The Hindu Group

The Hindu Group is an Indian media and publishing organization based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Its publishing heritage is linked to The Hindu, the English-language daily newspaper established in 1878. The group is owned by Kasturi and Sons Limited, a company controlled by descendants of Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, who acquired The Hindu and established the ownership lineage associated with the modern group. The group’s principal activity has historically been the publication of newspapers, magazines, journals and specialist reference works. Its best-known newspaper is The Hindu, a national English-language daily. The group also publishes The Hindu Business Line, a business and financial newspaper, and maintains a portfolio of periodicals aimed at readers interested in politics, public affairs, business, sport, industry, agriculture, the environment and culture. Its magazine portfolio has included Frontline, a fortnightly current-affairs and public-policy magazine, and Sportstar, a weekly sports publication. The group has also produced specialist annual or recurring publications such as Survey of Indian Industry, Survey of Indian Agriculture, Survey of the Environment and Indian Cricket. These titles extend the organization beyond general daily news into sectoral analysis, statistical reference and archival publishing. The Hindu Group has also operated in Indian-language publishing. The Hindu (Tamil) is a Tamil-language daily, while Kamadenu is a Tamil weekly magazine. This regional-language presence complements the group’s long-established English-language publishing operations and gives it reach among readers in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. Digital publishing and specialist online services form another part of the group’s activity. The portfolio has included RoofandFloor.com, a Chennai-focused real-estate portal. The group has also issued special publications under The Hindu Speaks series, covering subjects such as libraries, information technology, management, education, religious values and music. One notable historical special publication was The Last 200 Days of Mahatma Gandhi, compiled from material published in The Hindu. The group has experimented beyond print. NDTV Hindu, a Chennai-based English and Tamil news channel associated with the group, was a former venture that has since ceased operations. This discontinued broadcasting activity explains the group’s historical connection with television, but the available reference material identifies publishing as its core and continuing business. The Hindu Group should therefore be understood primarily as a newspaper and magazine publisher with related digital, reference and special-publication activities, rather than as a television broadcaster. The organization’s present identity rests on the combination of a long-running newspaper brand, specialist publications, Tamil-language journalism and digital extensions. Publicly available reference material does not provide sufficient information here to establish a complete list of current executives, detailed financial results, exact corporate formation dates separate from The Hindu’s 1878 origin, or a verified current corporate website. Those details are therefore left unspecified.

The Hindu Group’s history is rooted in The Hindu newspaper, which began publication in 1878. The newspaper was subsequently acquired by Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, whose descendants became associated with the ownership of Kasturi and Sons Limited and, through that company, the wider Hindu Group. The available historical reference does not identify the original founders of the newspaper or provide a complete chronology of ownership transitions, so those details are not stated here. From its newspaper base, the organization developed into a broader publishing house. The Hindu became its principal national English-language daily, while The Hindu Business Line extended the portfolio into business and financial journalism. The group also developed periodicals with more focused editorial purposes. Frontline addressed current affairs and public issues in a fortnightly format, and Sportstar served sports readers as a weekly magazine. The publishing portfolio expanded further through specialist annual reviews and reference works. Survey of Indian Industry, Survey of Indian Agriculture and Survey of the Environment addressed major sectors and public-interest subjects. Indian Cricket provided an annual record of cricket, while The Hindu Index offered monthly and cumulative annual indexing. These publications reflected the group’s role not only as a news publisher but also as a producer of organized reference material. The group maintained a regional-language presence through The Hindu (Tamil), a Tamil-language daily, and Kamadenu, a Tamil weekly magazine. This part of the portfolio connected the organization’s national English-language identity with the linguistic and cultural market of Tamil Nadu, where the group is headquartered. The Hindu Group also entered digital and adjacent publishing businesses. RoofandFloor.com was developed as a Chennai-focused real-estate portal. The group’s special-publication program, The Hindu Speaks, covered topics including libraries, information technology, management, education, religious values and music. The Last 200 Days of Mahatma Gandhi was another special publication assembled from material appearing in The Hindu. The organization has had a historical presence in television through NDTV Hindu, a Chennai-based English and Tamil news channel. That service is identified as a former publication or venture and is no longer operating. The television initiative therefore represents an ended expansion rather than the group’s current core identity. Today, The Hindu Group is best characterized as a Chennai-based Indian publishing group owned through Kasturi and Sons Limited. Its activities span general daily newspapers, business journalism, sports and current-affairs magazines, Tamil-language publishing, specialist surveys, reference works, digital services and special editions. The supplied reference material does not establish a detailed account of recent management, financial performance, current circulation, or the precise legal dates of each business, and those areas remain open for further verification.

1. 1878The Hindu begins publication

   The Hindu, the newspaper at the foundation of the later group, begins publication in India.

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2. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar acquires The Hindu

   Kasturi Ranga Iyengar acquires The Hindu, creating the ownership lineage later associated with Kasturi and Sons Limited and The Hindu Group.

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3. Expansion into a multi-title publishing portfolio

   The organization develops newspapers, magazines, annual surveys, indexes, reference works and special publications alongside its flagship daily.

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4. Launch of Tamil-language publishing titles

   The group expands its language portfolio with The Hindu (Tamil) and the weekly Tamil magazine Kamadenu.

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5. Development of digital and television activities

   The group adds the Chennai real-estate portal RoofandFloor.com and operates the former NDTV Hindu English and Tamil news channel.

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A long-established Indian news and publishing house combining national English-language journalism with business, sports, public-affairs, specialist reference and Tamil-language titles.

• The HinduNational English-language daily newspaper1878

  The Hindu is the group’s foundational and flagship newspaper. It is an English-language daily serving a national Indian readership and forms the central editorial and brand platform from which the wider publishing portfolio developed.

• The Hindu Business LineBusiness newspaper

  The Hindu Business Line is the group’s business-focused daily publication. It extends the organization’s journalism into companies, markets, finance, economics and commercial policy, serving readers seeking specialized business coverage rather than general news alone.

• FrontlineCurrent-affairs magazine

  Frontline is a fortnightly magazine associated with long-form coverage of current affairs and public issues. It represents the group’s magazine-oriented approach to political, social and policy reporting and complements the faster cycle of daily newspaper journalism.

• SportstarSports magazine

  Sportstar is a weekly sports magazine covering sport and sporting culture. It gives the group a dedicated sports publishing identity and is distinct from the general-news and business titles in the portfolio.

• The Hindu (Tamil)Tamil-language daily newspaper

  The Hindu (Tamil) is the group’s Tamil-language daily newspaper. It broadens the company’s audience beyond English-language readers and anchors its regional-language publishing presence in Tamil Nadu and the wider Tamil-speaking market.

• KamadenuTamil-language weekly magazine

  Kamadenu is a Tamil weekly magazine in the group’s regional-language portfolio. It supplements the Tamil daily newspaper with a periodical format and a distinct magazine publishing proposition.

• Survey publicationsAnnual specialist reference publications

  The group publishes specialist surveys including Survey of Indian Industry, Survey of Indian Agriculture and Survey of the Environment. These works organize analysis and reference material around important Indian economic, agricultural and environmental subjects.

• Indian CricketAnnual sports record book

  Indian Cricket is an annual record publication focused on cricket. It illustrates the group’s move beyond recurring journalism into archival and reference publishing for a major Indian sport.

• The Hindu IndexNews index and reference publication

  The Hindu Index is issued in monthly and cumulative annual forms. It provides an organized reference to material published by the group and supports research-oriented use of its newspaper archive.

• RoofandFloor.comReal-estate portal

  RoofandFloor.com is a Chennai-focused real-estate portal associated with The Hindu Group. It represents an adjacent digital service built around property listings and real-estate information rather than conventional newspaper or magazine publishing.

• NDTV HinduNews television channel

  NDTV Hindu was a Chennai-based English and Tamil news channel associated with the group. It is a former activity and has ceased operations, making it a historical example of the group’s expansion into television.

1. The Hindu Group