The Lallantop

The Lallantop is a digital-first news brand that has fundamentally changed how news is consumed by the Hindi-speaking youth. Launched in 2016, it was acquired by the India Today Group and has since become a phenomenon in the digital space. It is characterized by its colloquial language, storytelling approach, and “de-formalized” news delivery. The brand’s editor, Saurabh Dwivedi, has become a household name for his unique style of hosting shows like The Lallantop Show and Netanagari.

The platform publishes a mix of political reporting, cinema reviews (under ‘Cinema Lallantop’), history, and social issues. Unlike traditional TV news, The Lallantop focuses on long-form interviews and ground reporting. During Indian elections, its “Election Yatra” (Travelogue) provides a deep, unfiltered look into the voter’s psyche by traveling thousands of kilometers across rural India. This grassroots approach has earned it immense credibility and a massive following among young viewers in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

Within the India Today Group, The Lallantop acts as the “rebel” sibling that captures the audience that traditional television might miss. It is the group’s most successful experiment in “New Media,” proving that digital-native content can compete with—and even surpass—legacy TV in terms of engagement and impact. It has a dedicated app and a website, but its primary engine remains its YouTube channel, which boasts billions of views.

Key Content Categories

• Politics (Netanagari)

• Cinema & Pop Culture

• History (Tareekh)

• Social Issues

• Sports (The Lallantop Sports)

• Ground Reporting