News Broadcasting
TV18 to raise Rs 2 billion, open to print entry
MUMBAI: Raghav Bahl-promoted TV18 is raising Rs 2 billion through a fresh equity issue to fund its organic and inorganic expansion plans.
The company is keen to acquire a business newspaper, completing the chain across television channels, internet and print. Sources say TV18 is eyeing financial daily Business Standard where Uday Kotak is the largest shareholder and the others include Financial Times and Great Eastern Shipping.
TV18 has mandated HSBC and will raise Rs 2 billion through a qualified institutional placement (QIP). The funds are being kept ready as the company plans to expand its business and is also hunting for opportunities in new areas.
“We are going for a QIP issue of Rs 2 billion,” confirms TV18 Group managing director Bahl. “We have several expansion plans. We are also looking at an opportunity in the business print space but nothing has come up,” he adds, while defending against any suggestion of pursuing talks with Business Standard.
The QIP issue will involve a small dilution as regulations make it mandatory for Network 18, the holding company for TV18 and Global Broadcast News (GBN), to own at least 51 per cent in the news ventures. The current holding of Network 18 in TV18 is 53 per cent while in GBN it is 57 per cent (post-IPO).
Network 18 also has non core TV businesses in Studio 18 and Shop 18. The company expects Studio 18, which is engaged in movie business, to rake in a revenue of Rs 1 billion in the first full year of operations. The plan is to produce a movie every month. In Shop 18, the 24-hour television network dedicated to home shopping, trial runs have been conducted and the call centres are coming into place.
Network 18 has already raised a debt of Rs 700 million which will take care of its current funding needs, the source says while not ruling out further fund raising exercises in future.
TV18 houses two business channels, CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, a clutch of internet properties, financial wire service Crisil Marketwire (which was recently acquired and renamed Newswire 18) and an e-broking venture with partners.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
