Around 120 employees of TV Today Network Limited, the company that operates Aaj Tak and India Today, were reportedly asked to resign as part of a restructuring exercise between July 20 and July 24, according to a report by Newslaundry. The publication said it could not independently verify the employees’ claims, and the company has not publicly responded to the allegations.
Employees alleged that staff from multiple editorial and production teams were called individually by their managers and HR officials and told to resign immediately.
One employee, identified as Anmol Kumar Mahto (name changed), told Newslaundry that he was called into a meeting about an hour before the end of his shift at the company’s Noida office.
“Today is your last day. Please submit your resignation,” he recalled being told.
According to him, HR officials had already prepared his full-and-final settlement documents and informed him that the decision was part of a restructuring exercise. He said he submitted his resignation, handed over his laptop and ID card, and left the office.
Employees Say Several Departments Were Affected
According to employees quoted in the report, the layoffs affected several teams, including the Aaj Tak Hindi website, camera operations, video editing, graphics, fact-checking, the Data Intelligence Unit, Aaj Tak Radio, and parts of the India Today English digital team. Most of those affected were reportedly from the Hindi digital newsroom.
Employees claimed resignations were processed through the HR platform Keka. Some allegedly selected “restructuring” as the reason for leaving, while others stated that they were resigning on the instructions of the management.
Staff further alleged that employees who agreed to resign were offered two months’ full salary, while those who refused were terminated and would receive two months’ basic salary. Newslaundry said it could not independently verify these claims.
Long-Serving Staff Describe Sudden Exit
Another employee, identified as Raju Dev (name changed), claimed he had worked at Aaj Tak for 13 years before being asked to resign without prior notice.
“I was told to resign right then and there. No concrete reason was provided. After I submitted my resignation, my laptop and ID card were taken away, and I was told to leave,” he said.
“I dedicated over 13 years of my life to this organisation, yet I wasn’t even allowed to meet my colleagues. I quietly returned home. They aren’t even giving a reason. If my performance had been poor, how would I have worked here for 13 years? I feel cheated,” he added.
Another employee, Naina Rajput, who reportedly worked with the company for four years, described a similar experience.
“I was called downstairs, asked to resign, and told to go home. I only went back upstairs to collect my belongings and say goodbye to my colleagues,” she said.
Employees also claimed that some staff who returned the next day to hand over company property were asked to deposit their laptops and other assets at the office gate without being allowed inside.
Financial Pressure Cited as Possible Reason
According to the report, a senior employee said the company was facing financial pressure and that a similar restructuring had been planned last year but was postponed. The employee claimed that the current exercise may continue in the coming weeks.
TV Today Network reported a sharp decline in its financial performance during the last financial year. Its net profit reportedly fell by 81% to around ₹14 crore, while revenue declined by 19% to nearly ₹807 crore. Reports attributed the decline to weaker advertising revenue, restructuring costs and losses in its radio business.
Employees also claimed that six staff members associated with India Today magazine had been let go in May through a similar process. They further alleged that while several senior employees had recently left for other media organisations, many of those affected in the latest restructuring were lower-paid staff earning around ₹30,000 a month.
TV Today Network has not issued an official statement responding to the allegations. Newslaundry said it had sought responses from the company’s HR department and senior editorial executives before publishing its report but had not received a reply at the time of publication.
