Suresh Balakrishna, CRO of The Hindu Group, to retire in July 2026

Suresh Balakrishna, Chief Revenue Officer of The Hindu Group, will be retiring at the end of July 2026, marking the close of a career spanning more than three decades across media, advertising and publishing.

Balakrishna has been associated with The Hindu Group since November 2018, serving as Chief Revenue Officer for over seven years. During his tenure, he has been a key driver of the Group’s growth trajectory, strengthening its revenue strategy across print, digital and on-ground platforms.

He has also played an instrumental role in establishing several marquee events and reimagining them in virtual and hybrid formats, particularly during the pandemic years. Under his leadership, The Hindu Group’s brands have increasingly focused on community-building initiatives aimed at deeper audience engagement.

As part of a planned succession process, senior industry leader Sundar Kondur has assumed the CRO role. Balakrishna and Kondur will work closely in the coming months to facilitate a seamless handover ahead of the former’s retirement.

A highly regarded figure in the industry, Balakrishna is also a sought-after speaker at industry forums and regularly serves on award juries. He has frequently addressed seminars and delivered guest lectures at leading institutions including MICA Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, IITs and SRM, and has served as adjunct faculty at SIMC (Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication).

In 2017, he was the only Indian representative from the media industry invited to the United Nations as part of the Leadership Council for the fourth annual Media for Social Impact Summit, held in New York.

Prior to joining The Hindu Group, Balakrishna was Chief Executive Officer, South Asia and Middle East, at Kinetic Advertising India, part of the WPP Group, a role he held from 2016. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Lintas Media Group between 2011 and 2015, Chief Operating Officer at Mail Today, part of the India Today Group, and Executive Vice President at Zee Telefilms.

He began his professional journey in January 1987 with The Times of India and went on to be part of leadership teams at organisations such as Initiative Media, HT Media and Zee Network.

Balakrishna is also a trustee of Aarsha Vidya Foundation, a Mumbai-based non-profit trust.

His successor, Sundar Kondur, is a senior media industry professional with extensive experience across revenue leadership and commercial strategy.