Network18 promotes R Jagannathan as editor-in-chief, web and publishing

Jagannathan, popularly known as Jaggi, who joined the group in 2011, will now lead the editorial strategy and drive content synergies across Network18's news and special interest brands.

The Network18 Group has promoted R Jagannathan as editor-in-chief for the company's web and publishing division. The move is part of the company's attempt to integrate its publishing and digital editorial operations.

Jagannathan, popularly known as Jaggi, joined the group in 2011 and will now lead the editorial strategy and drive content synergies across Network18's news and special interest brands.

Consequently, Jaggi's mandate will include Moneycontrol.com and Firstpost.com, Forbes India and Network18 Publishing. For the record, Network18 Publishing comprises a special interest portfolio of 18 B2C and B2B titles including Overdrive, Better Photography, Chip, T3, Entrepreneur, Search and Auto Monitor. Editors at each of these brands will now report to him with immediate effect. Earlier, he was in charge of Moneycontrol.com and Firstpost.com.

Commenting on the development, Raghav Bahl, founder and editor, Network18, says, "Platform neutrality in publishing is almost a truism now and as one of the country's largest news and digital players, we're best placed to lead this broadening trend. It's critical that our brands access the best expertise across the group while they continue to fulfil their distinct content mandates and they do so through a structure which mirrors the new digital reality. We have entrusted the task of leading this effort in the able hands of Jaggi."

B Sai Kumar, group CEO, Network18, says, "In Jaggi, we have one of the finest editorial minds in the industry with a proven track record. Our digital brands Moneycontrol and Firstpost have exhibited strong performance under his command. We're confident that in this expanded mandate, he will help us further enhance our editorial product and deepen audience engagement and market leadership."

With a career spanning over 36 years, Jagannathan has been the editor of several print and digital publications across the general and business news space.

Before joining Network18 Group in 2011, he was executive editor at DNA. Earlier, he was executive editor at Business Standard and has also been the editor at Financial Express, Indian Management and BusinessWorld. He was the founding executive editor of Business Today in the early 1990s and business editor of India Today before that. His first foray into the digital world came when he was named editor at Myiris.com.