NDTV has launched NDTV Micro, a new short-form news format aimed at telling complete and immersive stories within a few minutes. The initiative brings the storytelling approach associated with the growing micro-drama format into journalism, while focusing on retaining context, depth and credibility despite the shorter duration.

The format has been developed around the idea that audiences are increasingly selective about the content they spend time with. Rather than simply compressing conventional television news, NDTV Micro aims to distil stories to their essential elements while preserving the context, texture and meaning behind them.

Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, NDTV, said the changing nature of storytelling is not only about shorter formats, but also about how much information and emotion can be conveyed within a limited window. “The ambition is not to reduce the story, but to refine it – to tell it with greater precision, imagination and force while retaining the context and credibility that journalism demands,” he said.

NDTV has already started exploring the format across a range of subjects, including history, conflict, major news events and visual explainers. The network plans to expand NDTV Micro into a wider stream of original storytelling covering current affairs, geopolitics, defence, science, technology, culture and human experiences.

Vinay Sarawagi, Chief Content Officer, NDTV, said digital audiences continue to move across formats, platforms and screens, but their interest in strong storytelling remains unchanged. According to him, NDTV Micro is designed to offer content that is immediate and concise while remaining grounded in journalism and providing enough depth to inform and engage viewers.

The format seeks to occupy a space between short clips and long-form journalism. While short clips can often be immediate but fragmented, long-form stories allow greater room for detailed exploration. NDTV Micro is positioned as a middle ground, offering the pace suited to contemporary viewing habits while giving audiences a complete narrative.

Shiv Aroor, Managing Editor, NDTV, described the approach as the difference between shortening and distilling a story. “Shortening is about taking things away. Distillation is about discovering what the story cannot do without,” he said, adding that NDTV Micro focuses on narrative precision and presenting stories in a leaner and sharper format without compromising their completeness.

With NDTV Micro, the network aims to expand the scope of short-form journalism by combining brevity with substance, creating stories designed to deliver more information and context within a limited viewing window.

NDTV Micro — Stories that say more. With less.