N. Murali Takes Over as Chairman of The Hindu Group

N. Murali has been unanimously appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited (THGPPL) for a term of three years. He succeeds Ms. Nirmala Lakshman, who stepped down as Chairperson during the Board’s meeting on Thursday, June 18, 2026, upon nearing the completion of her three-year term. The Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board, chaired by Mr. Krishna Srinivasan, Senior Advocate, recommended Mr. Murali’s appointment unanimously.

Mr. Murali brings over 56 years of extensive experience in the management, business, and financial aspects of the newspaper industry. He joined The Hindu in 1969 after completing his education at Madras Christian College High School, graduating in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai, and qualifying professionally as a Chartered Accountant.

Over the course of his career, he has held several key positions within the organization. He became General Manager in 1977, Joint Managing Director in 1995, and Managing Director of Kasturi & Sons Limited (KSL), the publishers of The Hindu and other allied publications, in 2006. He later served as Chairman of KSL, the holding company of The Hindu Group of Publications. In recent years, he has been a Director of both THGPPL and KSL.

Beyond his contributions to The Hindu, Mr. Murali has held senior roles in various industry bodies, including serving as President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), Chairman of the Council of Management of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, and Chairman of the National Readership Studies Council. He has also chaired the Board of Governors of the Advertising Standards Council of India and the Board of Trustees of the Press Institute of India, RIND.

Internationally, Mr. Murali was elected as the first Board Member from South Asia of IFRA, the leading global association for media publishing, and served on its Board from 1998 to 2004. He was also a Member of the Board of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) from 2005 to 2006. Additionally, he is a Trustee of the Media Development Foundation, Chennai, which oversees the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), and serves as the President of The Music Academy, Madras.

The Board of Directors expressed its appreciation for Ms. Nirmala Lakshman’s significant contributions to the Group and her leadership in guiding deliberations at the Board level. Members and employees voiced their confidence that Mr. Murali, with his wealth of experience and insights gained from navigating the evolving media landscape, will steer the company to greater heights.

Published: June 18, 2026, 08:07 pm IST