As India prepares for one of the most consequential economic moments of the year, NDTV Profit today announced the launch of its expansive Union Budget 2026 editorial campaign, ‘Return on Watching’ – a comprehensive, multi-dimensional conversation designed to deliver insight, clarity, and context as the nation, the markets, and millions of households await the Finance Minister’s roadmap for growth.
Anchored in NDTV Profit’s core philosophy of ‘For Your Profit’, the initiative positions the channel as the definitive destination for investors, entrepreneurs, professionals, and first-time market participants seeking perspective and actionable intelligence.
This campaign is built on a simple premise: time is valuable, and so is attention. In the world of finance, value is measured by ‘Return on Investment’. This Budget season, NDTV Profit applies that principle to its coverage as well – ensuring that every moment spent with the channel delivers insight, context, and decisions that truly matter.
The campaign will run on-ground and across television, digital, social, and live streaming platforms.
The coverage will be led by NDTV’s CEO & Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Managing Editor Tamanna Inamdar, Markets Editor Niraj Shah, and NDTV Profit’s editorial leadership, bringing together some of the most trusted voices in business journalism.
From pre-Budget expectations and exclusive policy leads, to live, uninterrupted coverage of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s historic ninth consecutive Union Budget, followed by post-Budget decodes, NDTV Profit’s programming is designed to guide viewers through every dimension of India’s economic story – markets, taxation, industry, households, and long-term growth.
A cornerstone of this year’s coverage is ‘Budget for Bharat’ – NDTV Profit’s nationwide reporting initiative, with on-ground reports from across 32 states and regions assessing how central policies and schemes translate into real impact for citizens, entrepreneurs, and local economies. The campaign brings India’s aspirations, anxieties, and ambitions directly into the Budget conversation.
The editorial build-up mounted around the theme ‘The Growth Agenda’ will feature a slate of original formats and explainers, including Budget Breaking, tracking policy signals and tax whispers; Budgetopedia and The Budget Math, decoding fiscal concepts and balance sheets; Budget Wishlist, capturing what India wants from boardrooms to bazaars; and Budget Masters, featuring leading economists, policymakers and industry leaders.
A key pillar of the campaign is the NDTV Profit Budget Think Tank – a real-time analysis forum that watches the Budget alongside viewers and delivers instant, expert interpretation as the speech unfolds. The Think Tank brings together some of India’s most respected market minds, including Maneesh Dangi (Macro Mosaic Investing and Research), Pankaj Murarka (Renaissance Investment Managers), Mihir Vora (TRUST Mutual Fund), and Shanti Ekambaram (former Deputy Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank).
The coverage will also feature an exceptional line-up of market leaders and investment veterans including Saurabh Mukherjea, Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Marcellus Investment Managers; Madhusudhan Kela, Founder, MK Ventures; Nilesh Shah, Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra AMC; Sandeep Bhatia, Managing Director and Head of Equity India, Macquarie Capital; Rashesh Shah, Chairman, Edelweiss Group; Sunil Singhania, Founder, Abakkus Asset Manager LLP; Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Fund; Dharmesh Mehta, MD & CEO, DAM Capital Advisors Limited; and Nilesh Shah, Founder, Envision Capital — offering viewers deep, data-driven perspectives on markets, sectors and strategy.
On Budget Day, NDTV Profit will carry the Finance Minister’s speech live and uninterrupted from early morning, supported by real-time verdicts, instant market reactions, sector dashboards, on-ground links from across Bharat, and graphics-led explainers designed for rapid comprehension.
Post-Budget programming will include Mega Budget Decode, editor roundtables, open-mic citizen reactions, sector-wise impact specials, and extended editions of flagship formats such as Ask Profit, Your Money Matters, and The Big Question, culminating in the NDTV Budget Conclave in New Delhi on 7 February, with the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in attendance.
Announcing the campaign, Rahul Kanwal, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, NDTV, said, ‘The Union Budget is the most important economic conversation of the year. With ‘Return on Watching’, NDTV Profit is committed to curating conversations that bring clarity and context — so viewers can understand the Budget and act with confidence.’
Tamanna Inamdar, Managing Editor, NDTV Profit, added, ‘The Budget affects every Indian – whether you are an investor, an entrepreneur, a professional, or a household planning its future. Our editorial mission this season is to move beyond headlines and deliver understanding. ‘Return on Watching’ is about giving viewers insights that help them interpret policy, anticipate markets, and act with purpose.’
With ‘Return on Watching’, NDTV Profit once again spotlights India’s most important economic conversation and transforms it into meaningful intelligence for a new India – For Your Profit.
