India Ranks 151st in 2025 World Press Freedom Index

RSF Report Raises Alarm Over Media Monopoly

By Naveed Uddin Khan Uzair | Crime Today News

India has been ranked 151st out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 2, 2025. While this marks a slight improvement from its 159th position in 2024 and 161st in 2023, the country continues to fall within the index’s most critical category: “very serious”.

Global Context

The 2025 index highlights a global decline in press freedom, categorizing the state of global press freedom as being in a “difficult situation” for the first time. Economic pressures have emerged as a major contributing factor to the weakening of the media worldwide.

Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands top the list, while Eritrea ranks at the bottom. India’s position places it behind neighboring countries such as Nepal (90th), the Maldives (104th), Sri Lanka (139th), and Bangladesh (149th). However, it fares better than Bhutan (152nd), Pakistan (158th), Myanmar (169th), Afghanistan (175th), and China (178th).

Concentration of Media Ownership

The RSF report raises concerns over the growing concentration of media ownership in India, stating that political influence over news outlets continues to threaten media plurality. The report notes that industrialist Mukesh Ambani owns more than 70 media outlets that are followed by at least 800 million Indians. It describes Ambani as a “close friend” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The acquisition of NDTV in 2022 by the Adani Group signaled the “end of pluralism in the mainstream media,” with the conglomerate’s founder Gautam Adani also considered to be close to the prime minister.

Economic Pressures and Media Sustainability

RSF’s Editorial Director Anne Bocandé emphasized the vital link between financial stability and media freedom. “Without economic independence, press freedom cannot thrive,” she said. Bocandé warned that struggling media outlets often compromise journalistic integrity in a bid to capture audiences, leaving them vulnerable to influence by wealthy elites and government interests. She called for urgent reforms to create a media economy that supports quality journalism. “Reliable, independent news is costly to produce,” she noted. “Safeguarding financial autonomy is essential for ensuring access to trustworthy information that truly serves the public.”

Press Freedom Indicators

The World Press Freedom Index evaluates countries based on five key criteria: political context, economic factors, legal environment, social issues, and safety. India’s scores in these areas reflect ongoing challenges to press freedom and journalistic independence.

Conclusion

India’s ranking in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index underscores the pressing need to address issues related to media ownership concentration, economic pressures, and political influence over the press. Ensuring a free and independent media is essential for the health of any democracy, and urgent reforms are necessary to safeguard press freedom in the country.