NEW DELHI:  NDTV 24×7 has roped in veteran journalist Vedika Sud as consulting editor, marking the return of one of south Asia’s most recognised broadcast reporters to the Indian news landscape. Sud, who most recently served as CNN International’s bureau chief for India and South Asia, brings nearly two decades of frontline reporting experience spanning crises, conflicts and political transitions across the region.

At CNN, Sud was the network’s editorial lead across India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, working closely with global desks and appearing on flagship programmes with anchors including Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer and Erin Burnett. She covered the India–Pakistan conflict following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, the G20 climate and geopolitical negotiations, the India–Myanmar refugee crisis, the farmers’ protests, and Delhi’s landfill investigations exposing the intersection of environment and public health. Her on-the-ground reportage during the 2021 Delta wave of Covid, from overwhelmed hospitals to the desperate hunt for oxygen, earned international recognition for its clarity and compassion.

Before CNN, Sud anchored prime bulletins at the India Today group, oversaw fast-paced editorial operations at NewsX and built her early career at Times Now, where she transitioned from producing political segments to fronting live broadcasts on elections, terror attacks and civic issues.

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Her work has won accolades including an honourable mention at the 2024 Society of Publishers in Asia Awards for reporting on women’s issues and a finalist slot at the South Asian Journalists Association Awards in 2021. An alumna of Sophia College, Mumbai, she also holds a diploma in social communications media and a graduate certificate in public policy from the Takshashila Institution.

NDTV’s chief executive and editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal called Sud “an interpreter of meaning, not just a witness to events,” saying her global perspective would sharpen NDTV’s mission to deliver rigorous, contextual journalism in a crowded and noisy news environment.

Sud said she was drawn to NDTV’s legacy of explanatory reporting. “The most powerful stories don’t simply tell you what happened — they explain why it matters and who it matters to. In an age of endless headlines, our responsibility is to cut through the noise and connect the dots for the public,” she said.

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Her appointment comes as NDTV, one of India’s oldest English news broadcasters, seeks to reinforce its editorial heft under new ownership. With Sud joining its leadership ranks, the channel is signalling a renewed commitment to fact-based reporting and nuanced analysis at a time when credibility in Indian television journalism is under sharper scrutiny than ever.