India’s News Publishers Embrace AI, Audience Focus

The Digital Media India 2025 conference underscored a critical shift in the publishing industry: a renewed focus on audience-centric innovation and sustainable revenue models. The event, which included the Digital Media Awards South Asia 2025, saw The Hindu Group crowned Champion Publisher, recognizing their leadership in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Keynote speakers Alan Hunter and Michael Brunt of HBM Advisory urged publishers to clearly define their core mission and strategically leverage artificial intelligence. They emphasized the importance of organizational alignment, stating that every team member should understand the publication’s purpose and value proposition. This call to action reflects a broader industry recognition that simply replicating old models in a digital environment is no longer sufficient.

Day one sessions delved into practical applications of AI, subscription strategies, and the revitalization of editorial content, featuring insights from prominent figures at The Hindu, BBC, The Wire, Le Monde, and Jagran News Media. A roundtable discussion with Mariam Mammen Mathew (Manorama Online), Pradeep Gairola (The Hindu Group), and Krishnamurthy Ramasubbu (Dinamalar) highlighted a common concern: the prioritization of traffic over genuine value. Gairola argued that strong editorial is paramount to survival, while Mathew stressed the need for revenue streams beyond advertising. Ramasubbu pointed to the challenges of scaling digital-only models without a niche focus.

The second day of the conference centered on ethical innovation and user-first design. Speakers from organizations like BBC Collective Newsroom, The Quint, and Deutsche Welle shared best practices for building data-driven, accessible products. Chitranshu Tewari (Newslaundry) showcased a commitment to user control and privacy through features like easy profile deletion and granular notification settings – a refreshing approach in an industry often criticized for data exploitation.

The Digital Media Awards South Asia 2025 celebrated excellence across various categories, recognizing winners including The BBC, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, and The Indian Express for their achievements in areas like data visualization and reader revenue.

The conference clearly demonstrated that the future of news publishing hinges on a willingness to prioritize audience needs, embrace ethical innovation, and develop sustainable business models. The emphasis on defining a clear mission and strategically implementing AI, coupled with a renewed focus on quality editorial content, offers a promising path forward for an industry facing significant disruption. It’s a vital conversation, and the event provided a valuable platform for sharing insights and best practices. The need for publishers to move beyond simply chasing clicks and instead focus on delivering genuine value to their audiences is no longer a suggestion, but a necessity for long-term survival.