Short answer: if what you want from "Indian channels" is the news, you may not need to pay at all. Most of the big Hindi and English news networks, including Aaj Tak, ABP News, India Today, NDTV and Republic, stream live on their own verified YouTube channels and apps, free and legal in the US. Paying makes sense when you want a proper channel guide, recording, or regional news in Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam all in one place, and that's where YuppTV and Sling's Hindi packs come in.
At a glance
Indian news live in the US
| Free and official | Verified YouTube live streams, network apps |
| Paid, many channels | YuppTV, Sling Hindi packs |
| Best for regional news | YuppTV |
| On a TV | YouTube app on any streaming stick |
| 9pm in Delhi | 11:30am Eastern in summer |
Why news is different
Entertainment channels guard their US rights closely. A Star Plus serial or a Zee TV film is worth money to Sling, YuppTV and the network's own app, so you won't find it streaming free and live.
News works the other way round. Indian news networks earn from reach and advertising, and the diaspora is a big audience. So most of them push their live feed out as widely as possible, on YouTube, on their own websites and in their own apps. That's why the search "Indian channels IPTV" is often the wrong question for a household that mainly wants Aaj Tak in the morning and a debate show at night.
The pages that rank for that search right now are almost all ads for "all Indian channels" subscriptions, and not one of them points out that the news is already free. For the wider picture of entertainment channels, see Indian channels in the USA.
National news: free and paid routes
The table covers the national Hindi and English channels people ask about most. "Free official" means the network's own live stream, typically on its verified YouTube channel and its own app or website. Networks occasionally pull a live stream during specific events or for rights reasons, so treat this as the normal state, not a guarantee.
| Channel | Language | Free official route | Paid US services that list it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaj Tak | Hindi | YouTube live, Aaj Tak app | Sling Hindi packs |
| India Today | English | YouTube live, India Today app | Sling Hindi packs |
| NDTV 24x7 / NDTV India | English / Hindi | YouTube live, NDTV app | YuppTV (NDTV India); Sling has carried NDTV 24x7 |
| ABP News | Hindi | YouTube live, ABP Live app | Check current packs |
| Republic TV / Republic Bharat | English / Hindi | YouTube live, Republic app | YuppTV (Republic) |
| Zee News | Hindi | YouTube live, Zee News app | YuppTV |
| TV9 Bharatvarsh | Hindi | YouTube live | YuppTV |
| WION | English | YouTube live, WION app | YuppTV |
| DD News | Hindi | YouTube live (public broadcaster) | Rarely needed |
Paid listings come from YuppTV's current app store description and Sling's published Hindi pack line-ups; Sling's packs have been reshuffled several times, so open the current list before you rely on any single channel being there.
A quick verification tip for YouTube: look for the grey check mark next to the channel name and a subscriber count in the millions. Copycat channels that re-upload clips with clickbait titles are common, and they're not the network.
Regional news by language
Regional news is where a paid service earns its keep, because there are dozens of channels and switching between YouTube tabs gets tedious. Most of these also stream on YouTube, but YuppTV puts many of them in one guide.
| Language | News channels YuppTV lists |
|---|---|
| Telugu | TV9 Telugu, NTV, TV5, 10TV, V6 News, T News, Sakshi TV, Mahaa News, HMTV, iNews and more |
| Tamil | Puthiya Thalaimurai, Thanthi TV, Polimer News, Captain News, Seithigal |
| Malayalam | Asianet News, Mathrubhumi News, Reporter, Jai Hind |
| Kannada | TV9 Kannada, TV5 Kannada, News9, Janashri News |
| Marathi | Zee 24 Taas, TV9 Marathi, Saam |
| Bengali | Newstime Bangla |
| Gujarati | TV9 Gujarati |
Telugu viewers have it best: YuppTV's Telugu news line-up is longer than many services' entire Indian offering. Bengali and Gujarati news is thin on paid services, and the free official YouTube streams of channels like ABP Ananda or Zee 24 Kalak are usually the better route. Our YuppTV review covers its plans and apps.
Getting the free streams onto your TV
Watching on a phone is easy. Getting Aaj Tak on the living-room TV for a parent who doesn't use YouTube takes five minutes of setup.
- Use the YouTube app on the TV, not casting from a phone. It's on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, Samsung, LG and Vizio sets.
- Sign in with an account made for the TV, or the household's main one, and subscribe to the news channels the family watches. They then appear in the Subscriptions tab with a red "LIVE" badge when they're streaming.
- Pin the live streams. On most TV versions of YouTube, live streams from channels you subscribe to show up near the top of the home screen. That's the one-button route for a grandparent.
- Turn off autoplay (Settings in the YouTube app) so a clip doesn't roll into an unrelated video when the stream ends.
- Consider YouTube Premium only if the pre-roll ads bother the household; it doesn't add any channels.
Network apps such as Aaj Tak, ABP Live or NDTV exist on some TV platforms but not consistently on all of them, and their TV versions are often less polished than YouTube's. For most homes, YouTube is the simplest single app.
When paying is worth it
Free streams cover a lot. They fall short in four situations:
- You want to record. YouTube live streams can sometimes be rewound, but you can't schedule a recording. Sling's cloud DVR and YuppTV's catch-up let you watch the 9pm debate at a sensible US hour.
- You want a channel guide. Flicking between news channels in a grid is a different experience from opening ten YouTube tabs. For a parent who grew up with cable, the guide matters.
- You want news and serials together. If the same person also watches Star Plus or Star Maa, the news channels come along with a pack you were buying anyway.
- A stream disappears. Networks occasionally switch off their YouTube live feed. A paid carrier usually keeps the linear channel.
If none of those apply, stay free. If they do, compare the Hindi line-up on Sling with YuppTV's language packs. See our Sling Desi review for how its Hindi packs are structured.
Timing: when Indian news is live in the US
India runs on IST (UTC+5:30) all year. The US changes clocks, so the gap shifts twice a year.
| 9:00pm IST is… | Summer (DST) | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | 11:30am | 10:30am |
| Central | 10:30am | 9:30am |
| Mountain | 9:30am | 8:30am |
| Pacific | 8:30am | 7:30am |
US clocks go back on November 1, 2026, so from then until March the gap widens by an hour. Indian prime-time debate shows land in the US morning; the Indian morning bulletins air in the US evening. That's a strong argument for catch-up or DVR if anyone in the house works days.
What to avoid
"Indian IPTV" sellers often lead with news because it's the easiest content to grab: they simply re-stream the free YouTube feeds alongside pirated entertainment channels, then charge you for both. You'd be paying an anonymous seller for news you could get free from the source, plus taking on the risks that come with unlicensed services. Our guide on spotting an IPTV scam covers the warning signs.
A related point on FAST channels (the free, ad-supported channels on Samsung TV Plus, Pluto and similar): Indian news channels such as Aaj Tak have launched on Samsung TV Plus in India, but FAST line-ups are country-specific, and what's on Samsung TV Plus in India isn't necessarily on the US version. Check your own TV's channel list rather than assuming.
Quick answers
Can I watch Aaj Tak live in the USA for free? Yes, normally. Aaj Tak streams live on its verified YouTube channel and its own app, both of which work in the US.
Where can I watch NDTV live in the US? On NDTV's official YouTube channels and app for free. YuppTV lists NDTV India, and Sling has carried NDTV 24x7 in its Hindi packs.
Which paid service has the most Indian news channels? YuppTV, especially for regional news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi.
How do I get Indian news on my TV? Install the YouTube app on your TV or streaming stick, subscribe to the official news channels, and open the live stream from your Subscriptions tab.
Can I record Indian news shows? Not from YouTube. Use a paid service with cloud DVR or catch-up, such as Sling or YuppTV.
Is it legal to watch Indian news on YouTube in the US? Yes, when it's the network's own official stream. Re-uploads by unofficial channels are a different matter.
What time is Indian prime time in the US? 9pm IST is 11:30am Eastern and 8:30am Pacific during US daylight saving time, an hour earlier in winter.
News networks can switch their free live streams on or off at any time, and paid channel line-ups change at contract renewals. Paid listings are from each service's published channel lists. Checked October 2026.