Home Media

The corporate takeover of India’s media

Press freedom has been badly hit by the gobbling up of India's media platforms by a few large companies. Independent journalism in India is under threat as a consequence of corporate control of media houses.

By R Srinivasan, 360info
New Update
India's Media

Independent journalism is under threat as a consequence of corporate control of India's media houses. | Sandor Weisz | Credits Flikr

Listen to this article
0.75x 1x 1.5x
00:00 / 00:00

December 30, 2022, was a day to forget for the already badly mauled and tamed India's media.

For, that day, influential – and, for many, controversial – Indian businessman Gautam Adani, then the world’s third richest man, took nearly full control of the much-respected and revered NDTV after his Adani Enterprises acquired 27.26 percent additional shares, taking his total holdings to 64.71 percent.

A few months before delivering this coup de grace, Adani’s media company, AMG Media Networks, had hired a new CEO and a retinue of government-friendly journalists. 

His tail up, Adani’s next target was The Quint which, like NDTV, wore its anti-establishment badge with pride. On March 27, 2023, AMG Media Networks acquired 49 percent stake in Quintillion Business Media Pvt Ltd, The Quint’s holding company. This happened five years after central tax authorities raided The Quint’s offices in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

Advertisment

We Have a Request for You: Keep Our Journalism Alive

We are a small, dedicated team at The Probe, committed to in-depth, slow journalism that dives deeper than daily headlines. We can't sustain our vital work without your support. Please consider contributing to our social impact projects: Support Us or Become a Member of The Probe. Even your smallest support will help us keep our journalism alive.

Over the last 15 years or so, large and powerful corporate houses such as Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Adani Enterprises have exercised diverse strategies to acquire several well-established media companies. 

What has arguably worked to favour the Ambanis and the Adanis is their closeness to Narendra Modi’s government.

While one 2019 report said that Reliance “controlled” 72 television chan

login-icon

Access this EXCLUSIVE story for FREE!

Simply log in with your email to read the full story NOW.