The independent media playbook for India
Sat 18 April 2026
10:30
Free
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How can you build sustainable media in India today? India ranks 151st out of 180 on the 2025 World Press Freedom Index. Independent newsrooms operate in a system where the state is simultaneously regulator, litigant and one of the largest advertisers.
This session unpacks the Indian government’s toolkit for influencing media: control over public advertising, the weaponisation of criminal laws against critical voices, and digital regulation that places new compliance burdens on online publishers. Moving beyond diagnosis, the panel focuses on what actually works: business models that minimise state dependence, legal and editorial safeguards that reduce exposure, and distribution strategies that build direct audience power.
The goal is to provide a practical playbook for sustaining independent journalism under democratic backsliding without compromising editorial integrity.
Moderated by Sruthi Gottipati.
Modified more than a month ago
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Sruthi Gottipati
Sruthi Gottipati is a journalist launching a Gen Z-focused news startup. She was most recently a media executive at Brut overseeing North America and India for the French digital video company. As founding editor of Brut India in 2017, she created the country’s most watched and influential English-language media juggernaut across social platforms from scratch. Sruthi was also an Associate Professor at Sciences Po, Paris. She's previously been awarded fellowships from IWMF and IRP to cover underreported stories from Africa and Latin America. Prior to that, she was a reporter for Thomson Reuters and The New York Times. She holds a Master’s from Columbia Journalism School.
Anant Nath
Anant Nath is Editor of The Caravan and Executive Publisher of Delhi Press, India’s leading magazine publishing house. He started the magazine Caravan in 2010, shaping it as a publication dedicated to long-form narrative journalism. Today it is amongst the most respected publications from South Asia, known for its bold investigative reportage on politics and business as well as its nuanced coverage of arts and literature. He is the former president of the Editors Guild of India, the most senior body of editors and journalists in the country, where he led various efforts to protect the space for press freedom in India, including judicial interventions and petitions, representations to governments, statements, programs and seminars, and organising collective action. He is also a former president of the Association of Indian Magazines, the national association for magazine publishers. He studied Management at IIM Lucknow and Political Science at Columbia University, New York.
Abhinandan Sekhri
Abhinandan Sekhri is the co-founder and CEO of Newslaundry. He has also co-founded the production house Small Screen with Prashant Sareen. Before founding Newslaundry, he worked as a producer, director and writer in various television and film projects, including the award-winning food and travel show Highway on my Plate, and news-satire shows such as Gustaakhi Maaf and The Great Indian Tamasha.
Vignesh Vellore
Vignesh Vellore is a co-founder and CEO of The News Minute, a digital-only news platform headquartered in Bangalore, India. He assumes responsibility for overseeing the operational and revenue aspects of the news portal. Additionally, he plays a pivotal role in conceptualizing and developing various editorial initiatives aimed at expanding audience engagement, revenue streams, and membership growth. Vignesh is a mentor in the Media Development Investment Fund's Amplify Asia Program, providing guidance to independent media organizations from the region, seeking to enhance their business capacity and financial sustainability.
Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo
Il Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo di Perugia è un evento annuale che riunisce professionisti dei media, esperti di comunicazione e appassionati di informazione da tutto il mondo. Si svolge nel centro storico di Perugia e offre conferenze, dibattiti, workshop e opportunità di networking sui temi più rilevanti del giornalismo contemporaneo.