TV18 launches Gujarati business news channel CNBC Bajar

Indian media group TV18 has added a Gujarati language business news channel to its existing CNBC TV-18 and CNBC Awaaz television channels, Rapid TV News reports.

“We want to show with CNBC Bajar that a language product can also be as sophisticated as international channels. Regional journalism has been mediocre in the country but we want to establish that we can create good quality standards,” said Sanjay Pugalia, editor-in-chief.

Endorsed as a “truly big idea” by no less than India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the channel is aimed at Gujaratis around the world. “In the entire world, Gujarati language is accepted as the language of business,” Modi said. “It is a form of currency. It is reflective of the economy. And that is why the tagline, ‘Business Ni Matrubhasha’ (‘the mother tongue of business’), is easily relatable to Gujaratis.”

CNBC claims the decision to start the channel was a simple one. “There isn’t enough content being created to serve this hugely affluent set of viewers … Not only that, no other community devours content revolving around finance, markets, business and economics the way this community does,” said Anil Uniyal, CEO of CNBC channels and Forbes India.