In a month marked by major breaking stories and a humanitarian crisis that made timely, credible, and ground-led journalism especially critical, NDTV India emerged as the No. 1 Hindi news channel on YouTube.
NDTV India secured the No. 1 position among Hindi news channels on YouTube for August in the latest Databeings rankings, reflecting the strength of its journalism when it mattered most.
The numbers underline the scale of the channel’s leadership. NDTV India recorded 897.5 million views during August, commanding an 18% share of Hindi news viewership on YouTube. ABP News ranked second with 825.8 million views and a 16% share, followed by News18 India at No. 3 with 728.3 million views and a 14% share. News24 was fourth with 516 million views and a 10% share. NDTV India therefore led not only the rankings, but the category in both total views and viewership share for the month.
August was a month when major developments demanded speed, presence and credible reporting. Among the most significant was the devastating flooding across parts of Nepal, where the scale of the humanitarian crisis became increasingly apparent.
It was a story about people caught in the middle of a disaster, families searching for loved ones, communities cut off by the floods, and urgent questions surrounding the scale and severity of what had happened.
NDTV India’s teams reported from the ground. In fact, the NDTV Network was the first Indian media network to respond to the disaster, staying close to the places and people most affected by the floods, with senior anchors and editors reporting in the most adverse conditions.
Through live reporting, breaking news, ground reports, explainers, digital updates, and coverage across the wider NDTV ecosystem, the effort aimed to ensure audiences received credible information, context, and clarity as the situation continued to unfold.
The coverage brought forward the voices of those directly impacted by the disaster – people who had lost homes, those waiting for news of family members, communities struggling with the aftermath and individuals trying to navigate an extraordinary situation. At the same time, NDTV’s teams remained in touch with authorities and officials to bring verified information to audiences in Nepal and beyond.
Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, NDTV, said, ‘Moments of crisis are when journalism carries its greatest responsibility. Our job is not merely to report what is happening, but to be where the story is, ask the questions that matter, amplify the voices of those affected and ensure that credible information reaches people when they need it most. The response to NDTV India’s coverage reinforces our belief that audiences value journalism that combines speed with responsibility, and immediacy with trust.’
This combination of on-the-ground presence, verification, immediacy, and human storytelling defined NDTV India’s coverage of one of the month’s most consequential stories.
Across August, the channel also saw strong audience engagement around other major developments, including Independence Day coverage, developments around sugar prices, the death of Atiq Ahmed’s son and a range of significant breaking news stories.
Alongside its breaking news leadership, NDTV India has continued to invest in programming created specifically for digital audiences. Rather than viewing digital platforms simply as an extension of television, the channel has been building formats, narratives and editorial approaches shaped by how audiences now discover, engage with and consume news.
The ‘Secret Files’ podcast has been among the notable successes of this strategy, attracting strong viewer interest and demonstrating the potential of original, platform-led storytelling.
For NDTV India, however, the strength of the digital proposition continues to begin with the newsroom – with reporters on the ground, strong editorial judgement and the ability to respond quickly when a major story breaks.
The No. 1 ranking for August therefore represents NDTV India’s broader approach to journalism in a changing media environment – bringing together the urgency of breaking news, the credibility of reporting from the ground, the depth of original programming and the reach of digital-first storytelling.
At the heart of that approach remains a simple principle: when events directly affect people’s lives, journalism must be present, credible and useful.
NDTV India’s No. 1 position in the Databeings YouTube rankings for August is an important milestone in that journey – and a reflection of the growing scale, relevance and influence of its journalism across platforms.
