N Murali has been unanimously appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited (THGPPL) for a term of three years. He succeeds Dr Nirmala Lakshman, who stepped down as Chairperson at 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, unanimously recommended appointment of Mr Murali to lead the Board at this challenging time for the news media and for professional journalism.
Mr Murali brings more than 56 years of hands-on experience in the management, business, and financial aspects of the newspaper industry to this role. After completing his school education at the Madras Christian College High School, graduating in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai, and professionally qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, he joined the family business of The Hindu in 1969. He became General Manager in 1977 and Joint Managing Director in 1995. In 2006, he took over as Managing Director of M/s. Kasturi & Sons Limited, publishers of The Hindu and other allied publications. He subsequently served as Chairman, Kasturi & Sons Limited (the holding company of The Hindu Group of Publications). Over the last several years, he has been a Director of THGPPL and KSL.
Over the decades, Mr. Murali has served in senior positions in a number of industry bodies: he was President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS); Chairman, Council of Management, Audit Bureau of Circulations; Chairman, National Readership Studies Council; Chairman, Board of Governors, Advertising Standards Council of India; and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Press Institute of India–RIND. He was elected as the first Board Member from South Asia of the world’s leading association for media publishing, IFRA, Darmstadt, Germany (1998-2004), and served as a Member of the Board of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), Paris (2005-2006). He is a Trustee of the Media Development Foundation, Chennai, which administers the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ).
He is the President of The Music Academy, Madras.
The Board of Directors of The Hindu Group Publishing Private Limited placed on record its appreciation of Dr Nirmala Lakshman’s contributions to the Group and its publications and the efficient way in which she led the deliberations and proceedings at the Board level. Board members and employees expressed enthusiasm and confidence that Mr Murali, with his rich experience and perspectives gained in a field that has witnessed many successes, undergone a series of disruptive transformations, and repeatedly demonstrated resilience and relevance, will lead the company to new heights.
Published on June 18, 2026
