New Delhi: Indian broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV) has cut down on its staff strength, mostly in Mumbai.

NDTV Group CEO KVL Narayan Rao told Indiantelevision.com that only around 40 people, most of them from Mumbai had been asked to go out of a total workforce of 1800 members.

He said this step had been taken only where "we found we were over staffed, and to build a more robust organisation."

It had been reported in the media that this step was taken by the broadcaster in order to curtail costs. Reacting to this Rao said, "We would have taken this step even if we had achieved great profits. It is the part of every vibrant organisation to trim itself from time to time."

Another spokesperson from the broadcaster confirmed that 40 to 50 people from its Mumbai bureau had been given the pink slip after Ernst and Young reported that it was over staffed. "In April, we had identified the people who had to be laid off and had given them options to either change their post/position or their city. It is only after they have refused to do either that we have taken this step," the spokesperson informed.

It is learnt that apart from its internal study, NDTV had also sought the help of Ernst & Young to make suggestions to make the organization more vibrant.

The employees that have been asked to leave are all from the junior to mid level in the hierarchy.