Does India’s “most gifted businessman” @gautam_adani have a sense of humour? He has acquired 99.5% of the 29% stake of @ndtv founders Prannoy and Radhika Roy through a subsidiary called “Vishvapradhan”. Hopefully not a portmanteau of Vishwaguru and Pradhan Sevak.
Adani Media Networks Ltd CEO @sanjaypugalia is quoted as saying “AMNL seeks to empower Indian citizens, consumers and those interested in India, with information and knowledge” by acquiring #NDTV.
As a media watcher who reads ‘Manufacturing Consent’ every night, do you think?
“This is a baseless rumour. Radhika and Prannoy Roy are not in discussions, nor have been, with any entity for a change in ownership or a divestment of their stake in NDTV”
@ndtv clarification to BSE. So, has Adani made the open offer after a deal with Mukesh Ambani?
In 2009, @ndtv took a loan from “Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited”, an entity associated with the Reliance Group.
In 2022, Adani press release says “Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited” is a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Group.
Adani bought the Roys’ stake in @ndtv by buying up Vishvapradhan Commercial Pvt Ltd (VCPL), from two shareholders: Nextwave Televentures and Eminent Networks, for Rs 114 crore.
This gave him 29%.
3️⃣ VCPL, Nextwave and Eminent share the same 4th floor address in Gurgaon.
The common director in all three companies with the same director identification number (00548276) is a Anil Kumar Jain.
Is he an Ambani man or a front? Jain sits on more than boards.
2️⃣ When Uber was trying to “get Delhi back live” after the Dec 2014 rape ban, an Uber general manager in Asia wrote that “he planned to set up meetings for co-founder Trevor Kalanick “with prime minister @narendramodi and cabinet officials”. @washingtonpost@PMOIndia#UberFiles
3️⃣ Sivakumar Sundaram, the chairman of the executive committee of Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd, denies Times Group facilitated Uber “with any form of political access”.
But the @EconomicTimes editor’s email to Kalanick suggests much.
Times Group actively courted Uber after it was banned; urged its founder Travis Kalanick to present his “insights [to] set the agenda for policy formulation” at ET summit, in Jan 2015. Two months later, Uber invested Rs 150 crore in @TimesInternet.
“When nation is being divided, between Hindus and Muslims by forces of political opportunism, and our unity is being destroyed, a powerful voice is needed”
‘Anandabazar Patrika’ marks its 100th anniversary with a reality check from a real icon, Prof Amartya Sen. @MyAnandaBazar
2️⃣ Either because ABP did not want to, or because @PMOIndia did not bite, there is no @narendramodi at the centenary fete to bloviate on the role of free media in a democracy.
In craven media houses, Modi is default option despite his advertised contempt for it. @MyAnandaBazar
3️⃣ ABP, as ‘Anandabazar Patrika’ is known, was first published as a 4-page eveninger on 12 March 1912 (cover price 2 paise).
It was named after Anandamoyee, the sister of Amritamoyee whose name adorned ‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’.
As it was Holi, the first issue of ABP had red ink.
🪡 While upholding the findings of the Special Investigation Team that gave a clean chit to @narendramodi in the #ZakiaJafri case, SC added that SIT had “come out with flying colours”.
Q: When exactly did Modi learn of the massacre on 28 Feb 2002—and how well did SIT quiz him?
2️⃣ In his reply to SIT in 2010, Modi claimed he learnt of the #GulbergSociety massacre only at a meeting that evening, at 8.30 pm.
Really?
While a mob of thousands attacked a Muslim pocket in #Ahmedabad, the CM—who *also* held the home portfolio—was unaware for 5 full hours?
3️⃣ The implausibility of Modi’s defence is brought out by former @IndianExpress and @timesofindia legal affairs editor Manoj Mitta.
In his 2014 book, ‘The Fiction of Fact-Finding: Modi and Godhra’, Mitta reveals how #SIT bought into Modi’s claim with barely any challenge.