Network18 names Jagannathan as Editor-in-chief for Web & Publishing business!

Network18 group has strengthened the editorial structure at its web and publishing arms by elevating R. Jagannathan as Editor-In-Chief. Jagannathan will be responsible for leading editorial strategy and driving content synergies across a bouquet comprising some of the country’s leading news and special interest brands. This is part of the group’s progression towards an integrated publishing and digital editorial operation that will champion a digital-first philosophy thereby making it one of India’s largest multi-media newsrooms.

As stated, this mandate includes Moneycontrol.com and Firstpost.com - the nation’s largest and most acclaimed financial and current affairs portals, Forbes India - India’s most influential business brand and Network18 Publishing, the country’s leading special interest publisher spanning a portfolio of 18 B2C and B2B titles such as Overdrive, Better Photography, Chip, T3, Entrepreneur, Search, Auto Monitor. Cumulatively, these brands attract over 2 million readers and 15 million unique visitors on an average every month.

Jagannathan had taken charge of Moneycontrol.com and Firstpost.com at the time of joining Network18 in 2011. In this expanded role, Jagannathan will be additionally responsible for Forbes India and Network18 Publishing. Editors at each of these brands will now report to him with immediate effect.

Commenting on this, Raghav Bahl, Founder & Editor, Network18 said “Platform neutrality in publishing is almost a truism now and as one of the country’s largest news and digital players, we’re best placed to lead this broadening trend. It’s critical that our brands access the best expertise across the group while they continue to fulfill their distinct content mandates and they do so through a structure which mirrors the new digital reality. We have entrusted the task of leading this effort in the able hands of Jaggi”

Speaking on this development, B. Sai Kumar, Group CEO, Network18 said “In Jaggi, we have one of the finest editorial minds in the industry with an unmatched breadth of experience and a proven track record, which includes the stellar performance of our digital brands under his command, Moneycontrol and Firstpost. We’re confident that in this expanded mandate, he will help us further enhance our editorial product and deepen audience engagement and market leadership”

R. Jagannathan added “Network18 has some of the country’s most loved brands which enjoy the highest levels of trust and credibility with audiences and each represents a unique editorial voice. I look forward to working with the teams to ensure that we strengthen our proposition across platforms”

With a career spanning over 36 years, Jagannathan has been the editor of several print and digital publications across the general and business news space. Prior to joining Network18 Group in 2011, he was the Executive Editor at DNA. Earlier, he was the Executive Editor at Business Standard and he has also been the Editor at Financial Express, Indian Management and Business World. He was the founding Executive Editor of Business Today in the early 1990s and Business Editor of India Today before that. His first foray into the digital world came when he became Editor at Myiris.com at the height of the first dotcom boom.