Award-winning Indian journalist Ravish Kumar quits NDTV as Adani closes in on takeover

Journalist Ravish Kumar has resigned from NDTV India as its senior executive editor, local media have reported, citing an announcement by the news channel in an internal email.

NDTV said that his resignation was effective immediately, Scroll.in reported.

The news anchor, who won the Ramon Magasaysay Award, used to host the programmes Hum Log, Ravish Ki Report, Desh Ki Baat and Prime Time.

“Few journalists have impacted people as much as Ravish,” the mail stated. “This reflects in the immense feedback about him: in the crowds he draws everywhere; in the prestigious awards and recognition he has received, within India and internationally.” 

Ravish won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2019 for “harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless”.

The announcement about his resignation came a day after the news channel informed the Bombay Stock Exchange in a regulatory filing that its founders Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy have resigned as the directors of RRPR Holding Private Limited.
RRPR, or Radhika Roy Prannoy Roy, Holding Private Limited, is the promoter company of NDTV. It holds a 29.18 percent stake in the news channel that is being taken over by the Adani Group.

AMG Media Networks Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, bought 100 percent of the equity stakes in Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited, or VCPL, in August.

Later that month, the Adani Group announced that it will acquire a 29.18 percent stake in NDTV through VPCL. NDTV had then said that the takeover was done without the consent or any sort of notice served to Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy.

In November, conglomerate Adani Group decided to make an open offer to acquire an additional 26 percent stake in NDTV. This will bring the group’s total stake to 55.18 percent, enough to allow it to take NDTV’s ownership rights. The offer will continue until Dec 5.