On November 4, ANI posted a video of Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal at Delhi’s IGI Airport, describing how he was “making productive use of his time by attending to some official work” while waiting to board a flight to New Zealand.
#WATCH | Delhi: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was seen at IGI Airport, making productive use of his time by attending to some official work while waiting to board his flight to Auckland, New Zealand. The Minister is on an official visit to New Zealand to hold… pic.twitter.com/fIKdYoojb0
— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2025
The minister is travelling to Auckland to hold negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
The post, however, raised eyebrows for its promotional tone, echoing ANI’s long-running pattern of turning routine ministerial movements into “#WATCH” moments that resemble government publicity.
As Newslaundry has earlier reported, ANI has signed paid “PR package” contracts with at least seven state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Tripura and Uttarakhand, and also undertakes short-term deals with companies and union ministries.
Under these agreements, ANI deploys teams to cover chief ministers and government events for annual fees ranging from Rs 48 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore.
You can read our full investigation here: ANI’s news business: ‘PR’ contracts with CMs, podcasts and a quest for power
Meanwhile, back on X, users had a fun day. Some wondered why the minister was working so hard in front of the camera, others questioned ANI’s access, and how the rest of the middle class managed to work just as hard without cameras or PR to document it (and with taxes to pay on top of it).
And an ANI videographer found himself *inside* the airport, past security, in the lounge. Happens all the time. https://t.co/NTlqg4dd2h
— Prem Panicker (@prempanicker) November 4, 2025
the modi govt works really hard in front of ANI cameras https://t.co/4coqOVkTHR
— Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) November 4, 2025
Most of us work in the airport, but with out PR
— Madhu Kiran (@MadhuKT) November 4, 2025
How did ANI’s camera reach the boarding gate of the airport terminal??? You guys get special access or what? pic.twitter.com/MXwwYUYBzM
— Zeussss (@McLovin_fogel81) November 4, 2025
Almost every working professional in this country does that. But they are not given a medal by the media. They are oppressed by taxes and bad infrastructure.
— The Other Millennial (@phystro) November 4, 2025
We thought we should join in on all the productivity.
#WATCH | Newslaundry CEO Abhinandan Sekhri seen at Newslaundry office, making productive use of his time by asking people to subscribe and pay to keep news free.
— newslaundry (@newslaundry) November 4, 2025
What's your excuse?
Support independent media: https://t.co/nGVwVfSCdT pic.twitter.com/tEHLzXN3Jl
At the time of writing this report, Goyal’s airport video had already been shared by at least three mainstream media outlets (here, here, and here).
Newslaundry had earlier reported that in Uttar Pradesh, the information and PR department signed a contract with ANI, a few months after Yogi Adityanath became chief minister in 2017. In Rajasthan, two officials confirmed that the former Ashok Gehlot government had also signed a “PR package” with ANI. ANI also has short-term deals with companies and union ministries, according to two former employees.
Newslaundry had also learned that ANI assigns one person to prepare a “list” of news items to periodically send to all clients – individuals and state governments. These lists contain “web links of news items picked up by various media houses”.
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