From a brief news segment to India's most-watched Hindi television channel

Cultures · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Launched as a short daily bulletin in 1995, Aaj Tak transformed into a twenty-four-hour news powerhouse. While it holds the record for global YouTube subscribers among news outlets, its rise has been shadowed by persistent controversies regarding misinformation, regulatory fines, and accusations of political bias in its reporting.

Originally appearing on Doordarshan’s DD Metro in 1995, Aaj Tak began as a modest news program lasting only 10 to 20 minutes. By December 2000, it evolved into an independent, round-the-clock Hindi news channel, pioneering the use of mobile broadcast vans in India. Its influence grew rapidly; while it reached 52 lakh households at its inception, it now broadcasts to three crore homes, commanding a 56% share of the news channel viewership market.

The channel’s trajectory has been marked by both industry accolades and significant regulatory scrutiny. It has received the top honor for Hindi news programming at the Indian Television Academy Awards 19 times. Its digital footprint is equally massive, becoming the first global news channel to surpass 70 million subscribers on YouTube by February 2025. In 2023, the network further modernized by introducing Sana, an AI-powered anchor designed to handle daily updates and interactive audience sessions.

Despite its commercial success, the network faces frequent criticism for its editorial stance. Observers and reports, including a 2024 Bloomberg analysis, have characterized the channel as consistently favorable toward the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. This alignment has led to accusations of promoting nationalism and majoritarian agendas. Furthermore, the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority has repeatedly penalized the channel for broadcasting fabricated content, including false claims about public figures and inflammatory reports regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. These incidents, alongside fines for viewership manipulation, highlight the ongoing tension between the channel's pursuit of high ratings and the ethical standards expected in professional journalism.

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