After Adani Group's Acquisition, Here's A Look At The Brief History Of NDTV

New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) has been in the news since Tuesday evening after the news of its acquisition by the Adani Group broke. According to the company's filing with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the group has acquired a 29.18 per cent stake in NDTV and will make an open offer for another 26 per cent soon.

NDTV released a statement stating that the acquisition was executed without any "input from, conversation with, or consent of" the NDTV founders. Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy hold a 32.26 per cent stake in the company.

A brief history of NDTV

NDTV was India's first private producer of news and current affairs shows. Founded by Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy, it was incorporated on September 8, 1988, as New Delhi Television Private Limited.

In 1984, Prannoy Roy started his TV journey with India's first televised election analysis programme with journalist Vinod Dua on Doordarshan. This became a landmark in the history of India's TV. TV election analysis has been a regular feature of Indian TV since.

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In 1989, it produced The World This Week, a weekly bulletin that brought news from around the world to Doordarshan. NDTV broadcasted the live coverage of the annual budget for 1990-91. On August 31, 1994, the company changed its name to New Delhi Television Limited.

In 1998, it became India's first 24-hour channel in alliance with Star. It also produced 80 per cent of content for BBC India during the period. In the same year, it launched its digital unit, NDTV digital.

In 2000, the company commenced its production of non-news programmes, including Yes Minister for BBC Hindi. In 2001, it started producing Tamil news along with Vijay TV.

Its TV channels NDTV 24*7 and NDTV India were launched on April 14, 2003. The company became an independent news broadcaster in 2004 after obtaining uplinking permission from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

In 2004, NDTV went public and was listed on the markets on May 19, 2004. On January 17, 2005, it launched its business channel NDTV Profit.

In 2007, the company launched India's first English city channel NDTV MetroMation. It covered Delhi and NCR. In 2008, it set up a new company for building infrastructure in the form of studio production facilities.

In 2012, NDTV launched NDTV 24*7, NDTV India and NDTV Good Times in Malaysia.

Its Fifth Gear Auto provides information on the new developments in the auto industry. The website Car and Bike comes under this subsidiary.

Over the years, the company has received several awards, including India's Most Trusted TV Media Brand in 2016. In 2014, its website, ndtv.com, created a record with 13 billion hits in one day.