NEW DELHI — HT Media Group has announced a major newsroom leadership transition, appointing veteran journalist Kunal Pradhan as the next Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan Times.
Pradhan will officially rejoin the organization on October 1, 2026, as Acting Editor-in-Chief, before fully assuming the Editor-in-Chief role in mid-November 2026. He succeeds R. Sukumar, who is stepping down after leading the newsroom for years and completing a two-decade tenure across HT Media mastheads. Sukumar will transition out following the 2026 edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
Key Takeaways
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The Succession: Kunal Pradhan takes over newsroom leadership from R. Sukumar, starting as Acting Editor-in-Chief on October 1, 2026, and officially becoming Editor-in-Chief in mid-November 2026.
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Return to HT: Pradhan previously served in senior editorial roles at Hindustan Times, including as Managing Editor. His nearly 30-year career includes key leadership stints at India Today, The Indian Express, Mumbai Mirror, and Reuters.
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Sukumar’s Legacy: A founding editor of Mint and later Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan Times, Sukumar spent over 20 years with HT Media, driving digital transformation while maintaining core editorial integrity.
Executive Commentary
“Hindustan Times is a newsroom I know well and an institution I care deeply about, so coming back as its next editor-in-chief is both a privilege and a responsibility… I look forward to working with the team to build on that foundation and take HT’s journalism to even more readers across platforms.”
— Kunal Pradhan, Incoming Editor-in-Chief, Hindustan Times
