Millat Times 

Millat Times is an independent multilingual digital media platform based in New Delhi, India, dedicated to fearless journalism, public accountability and the representation of marginalized voices.

Founded in 2016, Millat Times publishes news and analysis in Urdu, English, Hindi and Bangla, reaching audiences across India and the global diaspora. The platform operates under Millat News Network Private Limited and has grown into one of the most influential independent digital media outlets among Indian Muslims.

Today, Millat Times receives more than 250 million views every month across its digital platforms, with a strong readership in India, the Gulf countries, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its Urdu edition is among the most widely viewed Urdu digital news platforms in India.

Millat Times covers a wide range of subjects including national and international affairs, politics, elections, minority rights, social justice, human rights, culture, education, and global developments affecting Muslim societies. Through ground reporting, interviews, analysis and public opinion programs, the platform aims to provide accurate information and meaningful perspectives on issues shaping contemporary society.

Our Mission

Millat Times was founded with the goal of strengthening independent journalism and ensuring that voices often overlooked in mainstream media receive attention and representation.

Its editorial mission is to:

• Promote independent and responsible journalism
• Highlight issues affecting minorities and marginalized communities
• Encourage public debate and democratic values
• Provide credible reporting and diverse perspectives

By focusing on underreported stories and voices, Millat Times seeks to contribute to a more inclusive and informed public discourse.

History

Millat Times was launched on January 18, 2016 in Mumbai by Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi, then President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Rector of Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow.

The English edition of Millat Times was launched in April 2016, with Md Irshad Aiyub as its founding editor.

In January 2017, Millat Times introduced its mobile application, expanding access to its growing audience.

The platform entered digital video journalism in July 2018, when Shams Tabrez Qasmi launched the Millat Times YouTube channel

In 2018, Millat Times launched its Hindi news portal, founded by late Md Qaisar Siddiqui. Following his passing in October 2020, the Hindi edition is edited by Shabia Naaz.

The Bangla edition was launched in April 2021, edited by Safiullah Mulla, while the widely viewed Urdu edition is edited by Md Zafar Siddiqui.

Founder and CEO of MT

Shams Tabrez Qasmi is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Millat Times.

He studied at Darul Uloom Deoband and later completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Qasmi is also an Executive Member of the Press Club of India, one of the country’s oldest professional associations of journalists.

Before founding Millat Times, he worked as Media Coordinator at the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) and served as an editor at the INS News Agency. His Urdu column “Pas-e-Aainah” is widely read in Urdu newspapers.

For his contributions to journalism, he has received several honors, including the Shaheed Molvi Muhammad Baqar Award from the Press Club of India.

Millat Times Conclave

In 2026, Millat Times marked ten years of journalism by organizing the Millat Times Conclave in New Delhi, bringing together journalists, policymakers, scholars and public figures to discuss the role of independent media in contemporary society.

Participants included Salman Khurshid, Najeeb Jung, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Imran Pratapgarhi, Iqra Hasan, Roohullah Mehdi, Maulana Sajjad Nomani, Jamil Merchant, Meer Faisal and Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, among others.

The conclave featured discussions on media freedom, minority rights, education, democracy and global affairs, and recognized individuals for their contributions to journalism and public life.

Effective stories of Millat Times

Among the significant stories of MT is the truth of Ishrat Jahan who knocked at the door of the Supreme Court against the triple talaq, which the media had kept concealed for months and made a negative propaganda against Islam. The truth was that the Kolkata-based Ishrat Jahan was never divorced by her husband Murtaza Ansari.
The report of Sitamarhi riots and lynching of Zainul Ansari was too first published by MT with all the required evidences on the YouTube and the Hindi web portal. The government of Bihar and Hindi media had concealed this incident and declared the viral picture as fake. After the report was published in the MT the then Sitamarhi SP, Vikas Barma accepted the truth that the 80-year-old Zainul Ansari had really been assassinated by the mischief mongers over there. Later on, the renowned online news portal The Quint, the Wire and other web portals also accepted in their findings that the reporting of the MT was true. Twenty days following the incident, The Indian Express daily also published this news on its front page. Later on, it was also covered by NDTV and BBC. Senior journalist Ravish Kumar also mentioned this lynching incident in his Prime Time Show. Before that, the Crime Branch of Bihar served a notice to MT saying, with reference to Article 91 of IPC, that the video report regarding the Sitamadhi riots and lynching of Zainul Ansari published on the Face book page and YouTube channel was a threat to the law and order situation, and therefore it should be immediately removed. The MT refused to accept it. But later on, it was deleted by the Face book and YouTube themselves.
On December 15, 2020, the Delhi Police manhandled the students of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and attacked on them inside the university library. The incident was condemned throughout the world. Earlier during the anti-CAA protests on 13 December, the police had manhandled the students of JMI and shot tear gases at them. MT reporter Munawwar Alam was physically present on the spot on both days. He did a ground zero live reporting and the live streaming of the MT on Face book and YouTube for the first time witnessed a views in millions. Owing to tear gas, Mr Alam suffered difficulties for many days. During the reporting, he too was attacked and stopped by the police for quite a few times.
The February 2020 riots of north-east Delhi too was first reported by MT. On February 24, 25 and 26, numerous reporters of the MT did reporting from ground zero where the riot was going on. During the reporting the MT reporter Asrar Ahmad and camera operator Md Masoom were also attacked by the mischief mongers. The camera was snatched and violence was meted out on them. Yet the reporting continued by the MT. On February 24, the riot was being reported only on the MT, while the national media and TV channels had kept their focus on the ‘Namaste Trump’ programme. It was only in the morning of 25 February when the national media reported this incident. Apart from that, it was only MT which showed the reports on the mosques which were fully or partially demolished or damaged by the mischief mongers.
MT also played a significant role in highlighting and taking the Shaheen Bagh Protest to the threshold of the mainstream media. The MT covered this historic protest from the first to the last. The video recordings of many protesting women done by the MT went hugely viral on the social media. Later, other channels and YouTubers reached them.
Once construction of a mosque was stopped by the Bajrang Dal activists at one place in the Champaran district of Bihar. Following its report by the MT, police reached the spot and got the mosque constructed under their supervision.
On October 30, 2020, 22-year-old Gulnaz Khatun was burnt alive by the mischief mongers in the Vaishali district of Bihar who succumbed to death after seventeen days. This incident was continuously ignored by the mainstream media. But the MT chief editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi reached the main spot and showed the reality to the world.
Likewise, protest against Tariq Fateh in the Jashn-e-Rekhta and meeting of Maulana Salman Nadwi with Shri Shri Ravi Shankar and the advising to quit Babri Masjid and many such issues were effectively reported by MT, and the administration took notice of it. During the last five years, more than hundred such pieces of news were published on all the platforms of MT which impacted the national and international media, government, administration and society, thereby creating a history in itself.

Legal notice against MT

In April 2018, a Deoband-based book trader Maulana Nadeemul Wajidi served a legal notice against six officials of MT including its chief editor Shams Tabrez Qasmi, demanding fifty lakh rupess. Labeling the charge of terrorism, the notice described the MT as a threat to the national security of the country. The claimant had appealed the government and the judiciary to launch a high-level investigation against the MT and seize its portal. Apart from them, many other serious charges were posed on it. Maulana Wajidi had even reached the Deoband police station to file a case against MT, but the HSO did not pay heed to it. Responding to the notice, the legal team of MT denied the allegations. Explaining the reason of serving the notice, Maulana Wajidi wrote that the bereau chiefs of MT Mr Amir Zafar Qasmi and Mr Md Qaisar Siddiqui shared an article on their Face book walls, which caused damage to his image. Thus, he served a notice against MT and its six officials including the chief editor, labelling serious allegations and demanding investigation.
On October 31, Bihar crime branch served a notice to MT and demanded to delete the video of Sitamadhi lynching incident from its Face book page and YouTube channel. The notice read that the video was a threat to the law and order situation. The MT rejected this notice and told the administration that it had shown only what was true. Controlling the law and order situation was the responsibility of the administration, while MT is committed to acquaint the public with the truth; and therefore, it would continue doing so. Apart from that, the MT has received legal notices from a number of BJP leaders and police administration. However, the MT continued its journey of exploring the truth.

Reach

Millat Times reaches a global audience through its digital platforms.

Key figures include:

• 250 million monthly views
• More than 1.4 billion yearly reach in 2025
• 2.1 million YouTube subscribers
• Over 1 million Facebook followers

The platform’s audience extends beyond India to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Editorial Commitment

Millat Times believes that independent journalism plays a vital role in democratic societies

Its work is guided by a commitment to accuracy, fairness and responsibility, with the aim of informing audiences and amplifying voices that are often underrepresented.