Takeover of NDTV by India's richest man worries journalists
Alasdair Pal and Aftab Ahmed | Sunday, 28 August 2022
NEW DELHI, Aug 27 (Reuters): For years Indian television company NDTV pursued an independent line critical of the government even as others embraced strident nationalism. Now a proposed takeover by tycoon Gautam Adani's conglomerate has raised fears that one of the country's last bastions of free media is under threat.
NDTV is seeking to block the bid by Adani, who is India - and Asia's - richest man, citing regulatory restrictions related to what it called an "entirely unexpected" move.
NDTV, founded in 1988, blazed a trail for independent broadcasting in India as the country opened up to free market enterprise. Journalists in the country view Adani's play with trepidation.
"We all feel dejected," a current senior NDTV journalist, who declined to be named as employees are not authorised to speak on the issue, told Reuters.
"The main concern is our editorial independence which we think will be compromised" by the hostile takeover. NDTV runs one of India's most popular news websites along with channels in Hindi and English.
Adani Group said NDTV was "the most suitable broadcast and digital platform to deliver on our vision." A spokesperson for Adani did not respond to a request for comment on whether the channel's independence would be compromised by a takeover.
Also critical of the opposition Congress party when in power, the network has been at loggerheads with Modi and his brand of Hindu nationalist politics since long before he became prime minister.
After taking office in 2014, Modi cast the media as part of an out-of-touch elite and India fell in media freedom rankings. Outlets owned by industrial families have aligned themselves with the government, Reporters Without Borders said this year.
Adani has previously said he is not close to Modi. While his rapid ascent of the Forbes' rich list has taken place in tandem with Modi's political fortunes and both hail from the state of Gujarat, there is little evidence of strong links between the two men beyond the politician's use of Adani-owned private jets before he became prime minister.