NDTV has announced a strategic expansion of its CTV (CTV) operations with the appointment of Akhil Bhalla as product head for CTV and Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary as head of CTV revenue. This signals the media company’s intent to build a dedicated CTV ecosystem spanning product design, distribution and monetisation.
As product head for CTV, Bhalla will oversee the redesign of NDTV’s CTV product and editorial experience. His mandate includes rethinking how news is discovered and consumed on large screens. Bhalla previously worked at Jio Hotstar, where he was involved in integrating over 45 national and regional news channels into CTV environments.
“CTV is redefining how audiences experience news,” said Bhalla. “This is not about adapting news to another screen, but about designing it for the future.”
On the monetisation side, Choudhary will lead revenue strategy and distribution partnerships. He joins NDTV from Republic Media Network and brings experience across CTV ecosystems including Samsung TV Plus, LG, Jio, Yupp and Google Showcase. “CTV in India is at a clear inflection point,” said Choudhary. “Scale is already visible, consumption is deepening, and advertiser interest is accelerating rapidly.”
Rahul Kanwal, CEO and editor-in-chief of NDTV, said, “CTV represents a fundamental shift in how news is consumed and valued.” He added that the appointments reflect a long-term investment aligned with evolving audience behaviour.
CTV is emerging as a key growthdriverfor premium video and news consumption. In India, more than 129 million users streamed digital video on a CTV device at least once in the past month. Household penetration is estimated to exceed 60 million homes, positioning CTV as a mass medium rather than a niche extension of digital.
Advertising investment is following this shift. India’s CTV advertising marketis projected to reach $760 million in 2025 and approach $1 billion in 2026. Globally, CTV ad revenues are forecast to grow to $51 billion by 2029, underlining the medium’s commercial relevance.
For advertisers, NDTV’s push into CTV offers access to brand-safe, high-attention environments that combine television reach with digital targeting. The appointments indicate a structured approach to capturing both audience and advertising growth in a rapidly maturing medium.
