NDTV Outlines an AI-Led Bet for a New India at Its 38th AGM

At its 38th Annual General Meeting, NDTV pitched an AI-led growth strategy on Rs 528.29 crore in annual revenue, a digital footprint of more than 45 million YouTube subscribers, and a slate of new platforms that stretch beyond the newsroom. The same financial year, the broadcaster reported a net loss of Rs 323.16 crore, widened about 48% from a year earlier. Chairperson U.K. Sinha used his address to describe verified journalism as a necessity in a media environment shaped by misinformation and synthetic content.

For CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, the 38th AGM was about building what he called a new NDTV for a new India. Revenue rose 13.6% to Rs 528.29 crore, digital reach crossed 45 million YouTube subscribers and 102 million social followers, and annual losses widened 48% to Rs 323.16 crore against Rs 855 crore of total expenses. Kanwal framed the company as scaling three operational pillars at once: digital acceleration, regional expansion, and a slate of new businesses outside the newsroom.

The 38th AGM’s Growth Blueprint

Sinha told shareholders the global environment remains complex and uncertain, shaped by geopolitical conflict, trade realignments, policy uncertainty and technological disruption. India, he said, continues to demonstrate structural resilience through domestic consumption, services exports and digital infrastructure. Against that backdrop, he framed credible journalism as the company’s central commercial and editorial duty.

Kanwal used his address to argue NDTV is building what he called a new NDTV for a new India, with the past year marked by renewed energy across the network. The company’s newsrooms responded with speed and clarity to major breaking news moments, while programming, digital platforms and on-ground reporting strengthened editorial impact and expanded audience reach. On the financial side, Kanwal said NDTV recorded revenue of Rs 528.29 crore, with growth of 13.6% over the previous year. Across the network, NDTV 24×7 deepened its position through sharper analysis, NDTV India strengthened its audience connection through field reporting, and NDTV Profit held its ground in business journalism. The AGM delivery paired the strategy language with three operational pillars, and one trade publication’s NDTV strategy outline from the chairperson and CEO speeches covers the full address in detail.

A Digital Scale Few Rivals Can Match

NDTV has built what Kanwal called formidable digital scale, with more than 45 million lifetime YouTube subscribers, over 102 million followers across social media platforms and more than 40 billion cumulative video views. The network also recorded remarkable growth on YouTube, with NDTV 24×7 registering 127% year-on-year growth and NDTV India delivering an exceptional 1,521% year-on-year growth. The numbers sit alongside Kanwal’s line that digital is no longer an extension of the business but a growth engine and distribution network. They also mark a step change for any Indian news network.

NDTV 24×7 sharpens its position through deeper analysis and contextual storytelling. NDTV India deepens its audience connection through on-ground reporting, while NDTV Profit holds its ground in business journalism. The combined reach puts NDTV’s digital footprint in a category few Indian broadcasters can match, a position mirrored by other Indian digital media companies raising capital for AI-led growth, including the Rusk Media pre-Series C round led by Nazara Technologies.

A 1,521% year-on-year jump on a Hindi news channel is the kind of growth trajectory digital-native players tend to cite, not legacy broadcasters. NDTV’s claim is that this is the distribution layer the next phase of growth will be built on.

• 45 million+ lifetime YouTube subscribers
• 102 million+ followers across social media
• 40 billion+ cumulative video views
• 127% year-on-year growth on NDTV 24×7 YouTube
• 1,521% year-on-year growth on NDTV India YouTube

The Loss Story Running Underneath

Revenue grew and losses grew faster. NDTV’s consolidated revenue from operations for FY26 came in at Rs 528.29 crore, up 13.6% from Rs 465.03 crore in FY25. Total income for the year stood at Rs 540.32 crore, a 14.4% increase over Rs 472.18 crore. Net loss for the year, however, widened to Rs 323.16 crore, up about 48.2% from Rs 218.01 crore a year earlier, per the company’s reported FY26 results showing losses widened 48%.

Cost lines explain the gap. Total expenses for FY26 rose to Rs 855 crore from Rs 689 crore, with production costs at Rs 251 crore, employee expenses at Rs 185 crore, and marketing spends at Rs 243 crore, per the FY26 expense breakdown with production and employee costs.

The Q4 FY26 net loss came in at Rs 98.57 crore, up about 59% from Rs 61.97 crore in the same quarter a year earlier. Operating cash outflow for the year stood at Rs 257.9 crore, while financing activities generated Rs 283.6 crore, a pattern that highlights the gap between commercial momentum and operational profitability. Loss before tax for the year came in at Rs 320.7 crore.

The full-year numbers, side by side:

An AI Plan Anchored in Human Judgment

Sinha framed artificial intelligence as a transformative opportunity for journalism. The technology, he told shareholders, offers major opportunities across research, transcription, data analysis and distribution. He was equally direct about the limits, framing editorial integrity as the line AI cannot cross. The position mirrors trust frameworks being published across the AI-led media and marketing world, including the WPP five trust principles unveiled at Cannes Lions 2026.

Our approach is clear: leverage AI to enhance capabilities while safeguarding editorial integrity. Verification, accountability and human editorial judgement remain central.

Sinha said those words at the 38th AGM, addressing shareholders as NDTV’s non-executive independent director and chairperson. Kanwal used his own address to set the operational target of becoming an AI-led media organisation. The technology, Kanwal said, will improve newsroom workflows, audience insights, research capabilities and storytelling while keeping editorial decisions under human supervision.

The specific uses Sinha named, research, transcription, data analysis and distribution, are the table-stakes AI workflows most major broadcasters have begun adopting. Kanwal added sharper audience insight and storytelling to the list. Neither leader tied the AI push to a quantified revenue target or a timeline. Sinha’s only AI metric was the principle that human editorial judgement stays central.

A Push Into Hyperlocal and News-Plus

Kanwal used the AGM to outline a regional and hyperlocal expansion built on three channels. NDTV Rajasthan, NDTV Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and NDTV Marathi are designed to deepen the network’s ability to deliver state-level journalism. The pitch is that NDTV can tell India’s stories in the markets where they actually happen.

Outside the broadcast business, the company is also building six new platforms that point to a wider news-plus strategy. The platforms span brand solutions, streaming distribution, learning, healthcare, data intelligence and automotive. Kanwal framed each as a separate revenue stream outside the core news business. Each one is named after the category it serves.

• NDTV CoLab for brand solutions and branded content
• Connected TV as a streaming distribution layer
• NDTV Launchpad for learning products
• NDTV Lifeline for healthcare content
• NDTV Datafy for data intelligence
• NDTV Automate for the automotive category

Marquee events and intellectual properties are the third leg of the diversification plan. The AGM named the NDTV Art Awards, NDTV Food Awards, Ind.AI Summit and NDTV ProAm as ongoing properties. NDTV World, the international arm, was framed as designed to bring India to the world and the world to India, with the NDTV World Summit cited as the most visible expression of the international push.

Where the Rights Issue Money Has Gone

The financial backstop behind the strategy is a Rights Issue NDTV completed in October 2025. The issue raised Rs 396.50 crore and was oversubscribed 1.11 times. The proceeds were fully utilised for debt repayment, strategic initiatives and general corporate purposes, Sinha told shareholders. The debt reduction has strengthened the balance sheet and brought down annual interest costs significantly, he added.

That improvement in the interest line shows up on the balance sheet, but it has not been enough to offset the operating losses. FY26 loss before tax of Rs 320.7 crore is wider than the Rs 217.1 crore reported a year earlier, and operating cash outflow for the year came in at Rs 257.9 crore. Neither Sinha nor Kanwal addressed the FY26 loss or the operating cash outflow in their AGM addresses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did NDTV’s 38th AGM announce?

At its 38th AGM, NDTV laid out an AI-led growth strategy anchored by FY26 revenue of Rs 528.29 crore, digital reach of more than 45 million YouTube subscribers and 102 million social followers, and a slate of new platforms including NDTV CoLab, NDTV Lifeline and NDTV Datafy. The AGM confirmed the Rs 396.50 crore Rights Issue completed in October 2025 had been deployed, and framed the next phase around hyperlocal journalism, AI-enabled newsroom workflows and marquee events.

What is NDTV’s financial position after FY26?

NDTV reported consolidated revenue from operations of Rs 528.29 crore in FY26, up 13.6% from Rs 465.03 crore a year earlier, with total income of Rs 540.32 crore. Net loss for the year widened to Rs 323.16 crore, up about 48.2% from Rs 218.01 crore in FY25, as total expenses rose to Rs 855 crore. The Q4 FY26 net loss came in at Rs 98.57 crore, up about 59% year on year, against operating cash outflow of Rs 257.9 crore for the year.

How does NDTV plan to use AI in journalism?

Chairperson U.K. Sinha said AI offers major opportunities across research, transcription, analytics and distribution, but framed verification, accountability and human editorial judgement as central. CEO Rahul Kanwal said NDTV is progressing toward becoming an AI-led media organisation, using the technology to improve newsroom workflows, audience insights, research and storytelling while keeping editorial decisions under human supervision.

What are NDTV’s regional and new platform plans?

Kanwal highlighted three regional initiatives, NDTV Rajasthan, NDTV Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh and NDTV Marathi, designed to deepen the network’s hyperlocal coverage. The company is also building six new platforms: NDTV CoLab for brand solutions, Connected TV, NDTV Launchpad for learning, NDTV Lifeline for health, NDTV Datafy for data intelligence and NDTV Automate for the automotive category. Marquee events include the NDTV Art Awards, NDTV Food Awards, Ind.AI Summit and NDTV ProAm, with NDTV World hosting the NDTV World Summit.