Asianet News Network comes to Delhi with a new web operation

Asianet News Network is set to launch a new website operation that will be based out of New Delhi. Former Mail Today Managing Editor Abhijit Majumder has been hired as its editor-in-chief. Majumder was earlier chosen by Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the position of Chief Editor, Prasar Bharati News Service, but the Prasar Bharati Board had shot down the proposal.

According to sources, the hiring for Asianet’s new operation has already begun and most new recruits are being asked to join by May 1. Our sources have also informed us that the website will be positioned as a Centre-Right news property that will counter the Left narrative.

Asianet News Network is a  Jupiter Capital venture, of which Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar is the founder chairman. In 2016, Newslaundry had reported on a leaked email from Jupiter Capital Chief Operating Officer Amit Gupta to editorial heads of media outlets owned by the Bengaluru-based investment company. The email stated that editorial hires should be “right of centre in his/her editorial tonality, Pro-India, Pro-Military, and aligned to Chairman’s [Chandrasekhar] ideology”.

The venture could most likely be launched under Asianet News Online Private Limited, which currently runs news websites like Newsable and also has investments in the parent company of Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV. Whether the new website operation will be a separate brand altogether or work as a rebranding effort of Newsable is not clear. Newslaundry has learnt that there may be a formal announcement in the next two weeks that will make the details of the website’s operations clearer.

The new web operation comes at a time when the Union I&B Ministry under Smriti Irani has formed a 10-member committee to regulate online media.

Newslaundry reached out to Amit Gupta, Abhijit Majumder and Rajeev Chandrasekhar to seek more clarity but has not yet received a response. The story will be updated if and when they respond.