NEWJ (New Emerging World of Journalism Ltd) announced the launch of four new regional language channels, ਪੰਜਾਬੀ NEWJ (Punjabi), ଓଡ଼ିଆ NEWJ (Odia), অসমীয়া NEWJ (Assamiya/Assamese) and اردو NEWJ (Urdu) in March 2021, making for the highest number of launches by the media-tech company within the span of just one month, and taking the total number of language offering from 8 to 12. The company aims to widen their already dominant network reach of over 23.2 billion+ by adding these channels under their umbrella brand. 

The launch of new languages follows the ethos of NEWJ’s core mission- to tell stories that matter to India’s masses. With over 37 million speakers of Odia, 33 million of Punjabi, 15 million native speakers of Assamese and 5 million of Urdu – NEWJ has set its sights on expanding its regional footprint with the growing consumption of internet in these regions and fulfilling their demand for quality content.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Shalabh Upadhyay, commented on the launch, saying, “India will have over 907 million internet users by 2023, accounting for 64% of the population, according to Cisco’s Annual Internet Report. Our overarching vision is to build India’s digital knowledge ecosystem effectively. Removing the barriers of language and improving access beyond the urban and rural divide is essential to that vision.”

He further added, “As digital viewership in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities ascends, many brands from all sectors are now indulging in engaging with vernacular content on digital, especially social media at a higher frequency than ever before. In this vein, we are delighted to announce the release of four new language channels to add to the set of 8 Indian language channels, and have more audiences experience impactful, India-centric storytelling.”

NEWJ aims to scale up its capabilities in visual storytelling with a focus on #BharatFirst, and has aggregated over 8 billion views since inception reaching an audience of tens of millions across a dozen social media and OTT platforms.