Akhil Bhalla named Product Head-CTV; Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary as Head-CTV Revenue at NDTV

NDTV has announced a major expansion of its Connected TV (CTV) operations with the appointment of Akhil Bhalla as Product Head – Connected TV and Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary as Head of Connected TV Revenue. The move marks NDTV’s decisive entry into one of the fastest-growing segments of the media landscape.

Connected TV is rapidly becoming a key platform for premium video globally, including news, combining the reach of traditional TV with the intelligence of digital and the credibility of trusted content. In India, this trend is accelerating quickly. Over 129 million Indians streamed digital video on CTV devices at least once in the past month, while household penetration is estimated to exceed 60 million homes, highlighting CTV’s emergence as a mainstream medium rather than a niche digital extension.

Advertisers are following this trend closely. India’s CTV advertising market is projected to reach around USD 760 million in 2025 and nearly USD 1 billion in 2026. Globally, CTV ad revenues are expected to hit USD 51 billion by 2029, underlining the medium’s growing role in the video ecosystem. For news organisations, CTV offers a combination of premium attention, immersive viewing, brand safety, and measurable outcomes—making it a natural home for trusted journalism.

With these appointments, NDTV is building a dedicated CTV ecosystem covering product design, editorial experience, distribution, and revenue.

Akhil Bhalla, as Product Head – Connected TV, will lead the reimagining of NDTV’s CTV product and editorial experience, focusing on how audiences discover, consume, and engage with news on the big screen. Bhalla brings extensive experience in building news-focused CTV ecosystems at scale, having previously worked at JioHotstar (formerly Disney+ Hotstar), where he integrated more than 45 national and regional news channels and designed frameworks for real-time news engagement. Over his career, he has worked with several leading media organisations and is regarded as a pioneer in CTV news operations in India.

“Connected TV is transforming how people experience news. NDTV’s reputation for trust and credibility provides a strong foundation to build a CTV product that is both meaningful for audiences and commercially viable. This isn’t just about putting news on another screen—it’s about designing it for the future,” said Bhalla.

On the revenue side, Sanjeev Kumar Choudhary joins NDTV as Head of Connected TV Revenue. He will focus on expanding NDTV’s CTV reach and driving monetisation at scale. Choudhary comes from Republic Media Network and brings deep expertise in digital revenue, CTV partnerships, and large-scale monetisation models. His experience includes working with platforms such as Yupp, Jio, Samsung TV Plus, LG, Planetcast, and Google Showcase, along with managing multi-stream digital revenue operations.

“CTV in India is reaching a pivotal point. Viewership is growing, engagement is deepening, and advertiser interest is rising rapidly. NDTV’s credibility and editorial strength give it a strong advantage. Our focus will be on expanding distribution and creating revenue models that reflect both the scale and premium nature of the market,” said Choudhary.

Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of NDTV, said, “Connected TV represents a major shift in news consumption. It combines the authority of television with digital precision in a premium, trusted environment. Our expansion into CTV is an investment in the future, aligning our editorial strengths with evolving audience habits and new revenue opportunities. By strengthening leadership across product, editorial, distribution, and revenue, we are building a CTV ecosystem designed for sustainable growth and long-term relevance.”

With these moves, NDTV is positioning itself at the forefront of India’s CTV revolution. As Connected TV becomes a mainstream platform and global advertising increasingly follows premium streaming environments, the network’s strengthened leadership is set to leverage CTV as a key driver of growth and audience engagement.