Kunal Pradhan steps down as Managing Editor of Hindustan Times

Kunal Pradhan, Managing Editor of Hindustan Times (HT), has stepped down from his role. According to sources close to the development, Pradhan has opted to move away from journalism after 28 years.

During his stint at HT, where he reported to Editor-in-Chief R Sukumar, Pradhan played a key role in shaping the newsroom and its editorial voice. 

A journalism graduate from Delhi University, Pradhan began his career in 1997 and went on to build a resumé that spans some of the most respected names in Indian and global journalism. He has previously held key editorial positions at India Today, Mumbai Mirror, Indian Express and Reuters, bringing a blend of field experience and newsroom leadership to every role.

“Today’s HT newsroom has a core group of really talented individuals – and because such groups do not appear magically, it stands to reason that Kunal has worked hard at creating one – that can pretty much walk into any other newsroom in a senior role”, wrote R Sukumar in an internal note to employees.

Whether covering political intrigue in Lutyens’ Delhi, decoding policy for the common reader, or diving into pop culture and sport with equal dexterity, Pradhan built a reputation as a versatile writer and editor with an eye for both detail and narrative.

“Over the last 28 years as a journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to write on sport, politics, policy, cinema, crime, environment, law, and anything else that fascinated me. I’ve got the chance to edit sport pages, city pages, a city newspaper, a national magazine, and a national newspaper. Journalism has been good to me, and I’ve tried to be loyal to it. I once thought I would retire at 35, so I kind of overstayed my welcome. It’s now time to move on, focus on other interests and to see if I can give something back”, shared Pradhan.

At Hindustan Times, Pradhan is credited with leading large editorial teams, mentoring a generation of journalists and overseeing several ground-breaking reports and special projects that earned national attention. His tenure was marked by an emphasis on clarity, credibility and a consistent push for contextual reporting over noise-driven coverage