The BBC split up its news operations in India into two and four former BBC India staff set up a new Indian company to produce content for its six Indian language services.

The BBC said the establishment of the independent, Indian-owned entity called the Collective Newsroom was so that it could cover stories on India in compliance with Indian foreign direct investment laws, according to an Economic Times report on Wednesday.

In Aug 2019 the Indian government created a cap of 26 percent FDI in digital news services in India.

Speaking exclusively, a BBC spokesperson, according to the ET report, said: “The changes reflect the local regulations in India. The changes are not about the tax surveys. The BBC is liaising with the authorities regarding tax as we do in all countries we operate in.”

Meanwhile, BBC reported that it will retain its newsgathering team in India for the English language digital, television and radio outlets headquartered in London. (https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-68770383)

The Collective Newsroom, which was formed by four BBC staff members and will employ about 200 former BBC employees, will also be able to make content for other news providers across India and globally, the BBC report stated.

The remaining 90 BBC staff members will still work directly for the broadcaster in news gathering operations for television, radio and online in English, reporting to editors in London. Their work will still be available to Indian audiences, although it will not be published in India.

Rupa Jha, chief executive of Collective Newsroom, was quoted by BBC as saying that the new company has “a clear, ambitious mission to create the most credible, creative and courageous journalism”.