The first town hall after Rahul Kanwal took charge of New Delhi Television in May 2025 was meant to reassure a newsroom in the middle of rapid change. Held in the newsroom at NDTV’s new Noida headquarters, and streamed to those logging in from homes and regional offices, it had the air of a ceremonial handover. It was part corporate speak, part declaration of intent. Kanwal, newly appointed CEO and Editor-in-Chief, spoke about NDTV’s legacy, praising the institution, its founder Prannoy Roy, and sketching what journalism at NDTV would look like going forward. 

He described NDTV as a channel he had grown up watching, one that had shaped his understanding of television journalism. The words were familiar, almost obligatory. NDTV, he told the newsroom, stood for credibility and a particular idea of journalism. He was there, he assured the room, to “carry that legacy forward and not shy away from the brand.”

By then, it did not need to be said how much of that legacy had already frayed. Since the Adani Group’s 2022 acquisition, described as a hostile takeover, the channel’s standing had shifted. The takeover made news globally, with international watchdogs flagging concerns over India’s last major independent TV news network being acquired “by Gautam Adani, a billionaire businessman who openly supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” 

Midway through the town hall, Kanwal turned to management. He spoke of political leaders, praising what he described as their efficiency. He mentioned Prime Minister Modi and the Home Minister, Amit Shah. Shah, Kanwal said admiringly, was the man behind a successful, winning political machine, someone who knew how to pick the right people and enforce accountability. One journalist present counted Shah’s name being mentioned at least seven times. 

Many in his newsroom found it odd that the new editor-in-chief would repeatedly cite a serving politician as a management ideal. Even in meetings later, journalists recalled, Kanwal continued to drop Shah’s name. “Maybe he’s impressed by that style of functioning, and tries to copy it,” one journalist said, recalling these conversations, “like holding people accountable in a very brute fashion”.

The management style was recognisable. Kanwal had spent over two decades at the India Today Group, rising through Aaj Tak and Headlines Today before running India Today TV. Colleagues from that period describe a man who understood, instinctively, what television rewards: pace, packaging, and reach. What makes him consequential now is not his body of work but the position he occupies. By the standards of Indian television news, he has peaked. He runs NDTV.