Nearly 120 people lost their jobs at India Today Group between 20 and 24 July, with staff across multiple departments called in and asked to hand over their laptops and ID cards on the spot, according to a report by Newslaundry.
The affected employees came from a wide range of functions. Others were from camera operations, video editing, graphics, fact-checking, the Data Intelligence Unit and Aaj Tak Radio. Most of those affected were from the Aaj Tak Hindi website team, according to staff.
While many resigned at the department's insistence, those who refused were terminated. They were also asked to write the reason for their resignation. Those who resigned received two months' full salary, while those terminated are to receive two months' basic salary, they claimed.
A senior employee claimed that large-scale layoffs had been planned last year and averted, that management went ahead this time, and that the process is expected to continue.
The cuts arrive against a backdrop of sustained financial pressure at the parent company. For the financial year 2025–26, TV Today Network reported an 81% year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit to ₹14 crore, with revenue also under pressure amid a prolonged slowdown in television advertising and rising operating costs.
The latest round of layoffs marks the third major workforce reduction at TV Today Network in less than two years. A previous round in August 2024 saw nearly 200 employees across the India Today Group laid off as part of an organisational restructuring. In January 2025, the company undertook a further restructuring following the closure of its Ishq FM radio business, shutting down its 104.8 Ishq FM stations in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
The financial pressure mirrors a broader trend across India's television news industry, where traditional broadcasters are grappling with sluggish advertising growth, intense competition from digital platforms, and rapidly changing audience viewing habits.
