Digital Media India (DMI) 2025, held in Chennai on 17-18 June, brought together more than 170 media executives from nearly 50 organizations. Now in its 14th year, the annual conference is a vital platform for South Asia’s news publishers to explore digital transformation, innovation, and revenue strategies.
The event hosted the Digital Media Awards South Asia 2025 ceremony, where The Hindu Group was named Champion Publisher.
From editorial revival to revenue reinvention
The conference opened with a keynote by Alan Hunter and Michael Brunt, co-founders of HBM Advisory (UK) and members of the Wan-Ifra Expert Panel, who urged publishers to clearly define their mission and utilize AI as a strategic accelerator.
“Everyone in your organization, from interns to the editor-in-chief, should know why you exist, who you serve, and what value you provide,” said Hunter. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rethink not just how you work but what you do,” added Brunt.
Day 1 sessions focused on AI-driven workflows, subscriptions, editorial reinvention, and audience engagement. Speakers included leaders from The Hindu, BBC, The Wire, Le Monde, and Jagran New Media.
A standout roundtable featured Mariam Mammen Mathew (CEO, Manorama Online), Pradeep Gairola (VP & Business Head – Digital, The Hindu Group), and Krishnamurthy Ramasubbu (associate editor, Dinamalar), discussing strategies for sustainable digital growth.
“Editorial has become a side game in news organizations focused on a minimum viable product. But without a great editorial product, there’s no way a newsroom can survive,” said Gairola.
“We’ve run after traffic, not value. Sustainable revenue needs more than just advertising,” noted Mathew. “Digital-only models aren’t viable at scale unless they’re niche,” Ramasubbu commented.
Privacy, principles, and product thinking drive Day 2
Day 2 spotlighted ethical innovation and user-first design. Speakers from BBC Collective Newsroom, The Quint, Manorama, Deutsche Welle, HT Labs, and others shared insights on building data-smart, accessible products.
Chitranshu Tewari (director, Product & Revenue, Newslaundry) led a practical session on creating resilient independent media.
“Our app puts users at the centre – from profile deletion and subscription cancellation to granular notification control,” he said.
Celebrating digital innovation in South Asia
The Digital Media Awards South Asia 2025 received over 110 entries across multiple categories. Winners included The BBC, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Quint, Sakal, and The Indian Express.
The awards recognized excellence in areas such as data visualization, AI integration, newsletters, and reader revenue strategies.
