MUMBAI: Taking a digital-first philosophy, the Network18 Group has integrated its publishing and web operations by bringing it under R Jagannathan who will now serve as the Editor-in-Chief of both web as well as the publishing arm.

Jagannathan, who had taken charge of Moneycontrol.com and Firstpost.com at the time of joining Network18 in 2011, will now be additionally responsible for Forbes India and Network18 Publishing.

In his expanded role, Jagannathan will be responsible for leading the editorial strategy and driving content synergies across a bouquet of Network18 Publishing?s news and special interest brands.

Network18 Publishing has a portfolio of 18 B2C and B2B titles which includes Overdrive, Better Photography, Better Interiors, Chip, T3, Search, Auto Monitor, Modern Machine Tools, Chemical World, and Modern Packaging & Design.
Web 18, Network18?s internet and mobile arm, has offerings like in.com, Moneycontrol.com, Firstpost.com, Cricketnext.com, IBNLive.com, and Buzz18.com.

Editors at each of these brands will now report to him with immediate effect.

The Indian media industry has been slowly warming up to the concept of having an integrated editorial room to stay in tune with the changing media landscape with the consumption of content growing steadily on digital media.

The integrated news room works on the ?web first? approach treating digital as the lead medium.

HT Media?s business newspaper Mint had last year integrated its newsroom whereby Mint reporters file all their stories on Livemint.com throughout the day and Mint journalists do exclusive stories and columns for the web and other digital platforms.
Network18 Founder & Editor Raghav Bahl said, "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 fulfill 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."

Network18 Group CEO B. Sai Kumar said, ?In Jaggi, we have one of the finest editorial minds in the industry with an unmatched breadth of experience and a proven track record, which includes the stellar performance of our digital brands under his command, Moneycontrol.com and Firstpost.com. We?re confident that in this expanded mandate, he will help us further enhance our editorial product and deepen audience engagement and market leadership."

Jagannathan added, ?Network18 has some of the country?s most loved brands which enjoy the highest levels of trust and credibility with audiences and each represents a unique editorial voice. I look forward to working with the teams to ensure that we strengthen our proposition across platforms."

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. Prior to joining Network18 Group in 2011, he was the Executive Editor at DNA. Earlier, he was the Executive Editor at Business Standard and he has also been the Editor at Financial Express, Indian Management and Business World.

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 became Editor at Myiris.com at the height of the first dotcom boom.