Radhika Roy facts for kids

Radhika Roy (born 7 May 1949) is an Indian journalist. She is known for starting NDTV, a major news company in India. She was also a top leader there for many years.

NDTV began as a small production house. It later became the first independent news broadcaster in India. Radhika Roy first worked at The Indian Express. She also spent time at India Today magazine.

Radhika Roy's Journey

Early Life and Education

Radhika Roy was born in Calcutta, West Bengal, India, on May 7, 1949. When she was a teenager, she went to Welham Girls' School, a boarding school in Dehradun. There, she met Prannoy Roy, who would later become her husband.

Radhika and Prannoy later moved to London, United Kingdom, for their higher studies. They got married there. Radhika studied at the Oldrey Fleming School. She became a qualified speech pathologist. She also earned a degree in English literature from Miranda House in Delhi, India.

Starting a Career in Journalism

Radhika Roy started her journalism career at The Indian Express. She worked on the editing desk. Later, she joined India Today magazine as a news coordinator.

She then went to the United States for more education. She studied broadcast journalism at The New School in New York. She also took a course in television production at New York University.

In 1984, Radhika Roy and her husband, Prannoy Roy, started New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV). Radhika is seen as the original founder of the company. NDTV began by making shows for Doordarshan, a public broadcaster. It soon became India's first independent news channel. NDTV helped set the standard for news broadcasting in India.

Leading NDTV

Radhika Roy was a key leader at NDTV for many years. She was the managing director from 1998 to 2011. Before that, she was the chairman. While Prannoy Roy was the public face of NDTV, Radhika managed the news content and behind-the-scenes work.

She was known for demanding high standards in journalism. She made sure NDTV's news was fair and honest. Radhika also cared about social justice. She put in place rules for ethical journalism at NDTV. Many people at the company respected her. They said she was the "heart and soul" of NDTV.

In 1998, NDTV partnered with Star India to launch India's first 24-hour independent news channel. NDTV handled all the news production. The partnership ended in 2003. After that, NDTV launched its own news channels, NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India. By 2004, NDTV became a leading media company.

Challenges and Changes at NDTV

After 2011, Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy became executive co-chairpersons of NDTV. Radhika continued to guide the news team. She was very involved in the company's daily work. Employees liked her and saw her as a strong leader.

Over time, NDTV faced some challenges. The company experienced pressure from the government. This included legal issues and difficulties with advertisers. In 2016, there was an attempt to ban NDTV India, but it was stopped after many protests. In 2017, the company's offices and the Roys' home were searched.

In 2019, Radhika and Prannoy Roy faced some rules about how they could be involved in the company. This was because of how some loan agreements were handled. They appealed this decision. In 2020, a fine was given to them. The Supreme Court of India later helped them with this matter.

By 2015, NDTV faced financial difficulties. They made agreements with other companies to help. In late 2019, reports showed that Radhika Roy owned 16.32% of NDTV. Her husband owned 15.95%. They also owned more shares through a company called RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd.

In December 2022, Radhika and Prannoy Roy sold a large part of their shares in NDTV. They sold 27.26% of their shares to Adani Group. This made Adani Group the largest shareholder in NDTV.