Asian News International
Indian news agency owned by the Prakash family; Reuters holds a stake
Asian News International (ANI) is an Indian news agency based in New Delhi. It was founded on 9 December 1971 by Prem Prakash, initially as TVNF, and sells syndicated multimedia news feeds to news bureaus in India. It is owned by ANI Media Private Limited; Prem Prakash is chairman, Sanjiv Prakash chief executive and Smita Prakash editor-in-chief.Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)
Reuters bought a stake in ANI in 1993. According to OCCRP, Prem Prakash and his son Sanjiv controlled a combined 51 percent of the shares while Reuters held 49 percent until December 2022, when the two companies announced a reduction of the Reuters stake to comply with India's foreign-investment limits for news companies and renewed their content and distribution deal.Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)2OCCRP: New Report: India's Largest News Agency, Part-Owned by Reuters, Continues to Quote Fake Sources, OCCRP, 23 February 2023 (source, opens in a new tab)
ANI's coverage has been the subject of several published investigations. The Caravan's March 2019 cover story said the agency reports "the government's version of truth". EU DisinfoLab's December 2020 "Indian Chronicles" report said a network of fake outlets built around the Srivastava Group was "amplified by ANI", and its February 2023 "#BadSources" follow-up found ANI had repeatedly quoted a think tank dissolved in 2014 and experts who did not appear to exist. ANI did not respond to OCCRP's request for comment on the 2023 report; Reuters said material it uses from ANI is "rigorously verified and fact-checked".Sources:2OCCRP: New Report: India's Largest News Agency, Part-Owned by Reuters, Continues to Quote Fake Sources, OCCRP, 23 February 2023 (source, opens in a new tab)3The Caravan: The Image Makers: How ANI reports the government's version of truth, The Caravan, 1 March 2019 (source, opens in a new tab)4EU DisinfoLab: Indian Chronicles: deep dive into a 15-year operation targeting the EU and UN to serve Indian interests, EU DisinfoLab, 9 December 2020 (source, opens in a new tab)5EU DisinfoLab: #BadSources: How Indian news agency ANI quoted sources that do not exist, EU DisinfoLab, 23 February 2023 (source, opens in a new tab)
Who it favours
We have not analysed Asian News International's coverage yet. When we do, this shows which side its articles favoured, story by story.
Who controls it
Whoever owns an outlet, provides most of its money or directs it controls it. Our rule.
- ReportedPro-government coverage reported (The Caravan, EU DisinfoLab, MBFC) · Stance described by a reliable source or study Sources:3The Caravan: The Image Makers: How ANI reports the government's version of truth, The Caravan, 1 March 2019 (source, opens in a new tab)4EU DisinfoLab: Indian Chronicles: deep dive into a 15-year operation targeting the EU and UN to serve Indian interests, EU DisinfoLab, 9 December 2020 (source, opens in a new tab)6Media Bias/Fact Check: Asian News International (ANI) - Bias and Credibility, Media Bias/Fact Check (source, opens in a new tab)
Owners, funders and directors
- OwnerPrem PrakashFounder and chairman; with his son Sanjiv Prakash controlled a combined 51 percent of ANI (OCCRP) Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)2OCCRP: New Report: India's Largest News Agency, Part-Owned by Reuters, Continues to Quote Fake Sources, OCCRP, 23 February 2023 (source, opens in a new tab)
- OwnerSanjiv PrakashChief executive; with his father part of the family's combined 51 percent (OCCRP) Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)2OCCRP: New Report: India's Largest News Agency, Part-Owned by Reuters, Continues to Quote Fake Sources, OCCRP, 23 February 2023 (source, opens in a new tab)
- DirectorSmita PrakashEditor-in-chief Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)
- OwnerANI Media Private LimitedLegal owner of the agency Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)
- OwnerReutersMinority shareholder since 1993; held 49 percent until a reduction announced in December 2022 Sources:1Wikipedia: Asian News International, Wikipedia (source, opens in a new tab)2OCCRP: New Report: India's Largest News Agency, Part-Owned by Reuters, Continues to Quote Fake Sources, OCCRP, 23 February 2023 (source, opens in a new tab)
As documented, nearest first. Each note says what the source supports.
How we use it
0 stories cite Asian News International directly, and 2 more through other outlets that carried its reporting.
October 2026
- Modi and Poland's Donald Tusk aim to double trade by 2030, set up India-Poland StartUp BridgePrime Minister Narendra Modi and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held talks in New Delhi, setting a goal of doubling bilateral trade by 2030 and launching a start-up partnership.
- Minister alleges Karnataka funds CJP; Congress leader says members will contributeKumaraswamy alleged state funding, a Karnataka minister denied it, and the state Congress chief pledged members' support.
Outside left–right raters
For comparison only. Western raters place outlets on a left–right line, which says nothing about whom they favour in a given story or who funds them; our own tally is above.
Media Bias/Fact Check: Right-Center (checked 24 Oct 2026)
Sources
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