Palki Sharma Upadhyay, the prominent managing editor of the Reliance-backed digital news platform Firstpost and a leading figure in Indian broadcast journalism, has resigned from her position to launch her own independent media venture.
Sharma, who rose to global fame for her distinctive storytelling and sharp geopolitical analysis, reportedly informed her team of her departure on Thursday, marking the end of a high-profile tenure that revitalized the digital outlet.
The move signals a major shift as one of India’s most influential news creators transitions from a corporate-backed environment to an independent, entrepreneurial model within the digital media landscape.
The news of her exit was first reported by several industry outlets, citing internal communications and sources close to the development.
While her official plans remain under wraps, reports suggest that Sharma is currently in the process of setting up a new platform that will likely focus on the international news and commentary style she pioneered.
Palki Sharma joined Firstpost, a subsidiary of the Network18 group, in 2022 after a long and successful stint at WION, a global news channel owned by Zee Media.
During her time at Firstpost, she hosted the flagship show Vantage, which garnered millions of views and helped the channel achieve record-breaking subscriber growth.
Her departure comes at a time when many top-tier Indian journalists are moving away from traditional television newsrooms to build their own brands on digital platforms.
This trend toward independent ventures allows creators to have full editorial control and ownership of their intellectual property (IP), which refers to the legal rights of their original content and ideas.
Before her rise as a digital news sensation, Sharma spent over a decade at CNN-News18, where she covered major national and international assignments.
She is widely credited with bringing a sophisticated, research-heavy approach to prime-time news, which resonated with a younger, digitally native audience in India and abroad.
As of early 2026, the Firstpost YouTube channel, where Sharma’s content was primarily hosted, boasts over 10 million subscribers. Her ability to drive massive traffic and achieve high CPMs has made her one of the most bankable names in the Indian news-creator economy.
Industry analysts believe that her new venture will likely leverage her massive social media following to build a subscription-based or sponsor-led model.
This transition reflects the growing power of individual creators who can command larger audiences than the platforms that originally hosted them.
While Firstpost has not yet named a successor for her role, the platform continues to operate its extensive digital news operations.
Sharma’s move is expected to inspire other veteran journalists to explore the creator economy, further blurring the lines between traditional journalism and digital content creation.
