The Hindu Group was named Champion Publisher of the Year at the Digital Media India 2026 event, according to the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). The conference focused on five key transformations for journalism—including AI adoption and diversified revenue models—to reduce platform dependency for South Asian news organizations.
Why AI and Revenue Models are Reshaping South Asian Newsrooms
Stig Ørskov, CEO of WAN-IFRA, outlined five critical shifts necessary for the survival of modern media businesses during the conference keynote. These transformations include establishing balanced revenue models, taking control of AI integration, building audience-first newsrooms, embracing the news creator economy, and increasing focus on audio and video content.
A CEO roundtable featuring LV Navaneeth of The Hindu Group, Sowbhagyalakshmi Tilak of The Printers Mysore Ltd., and Sumanta Datta of ABP Network addressed the challenge of platform dependency. Navaneeth stated that 85% to 90% of revenues and most profits for legacy publishers still come from physical products. He argued that publishers shouldn’t choose between print and digital, but must protect physical assets while doubling down on digital efforts.
How Publishers are Moving Beyond Page Views
Industry leaders are questioning the validity of traditional traffic metrics. Vertika Kanaujia, who leads editorial operations at Financial Express Digital, stated that the page view is no longer a reliable measure of success. According to Kanaujia, the pursuit of page views as a primary target led to a rise in headline-chasing and clickbait.
The conference sessions, which included speakers from Newslaundry, NDTV, and Prothom Alo, examined how generative AI affects content discovery and audience behavior. Discussions focused on using AI for newsroom automation and audience intelligence to move away from vanity metrics toward genuine engagement.
Who Won the Digital Media Awards South Asia 2026?
The Digital Media Awards South Asia recognized innovation across several categories, with The Hindu Group leading the honors. The group earned seven wins in areas including AI, audio, marketing, and audience engagement.
| Publisher | Number of Awards |
|---|---|
| The Hindu Group | 7 (Champion Publisher of the Year) |
| HT Media Group | 6 |
| Collective Newsroom | 3 |
| Prothom Alo | 2 |
| Manorama Online | 2 |
| The Daily Star | 2 |
What the Newsroom Innovation Study Tour Revealed
WAN-IFRA conducted a study tour of four Delhi-based newsrooms: Times Internet, The Quint, Collective Newsroom, and Brut India. The tour highlighted specific technical implementations currently used to scale digital reach, including:
- AI-driven personalization: Tailoring content feeds to individual user preferences.
- Mobile-first trust-building: Designing interfaces that prioritize credibility on handheld devices.
- Multilingual scale: Using technology to expand reach across diverse linguistic demographics.
- Data-led video: Utilizing performance analytics to shape short-form video formats.
Worth a look