So some leading newspapers felt the need of a second news agency along with Press Trust of India.

This led to the formation of United News of India under Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy,[2] sponsored by eight leading newspapers The Hindu, The Times of India, The Statesman, Amrita Bazar Patrika, Hindustan Times, Hindustan Standard, Deccan Herald and Aryavarta.

[3] In its starting days, the company had to use old United Press of India teleprinters, that were rusted due to disuse since 1958.

UNI had 5 staff members when it started its operation, but the number expanded to 697, with 139 journalists, 392 non-journalists, and 166 stringers, by the end of 1975.

[3] For world news, UNI collaborated with Associated Press (USA), Deutsche Press-Agentur (West Germany), Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (Italy), Agerpress (Rumania) and many others.

During the period of emergency, on 26 July 1975, Indira Gandhi government decided to form a single entity by merging the four teleprinter news agencies of India.

[2] The employees' unions of the four agencies passed resolutions accepting the idea of forming a single news entity.

[5] On 14 November 1977, the committee recommended the creation of two news agencies Varta and Sandesh by restructuring Samachar.

[10] Contrary to the committee's recommendations, Samachar was made to split and the merger of all four agencies was undone.