The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has given the final approval for the merger of TV18 Broadcast and e-Eighteen.com (E18) into Network18 Media and Investments, in a significant step towards creating India’s largest media conglomerate.

According to The Economic Times, this development is part of a larger consolidation drive spearheaded by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), further amplified by the anticipated merger of RIL’s Indian media operations with Disney’s Star India.

The ruling, delivered by the NCLT’s Mumbai bench, directs the companies to file the merger scheme with the Registrar of Companies and complete necessary formalities, including stamp duty adjudication, within 30 to 60 days. Once all regulatory approvals, including from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), are obtained, both TV18 and E18 will cease to exist as independent entities, fully absorbed into Network18.

TV18 is a publicly listed company holding a 13.54 percent stake in Viacom18, currently engaged in its own merger with Disney’s Star India. Meanwhile, E18 operates the widely popular financial platform Moneycontrol and is a private subsidiary of Network18. Post-merger, Network18’s media portfolio will include 20 news channels broadcasting in 16 languages alongside its suite of digital platforms.