Naghma Sahar, NDTV Veteran, Leaves The Network
Veteran news anchor Naghma Sahar has formally announced her departure from NDTV, drawing the curtain on a legendary career spanning more than two decades at the network.
Confirming her decision to step down, she reflected on her long journey and changing eras at the network. She said: “It’s finally goodbye to NDTV. I spent 23 years with the NDTV I knew, and somehow the last three with the “new” NDTV. But there comes a moment when you realise that a chapter has simply run its course. No grand conclusions. Just the quiet relief of knowing it is time to move on. Some chapters need to be closed So for now It is what it is.”
Exit of Sahar, a news anchor whose style of presentation had always drawn comparisons with the golden generation of Doordarshan anchors, triggered an outpouring of warmth and nostalgia from leading media figures and viewers alike. Responding to the announcement, her former colleague and senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai paid tribute to her long-standing commitment to sober journalism, noting: “Long innings where you were among the faces identified with the channel and its original form as a channel that put news above noise . Good luck!”
Her former colleague and HT’s national political affairs editor Sunetra Choudhury also offered high praise for her contribution to Hindi television journalism, stating: “The most gracious, elegant, respected and credible person in hindi news tv for years! She made foreign affairs accessible to all and is exactly what TV needs. @NaghmaSahar will be missed on screen”.
Viewers similarly reflected on her poised presenting style. One X user remarked: “Your soft language and style of speaking will remain there for long, you and Sikta Dev were unique in your in ways. Best of luck for your future journey. Very rare to find down to earth but legendary personality”.
Sahar’s exit adds another prominent name to an extensive list of journalists, editors, and executives who have severed ties with NDTV following the hostile takeover by Gautam Adani’s Adani Group in 2023. The acquisition fundamentally altered the leadership and editorial direction of the network, prompting the departure of the channel’s original founders, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy.
Among the most high-profile names to exit in the immediate wake of the ownership change was Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning journalist Ravish Kumar, whose resignation signaled a major turning point for the network’s Hindi broadcasting division. Soon after, senior anchors including Sreenivasan Jain—host of long-running shows Truth vs Hype and Reality Check—and veteran foreign affairs and prime-time presenter Nidhi Razdan announced their departures.
The exodus continued across both English and Hindi operations. Prime-time anchor Sanket Upadhyay, senior editor Sarah Jacob, and Mumbai bureau chief Sohit Mishra also stepped down. The newsroom further lost key managerial leadership as Sunil Saini, senior managing editor of NDTV’s Hindi wing, and top executives including former group president Suparna Singh resigned.
