Firstpost
Firstpost is a news website in English and Hindi owned and operated by Network18 Group. The website features news, analysis and opinion articles by reputed columnists. The owner Network18 – one the biggest media conglomerates – is Mukesh Ambani and family. Firstpost was initially launched as a news website but now it has also made its appearance in the print sector. The Firstpost also provides news updates on social media platforms and messaging apps including WhatsApp.
Audience Share
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Ownership Type
Private
Geographic Coverage
International
Content Type
Free
Media Companies / Groups
Network18
Ownership Structure
Network18 Media and Investment Limited controls the Firspost. The shares of Network 18 Media and Investment Limited are divided as follows: RB Mediasoft Private Limited (12.18%), RB Media Holdings Private Limited (12.18%), Adventure Marketing Private Limited (12.18%), Colorful Media Private Limited (12.18%), Watermark Infratech Private Limited (12.18%), RRB Mediasoft Private Limited (10.36%), Independent Media Trust holds (1.88%), Teesta Retail Private Limited (1.85%). Collectively they stand at 75%, all of the above with the exception of Teesta Retail Private Limited are 100% subsidiaries of Reliance Industries Limited. The remaining 25% is publicly traded in the National Stock Exchange.
Ambani family, headed by Mr. Mukesh Ambani is the ultimate beneficiary of Reliance Industries Limited.
Teesta Retail Private Limited has 1.85% shares in Network 18 Media and Investment Limited. One of the directors of Teesta Retail Private Limited is Hariharan Mahadevan, who is also a CFO of Network 18. He also holds 1.11% shares in Network 18 Media and Investment Limited as part of the public.
Voting Rights
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Individual Owner
Group / Individual Owner
Public
25% of Network 18 Media and Investment Limited is publicly traded in the National Stock Exchange.
Teesta Retail Private Limited
Teesta Retail Private Limited has shares in both TV 18 Broadcast Limited (4.97%) and in Network 18 Media and Investment Limited (1.85%). One of the directors of Teesta Retail Private Limited is Hariharan Mahadevan, who is also a Group CFO at Network 18 Media and Investments Limited. He also holds 1.11% shares in Network 18 Media and Investment Limited as part of the public.
Teesta Retail Private Limited is owned by 10 other companies with equal share of 10% each. These are Jaipur Enclave Private Limited, Honeywell Properties Private Limited, Chander Commercial’s Private Limited, Prakhar Commercials Private Limited, Kaniska Commercials Private Limited, Netravati Commercials Limited, Lakshita Commercials Limited, Creative Agrotech Private Limited, Anagh Commercials Private Limited and Starfish Commercials Private Limited. All these 10 companies are located in the same building’s 3rd, 4th and 5th floors: Court House, Dhobi Talao Lokmanya Tilak Marg, Mumbai. As contact detail they all have the same email address of one of the directors Sridhar Kothandaraman with a domain ‘ril.com’ which stands for Reliance. 7 names appear across the companies as directors: Sridhar Kothandaraman, Rajagopal Subramanian, Satyanarayanamurthy Veera Venkata Korlep, Geeta Kalyandas Fulwadaya, Sudhakar Saraswatula, Pankaj Mohan Pawar, Ramesh Kumar Damani.
All these individuals hold various other directorships in other Reliance associated companies.
Sridhar Kothandaraman appears to be the company secretary and compliance officer;
Three LinkedIn profiles were found on Rajagopal Subramanian and two of them have Vice-President of Finance at Reliance (no photo), and the third one states as the position the State Head, Interior Division Reliance Industries, Kerala.
Sudhakar Saraswatula, according to his LinkedIn profile, is the Vice president, Corporate & Secretarial at Reliance Industries Ltd.
Ramesh Kumar Damani according to Bloomberg, is the Chief Financial Officer of TV 18 Broadcast Limited since 2015 and at Network 18 media and investments limited since 2017.
General Information
Founding Year
2011
Affiliated Interests Founder
is a media entertainment company with diverse interests in television, internet, filmed entertainment, digital business, magazines, mobile content and allied businesses. The Group has about fifty television channels in India, apart from thirteen international channels. Through its subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Limited, the company operates a number of television channels in the genres of news, business and general entertainment. TV18 Broadcast Limited Company is also in a joint venture with Viacom18 that operates entertainment channels. TV18 Broadcast Limited also operates factual information channel through a joint venture with A+E Networks.
Affiliated Interests Ceo
is the CEO and Managing Director of Network18 Media & Investments Limited, the company that owns Firstpost. He has also been the CEO-News and Group Editor Chef. Joshi has a Masters in Management Studies from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai in India. Earlier in his career, Rahul Joshi has worked with Economic Times where he launched ETNOW, a business Channel and ET Online. He is also worked with The Indian Express and on the board of News Broadcasters Association (NBA). He is also a Director of Indiacast Media Distributed Private Limited and Viacom18 Media Private Limited which are subsidiary firms of TV18 Broadcast Private Limited. He is also on the Board of News Broadcasters Association, NBA. Rahul Joshi is also a Director in many other companies including TV18 Broadcast Limited, Indiacast Media Distribution Private Limited, AETN Media Private Limited and Viacom18 Media Private Limited.
Affiliated Interests Editor-In-Chief
is the Editor of the Firstpost. He has led newsrooms across various brands, across various formats, across various cities and all news platforms – news, broadcast and digital.
Contact
Global Broadcast News, Express Trade Tower,
Plot No. 15-16, Sector-16A, Noida, Uttar Pradesh,
Tel.: +91-120-4341818, 3987777
Website: www.news18.com
Financial Information
Revenue (in Mill. $)
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Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
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Advertising (in % of total funding)
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Market Share
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Further Information
Meta Data
Financial Information of Firstpost is not available. The management information is retrieved from the company website and annual report. The financial Information of the company is retrieved from Ministry of Corporate Affairs. An email and a courier was sent to the company on the 10th January 2019 requesting the information and there has been no response from the company.
