N Murali has been unanimously appointed chairman of The Hindu Group Publishing for a three-year term. He succeeded Nirmala Lakshman, who stepped down on 18 June 2026, as she neared the completion of her tenure, with the Board confirming the transition at its meeting the same day.
The Nomination and Remuneration Committee, chaired by Senior Advocate Krishna Srinivasan, recommended Murali’s appointment, noting the challenging phase facing the news media industry and the need for experienced leadership to guide the organization through ongoing changes, The Hindu reported.
Murali brings over 56 years of experience across management, finance, and business operations in the newspaper industry, having studied at Madras Christian College High School, earned a Commerce degree from Loyola College in Chennai, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant before joining The Hindu in 1969.
He became general manager in 1977 and was later appointed joint managing director in 1995, before taking on the role of managing director of Kasturi & Sons in 2006, the publishing house behind The Hindu, and serving as its chairman while continuing his involvement as a director in recent years.
Throughout his career, Murali has held several prominent industry positions, including president of the Indian Newspaper Society, chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, chairman of the National Readership Studies Council, and head of the Advertising Standards Council of India, along with leadership roles at the Press Institute of India.
His international contributions include serving with IFRA in Germany and being a board member of the World Association of Newspapers in Paris, while he also continues as a Trustee of the Media Development Foundation, which administers the Asian College of Journalism, and serves as president of The Music Academy in Madras.
The Board expressed appreciation for Dr. Nirmala Lakshman’s leadership and contributions, while conveying confidence that Murali’s extensive experience and steady perspective will help guide the company forward and strengthen its position in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
