Media house Sanmarg acquires Tehelka.com, plans to relaunch magazine as weekly

KOLKATA: City-based media group Sanmarg Private Limited has acquired a 100 per cent stake in Tehelka.com Private Limited, marking its entry into the magazine segment and strengthening its presence in the digital media landscape.

The group, which publishes a prominent Hindi daily, said it plans to invest further in the publication, known for its investigative journalism, and restore its past reputation while maintaining high standards of journalistic integrity and credibility.

As part of its revival plans, Sanmarg intends to convert Tehelka from a fortnightly to a weekly publication while continuing to publish in both print and digital formats.

Tehelka had been known for its pioneering role in sting journalism in India in the early 2000s.

The acquisition was completed last month from a group of investors who had owned Tehelka.com since 2017, Sanmarg said in a statement on Wednesday.

Arvind Chaturvedi has been appointed chief editor to lead the publication's new journey.

The acquisition includes all assets of Tehelka.com Private Limited, including its print and digital operations and intellectual property dating back to 2017, the statement said.

Sanmarg said it would honour commitments to the publication's 276 lifetime subscribers, who were also its founding members, and continue providing them with print copies and digital subscription access, as applicable.

The group said it would also ensure compliance with all applicable government rules and regulations.

The state outlined the ownership history of Tehelka, stating that its previous owner, Anant Media Pvt Ltd, had transferred its intellectual property, title, employees and operational assets to Tehelka.com Private Limited around 2016.

Anant Media had retained responsibility for previous litigations and related liabilities, the statement said, adding that Tehelka.com subsequently lost access to its archives, past footage, old copies and several other intellectual properties.

In 2017, a group of investors acquired the entire shareholding of Tehelka.com Private Limited and facilitated the exit of the magazine's former editor Tarun Tejpal and other minority investors, it said.

The investors also confirmed that Tejpal had no involvement in Tehelka or its operations, according to the statement.

Sanmarg said its acquisition was aimed at preserving Tehelka's legacy while adapting the publication to the changing needs of modern journalism and digital audiences.