others.
Although Doordarshan and Eenadu already have Urdu channels, they telecast programmes that are not necessarily news, according to a Sahara Group source. He added that this was the first privately owned Urdu news channel in the country.
The channel Aalami Sahara will be beamed via Asiasat 3S 105.5 degree East on downlink frequency of 4020 MHz with horizontal polarization and a symbol rate of 27250 Msps.
Though group head Subrata Roy Sahara was not present, he sent a message that was telecast on the occasion. Those present included Salman Khursheed, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, Delhi Minister Haroon Yusuf, veteran journalist Zafar Agha, former cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, and Sahara Editor Upendra Rai, apart from poet Munnawar Rana.
Rai said he had left the Sahara Group but had not been able to give it up completely and therefore returned to it. He introduced Rana and ‘Muhajir-nama’ which has been published in Devnagari by the Sahara Group.
Sahara sources claimed that a total of more than 90 million people speak Urdu in India, of which 40 million are television viewers. Aalami Sahara would voice regional, national and international issues with fairness and precision.
Sahara News Network already publishes Roznama Rashtriya Sahara (an Urdu daily), Aalami Sahara (a weekly magazine) and Bazm-e-Sahara (a monthly tabloid). Roznama publishes 16 editions from 10 centers for its 3.15 million readers. There are 5,25,000 million readers of the Urdu weekly, while there are 500,000 for Bazm-e-Sahara (Urdu monthly). Earlier, Rozanama went online in October 2010. This was the first time when a complete Urdu newspaper and magazine were made available on Internet.
Sahara News Network has one round-the-clock, free to air, national Hindi news channel ‘Samay’ and a bouquet of 36 city specific regional news channels under the brand name ‘Sahara Samay’. Sahara’s News Media is equipped with over 1600 V-Sats for News collection and has 50 Bureaus and 1000 correspondents across the globe.
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.
