As India’s news industry straddles legacy and disruption, three of its most influential leaders took the stage at the INMA South Asia News Media Conference in Mumbai today to answer one urgent question: How do you transform without losing your soul?

In a candid, high-voltage panel at the INMA Mumbai conference, CEOs L.V. Navaneeth of The Hindu, Sivakumar Sundaram of The Times of India, and Sameer Singh of HT Media pulled back the curtain on what it really takes to lead media transformation — balancing print and digital, preserving trust, attracting talent, and investing in the future without sacrificing editorial integrity.

“This is not just any business,” Navaneeth reminded the audience. “This is a business with purpose. It is a responsibility. It is a privilege.”

To kick off the panel session, Navaneeth framed the conversation as a journey across “yesterday, today, and tomorrow” — not in decades but in the transformative post-COVID timeline. As Sundaram described, “Earlier it was like navigating a ship in stable waters. Today it’s like flying a drone through a thunderstorm.” Leadership today requires agility, humility, and relentless reinvention.

Singh added that India’s trajectory is unique. “For most Indians, tomorrow is still better than yesterday,” he noted, contrasting it with Western markets. Navaneeth agreed, emphasising how economic optimism and rising literacy give the Indian news media more runway than most realise.

As moderator, Navaneeth prompted the panel with the fundamental question: “What is the future of print?” Sundaram’s response was emphatic: “Print was there yesterday, is here today, and will be there tomorrow.” He acknowledged digital’s growth but held firm — news consumption, and thus its monetisation, remains far more significant in print than online.

Singh envisioned a future where revenue splits could evolve to 50/50 between print and digital but cautioned against prematurely writing off print. “Preserve what must be preserved,” he said, “especially in regional and hyperlocal markets.” Navaneeth chimed in with a dose of realism: “When someone asks me how things are going, I just say, ‘It is there’ — because the answers are never simple anymore.”

The discussion turned to strategic investment. Navaneeth posed the challenge: “If you had ₹100 to invest, how much would go to preserving print, and how much to building digital?”

Both CEOs agreed — regardless of platform, the core investment must go into trust.

“You invest in trust,” Sundaram said. “Print still commands it. Digital must earn it.” He stressed investing in AI not to replace humans but to optimise speed and reduce time-to-press: “AI in the loop, not human in the loop,” he quipped.

Singh’s take: “Spend what it takes to preserve print. But also modernise enterprise systems, amplify newsroom impact, and stay relevant to younger readers.” Navaneeth sharpened the point: “Strategy is what happens when unlimited ambition meets limited resources. It’s about the choices we make.”

Navaneeth challenged the nearly 200 INMA delegates in Mumbai with a hard truth: “We’re all building digital ecosystems, but we’re still chasing sustainability in monetisation.” Singh pointed to the challenge of platform dependence and the coming wave of agentic AI bots. “We have to break our addiction to intermediaries,” he said. “Build one-on-one relationships with readers.”

Sundaram was blunt: “India will remain an advertiser-led market. People don’t want to pay for news — they’re fine with ads.” He added that while news monetisation online remains challenging, print will continue to offer a viable business model. Navaneeth reinforced the tension: “You command premium pricing in print. But where is the premium pricing for eyeballs in digital?”

When the conversation turned to younger audiences, Navaneeth asked the million-dollar question: “Are we doing enough to build a sustainable subscriber base with Gen Z?” Sundaram’s answer raised eyebrows: “People under 35 don’t care about news the way we understand it. Don’t chase them — they’ll come when they’re ready.”

Navaneeth laughed but acknowledged the cultural shift. Singh, by contrast, pointed to HT’s Olympiad programme and evolving audience behaviours. “We assume young people want only short-form. But they’re listening to two-hour podcasts. If the story’s good, they’ll stay.”

Navaneeth didn’t let leadership off the hook. “We’ve all relied on our brands to attract talent. But in today’s world, if people aren’t joining your team — it’s not your company’s problem, it’s yours.”

Singh echoed that sentiment. “We need to be more accessible, more authentic, and more visible to talent. Culture is what we reward and what we reinforce.”

Navaneeth also asked how they foster a culture of experimentation. Singh emphasised leading by example: “Ask your teams what they’re testing. Budget for failure. Learn from everywhere, including competitors.” Sundaram pointed to his own weekly column writing as a discipline that fosters self-reflection. “To see your name in print,” he said, “is still one of the greatest joys. That’s when you know you’ve arrived.”

In response to a closing audience question on editorial pressure, Navaneeth turned the discussion inward: “When business gets tough, do we protect our newsroom’s independence?” Sundaram’s answer was unequivocal: “Print has no pressure from devices. We’re fine.”

Singh added, “Even a rookie like me can see this: The newsroom’s integrity is fundamental. It’s not just about speed, it’s about trust.”

As the session closed, Sundaram left the audience with a powerful framework: “Relevance. Resonance. Retention. That’s what the future belongs to.”

And with that, the session involving the CEOs of Times of India, HT Media, and The Hindu ended not with uncertainty but with clarity. India’s legacy media houses are evolving — not by abandoning their roots but by doubling down on their purpose, investing in trust, and navigating the storm with conviction and humility.

This article was written with the assistance of AI tools. All content has been reviewed and edited by a human editor to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.

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