Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
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.
Con: Sruthi Gottipati (founder Spot On), Anant Nath (editor The Caravan), Abhinandan Sekhri (co-founder and CEO Newslaundry), Vignesh Vellore (co-founder and CEO The News Minute)
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.
Con: Sruthi Gottipati (founder Spot On), Anant Nath (editor The Caravan), Abhinandan Sekhri (co-founder and CEO Newslaundry), Vignesh Vellore (co-founder and CEO The News Minute)
