"NDTV Means Trust": Eknath Shinde At Company's Marathi Channel Launch

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday praised NDTV and said that the news network means "trust". Speaking at the launch of NDTV's new regional channel, NDTV Marathi, Mr Shinde said that it was a matter of happiness that the channel was launched on Maharashtra Day.

He said that most of the political news is shown only on NDTV channels and that there is truth in it.

Addressing the gathering, he further spoke about the development works his Maharashtra government had carried out in the past two years.

"If we look at Maharashtra in two years, Atal Setu is a game-changer project. Mumbai Coastal Road has also been started from one side. We gave momentum to many projects," he said.

"We are getting the benefit of having a double-engine government," he said, referring to the NDA government at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Mr Shinde also spoke about Naxalism and said that it has to be finished to increase employment in the areas affected by the left-wing extremism.

"We are working in that direction in Gadchiroli. Naxalism is on the verge of ending," he said.

Devendra Fadnavis At NDTV Marathi Channel Launch

The event was also attended by Mr Shinde's deputy, Devendra Fadnavis, who also congratulated NDTV for launching the Marathi channel on Maharashtra Day.

At the event, Mr Fadnavis said that all the news channels should keep "balance" and should not run "agenda".

"You should provide as much original content as you can," he said.

The senior BJP leader said that Mumbai is the "engine" of the country's economy and that they are working on the "speed of travel".

"Speed of travel is very important for quality of life," he said.

Speaking about the lower voter turnout in the ongoing seven-phased Lok Sabha elections, Mr Fadnavis said that there should be an increase in voting.

Ritesh Deshmukh At NDTV Marathi Channel Launch

Actor Ritesh Deshmukh was also among the attendees, who said that it was his wish to have a new voice in Marathi journalism and now it has arrived.

He also said that it won't be wrong to call NDTV "Lai Bhari", a Marathi slang for "awesome"

"NDTV Marathi is lai bhari," he added.

The network, which runs some of the top news channels in India, will now empower the 'Marathi manus' (Marathi person) and contribute to the ongoing journey of Maharashtra's progress.

With a steadfast focus on the forward-looking ethos of New Maharashtra, NDTV Marathi will aim to deliver high-quality and uncluttered journalism, catering to the discerning needs of Maharashtrians.

"NDTV Marathi, launched on Maharashtra Day, is the sixth channel from the NDTV network. It is our privilege to serve the people of Maharashtra with meaningful, accurate, and trustworthy news and analysis," said Sanjay Pugalia, the CEO and Editor-In-Chief of NDTV.

In the last financial year, NDTV expanded its presence across consumer segments with the launch of NDTV MP-CG, NDTV Rajasthan, and NDTV Profit. This strategic expansion drive from a 2 channel setup to a 6-channel setup has meant substantial investments in next-generation infrastructure. A cutting-edge broadcast facility in BKC, Mumbai is up and running. Another state-of-art integrated facility will be operational in NCR, Delhi in the coming months.

NDTV Group registered a 59 per cent revenue growth in Q4, 2023-2024, as compared to the same period last year.