News18 Lokmat

What News18 Lokmat does

News18 Lokmat (operating as News18 Marathi, formerly IBN Lokmat) is a Marathi-language digital news platform serving Maharashtra's Marathi-speaking population across India and the global Marathi diaspora. The platform is a property of Network18 Media and Investments Ltd, itself part of Reliance Industries' media portfolio, and was originally launched as IBN Lokmat in 2006 before being rebranded to the unified News18 identity in 2016. Its core product surface consists of a news website (lokmat.news18.com), Android and iOS mobile applications, live TV streaming of the IBN Lokmat broadcast channel, a Local18 hyperlocal sub-brand covering 20+ Maharashtra cities through dedicated correspondents, and an embedded gaming section (Sudoku, 4096, Square, Tic Tac Toe) for engagement extension. Distribution spans Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Google News, and RSS, with ISO 27001 information security certification in place.

The underlying technology is a multi-channel digital content management system supporting website, mobile apps, live broadcast streaming, and social syndication, with city-specific navigation across Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Solapur, Thane, and other Maharashtra cities. Content categories span breaking news, Maharashtra regional coverage, politics, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, money/share market, astrology, crime, religion, and technology. The platform is part of the broader Network18 ecosystem, with cross-promotion across Moneycontrol, Firstpost, CNBCTV18, MTV India, CricketNext, and History India. A brand licensing arrangement with CNN allows use of the CNN name and logo under a Time Warner / Warner Bros. Discovery framework.

The business model is direct-to-consumer with digital advertising as the sole disclosed revenue stream. All consumer content is free; revenue is generated through display, video, and native ad placements sold via the adwise.nw18.com advertising platform to brands seeking reach into the Marathi-speaking market. The primary customer segment is the Marathi-speaking general public (consumption use case), and the secondary revenue-driving segment is advertisers (business unit use case targeting engaged Marathi digital audiences). No pricing or subscription model exists on the consumer side, and no specific enterprise customer or advertiser concentration is disclosed.

Name

News18 Lokmat

Legal name

Network18 Media and Investments Ltd

Website

https://lokmat.news18.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

News18 Lokmat (News18 Marathi) is a Marathi-language digital news platform serving Maharashtra and the Marathi diaspora through a website, mobile apps, live TV streaming, and the Local18 hyperlocal sub-brand, monetized via digital advertising under Network18 Media and Investments Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Digital News Media

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK), News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Marathi news portal
• Regional digital news
• Live TV streaming
• Hyperlocal news coverage
• Digital news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The primary revenue model is digital advertising. The platform sells ad placements through its website, app, and video content. They operate an advertising platform 'adwise.nw18.com' for advertisers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

News18 Lokmat is a Marathi-language digital news media platform that publishes breaking news, regional Maharashtra coverage, national and international stories, entertainment, sports, lifestyle, astrology, and money content. The service is delivered free to consumers across a responsive website, Android/iOS mobile apps, live TV streaming, and social media channels, with city-specific editions (Local18) covering 20+ Maharashtra cities.

Product overview

News18 Lokmat operates a multi-platform Marathi news media portfolio consisting of a primary website (News18 Marathi / IBN Lokmat) delivering breaking news, regional Maharashtra coverage, national and international stories, and lifestyle content; a mobile application for on-the-go news consumption; a Local18 hyperlocal sub-brand providing city and district-level reporting across Maharashtra cities; a live TV streaming feature for real-time broadcast access; and an embedded games section for user engagement. The offering is organized as a unified news media platform with specialized sub-brands and supplementary digital features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Local18: A hyperlocal news initiative under News18 Marathi covering district-level news from Maharashtra cities including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur, and other regional centers

Products and services

• News18 Marathi (IBN Lokmat) Website A Marathi-language news portal providing breaking news, regional Maharashtra coverage, national and international news, live TV streaming, video content, and curated sections across politics, sports, entertainment, astrology, lifestyle, money, and technology for Marathi-speaking consumers.
• News18 Marathi Mobile App A mobile application for accessing Marathi news on Android and iOS, enabling users to receive breaking news alerts, watch live TV, and consume Local18 regional coverage, video, and lifestyle content on the go.
• Local18 A hyperlocal news sub-brand within News18 Marathi providing city and district-level reporting across Maharashtra, covering Pune, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nashik, and other localities with dedicated city correspondent content.
• Live TV Streaming A live television streaming feature allowing users to watch the News18 Marathi (IBN Lokmat) broadcast channel live directly on the website and mobile app, covering real-time news events and bulletins.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CNN (Cable News Network)minorOthersNews18 operates under licensing arrangement with CNN. The footer states: 'CNN name, logo and all associated elements ® and © 2026 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of NEWS18.com does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.'

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• ETV Bharat (Marathi): Network18's peer broadcaster's Marathi digital news vertical under the ETV Bharat umbrella. Competes in digital Marathi news with comparable regional coverage ambition.

Direct peers

• Saam TV: Marathi news and entertainment TV channel with digital presence. Competes for Maharashtra audiences across news, live TV, and digital consumption patterns similar to News18 Lokmat.
• TV9 Marathi: Marathi-language digital news and TV channel owned by TV9 Network. Competes directly across breaking news, live TV streaming, and city-level Maharashtra coverage.
• Loksatta: Flagship Marathi newspaper of The Indian Express Group with a strong digital portal. Competes for the same Marathi news-reading audience across Maharashtra with comparable coverage categories.
• Zee 24 Taas: Zee Network's Marathi news channel and digital portal. Direct competitor offering TV broadcasting, digital news, and live streaming to Maharashtra audiences.
• Lokmat: Original Marathi newspaper brand from which News18 Lokmat derives part of its heritage. Operates a major Marathi news portal and shares overlapping Maharashtra audience and advertiser base.
• ABP Majha: Leading Marathi news channel and digital portal operated by ABP Network. Directly competes for the same Marathi-speaking audience in Maharashtra across news, politics, entertainment, and sports verticals.
• Pudhari: Marathi regional newspaper and digital news portal covering Maharashtra. Competes for similar hyperlocal and city-level Marathi news audiences, particularly in western Maharashtra.
• Maharashtra Times: Bennett, Coleman & Co.'s (Times Group) Marathi newspaper and digital site. Direct competitor in the Maharashtra regional news space with comparable digital distribution and multi-city coverage.

Others

• Moneycontrol (Marathi/NW18 Group): Sister property within the Network18 group. While not a direct competitor, it shares content syndication and audience overlap on business/share-market vertical content that News18 Lokmat also serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/News18Marathi
• Facebookfacebook.com/News18Marathi
• Instagraminstagram.com/news18marathi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/news18-lokmat

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about News18 Lokmat