Zee Business Competes with Hindi News Channels on Budget Day

The Union Budget was traditionally seen as an event mainly followed by the English-speaking audience of business news channels. However, Anil Singhvi, managing editor of Zee Business, points out that the Budget is now watched by "Bharat, not just India," marking a shift that began more than a decade ago. As a result, he believes the real competition for Budget coverage comes from general Hindi news channels, with the main challenge being audience conversion.

Singhvi highlights that Hindi news channels consistently outperform English ones in TRP, with the gap widening on Budget Day. Hindi channels capture 95-96% of the market, while English channels hold just 4-5%, with Zee Business alone commanding 80-85% of that share. On Budget Day, Zee Business even outperforms general news channels in viewership. While its regular audience is niche, it attracts a wider audience during the Budget, as most Indians prefer Hindi for complex topics like the Budget, except in a few southern states.

Further, “Budget jargon is intimidating, even for English-speaking audiences. We simplify data, making economic terms easy to understand, which is why even English-speaking viewers shift to Zee Business on Budget Day,” he says.

Another source of competition comes from the rising number of financial influencers on social media. However, Singhvi says Zee Business isn’t worried about competition from influencers, even if they replicate its content. "Once our analysis airs, anyone can replicate it. That’s inevitable, but we don’t see it as a problem,” he says.

He views their presence as an advantage, believing that more voices enhance the business news ecosystem and contribute to educating retail investors, something Zee Business alone cannot accomplish. "As long as we lead with 80-90% TRP, we’re happy. Better they copy us than spread misinformation."

Zee Business also engages with its digital audience via its website (available in both English and Hindi) and social media platforms. Around 60% of its online viewers fall within the 25-to-50 age group. Of the viewers, around 70% are male, while 30% are female, highlighting a growing interest among women in financial security. More than 50% of the audience comes from metro and Tier-1 cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, with 35% from Tier-2 towns such as Ahmedabad, Lucknow, and Indore. Meanwhile, rural viewership, currently at 15%, is steadily rising due to increased digital access and growing awareness of the channel.

Furthermore, “The age group of 25-40 years (who are digitally savvy, active on apps and social media) are our targeted viewers, along with tech-friendly investors and young professionals. People are looking for financial updates, and aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners also form part of the digital audience; hence we target them as well. It is estimated that 80% of mobile users, with high engagement through app notifications and live streaming during key events like the Budget,” he adds.

Business news channels usually draw advertisers from sectors like BFSI, mutual funds, SIPs, real estate, and automobiles. While these categories continue to be important for Zee Business, there has been an increasing interest from luxury brands. Traditionally, these brands were reluctant to advertise on Hindi business news channels, as they didn’t view the audience as a good fit for their products.

“We have observed that there is a shift, and luxury brands are beginning to advertise on Hindi business news channels, especially for premium products like high-end gadgets, real estate, and luxury cars,” he says.

Zee Business is set to provide comprehensive Budget Day coverage through its special series, Budget Get Set Grow, offering in-depth analysis of the Budget’s impact on the economy, businesses, and citizens. With expert insights, the channel aims to be the top destination for understanding Budget 2025. Coverage began on January 20 with pre-budget programming and will culminate on February 1 with full coverage of the Budget speech and continued analysis throughout the day. Despite all channels airing the speech, Singhvi notes that Zee Business consistently achieves the highest TRP among business news channels during this time.

“With robust programming, Zee Business ensures comprehensive, real-time, and actionable Budget coverage, making it the go-to channel for investors, traders, and general viewers alike,” he says.

Singhvi credits its dominance on Budget Day to three main strengths: simplicity, real-time analysis, and practical advice.

“We break down complex budget jargon into easy-to-understand language. We offer instant analysis of key announcements as they happen, and instead of generic recommendations, we provide specific investment picks [e.g., not just invest in mutual funds, but which scheme and which fund]. This clear, precise approach makes Zee Business the top choice for Budget coverage,” he adds.