NDTV Bids Adieu To Archana – The Iconic Delhi Structure That Anchored Its Growth
After more than two decades, NDTV is moving out of Archana Arcade, also known as Archana Shopping Complex, an iconic building situated in the heart of Delhi. Located in the bustling area of Greater Kailash-I, Archana Arcade provided NDTV with the strategic advantage a media house in the capital city needed and played a pivotal role in the growth and success of New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV). Earlier owned by Dr Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy, NDTV is now part of the Adani Group. This architectural landmark has been more than just a physical space for thousands of employees; it served as a crucible of innovation, journalism, and broadcasting excellence that has significantly contributed to NDTV’s prominence in the Indian media space.
NDTV was founded in 1984 by economist Dr. Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy, a husband-and-wife team from Kolkata. Initially, it operated as a production house creating news segments for Doordarshan, the public broadcaster, and international satellite channels during a time when television broadcasting was a state monopoly. During this period, NDTV operated mainly from W-17 in Greater Kailash-I, another iconic address associated with the media house’s growth. According to legend, before NDTV started its full-fledged news operations, W-17 housed the precursor to this – a policy analysis office frequented by the capital’s financial and policy experts.
NDTV eventually transitioned into India’s first independent news network and, in 1998, launched the country’s first 24×7 news channel in partnership with Star India. At that time, the media house mostly operated from W-17, located near Archana Arcade close to the old Greater Kailash Police Station. From 1998 to 2003, NDTV had an exclusive agreement with Star India to produce all their news segments. In 2003, NDTV emerged as an independent broadcasting network, launching the Hindi news channel NDTV India and the English news channel NDTV 24×7. That was when the media house moved its operations completely to Archana Shopping Complex. Earlier, NDTV had started some of its operations from 1995 and set up an ultra-modern editing studio in Archana before 1998.
The building’s prime location in South Delhi, a hub of commercial and residential activity, ensured easy accessibility for journalists, guests, and stakeholders. Its proximity to major landmarks, business districts, and governmental offices facilitated swift news coverage and seamless operations, enhancing NDTV’s ability to report timely and relevant news.
The easy accessibility of Lutyens’s Delhi and political offices from Archana Arcade benefited journalists and cameramen who worked in the national bureau. When NDTV initially moved into Archana Arcade, it rented five floors, eventually expanding to occupy all seven floors. As the channels and news operations grew, the building was equipped with advanced broadcasting facilities, including state-of-the-art studios, control rooms, and editing suites. Additional facilities such as libraries (video and book) and a mess were also added. The technological capabilities housed within Archana Arcade allowed NDTV to maintain its competitive edge in the fast-paced world of news media.
The vibrant environment of Archana Arcade fostered creativity and collaboration. NDTV’s offices within the building became a hub for some of the most talented journalists, editors, and producers in the industry, including Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Dua, Sreenivasan Jain, Ravish Kumar, Suparna Singh, Vikram Chandra, Appan Menon, Nidhi Kulpati, Nidhi Razdan, Pankaj Pachauri, Dibang, Sonia Singh, Barkha Dutt, Maya Mirchandani, Radhika Bordia, Sutapa Deb, Nagma Seher, Manoranjan Bharti, Vijay Trivedi, Shikha Trivedi, and Arnab Goswami, among others.
As NDTV faced financial troubles in 2016-2017, the media house had to relinquish some of the floors in the building. July 27 will be the last working day for current employees, and by July 31, NDTV’s journey with Archana will conclude. From next month, the media house will operate from Greater Noida sector 129.
Archana Arcade symbolised stability and growth for NDTV for most of the last two decades, and it also witnessed both the financial troubles and the hostile takeover of the media house by the Adani Group. Archana Arcade has been much more than just a physical location for NDTV and those who worked there; it has been a cornerstone of the network’s growth, success, and legacy.
