Kunal Pradhan to take over as Hindustan Times Editor-in-Chief
Kunal Pradhan will join the organisation on 1 October 2026 as Acting Editor-in-Chief
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Published: Aug 13, 2026 4:45 PM | 2 min read
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- HT Media Group announced Kunal Pradhan will become Acting Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan Times on October 1, 2026, and will officially take over as Editor-in-Chief in mid-November 2026.
- R Sukumar, the current Editor-in-Chief, will depart from the organization after the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, having contributed significantly to HT Media for nearly two decades.
- Sukumar, a founding editor of Mint and former Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan Times, emphasized the importance of journalism and credited his talented teams for the newsroom's success.
- Kunal Pradhan, who has nearly 30 years of editorial experience, expressed his commitment to continuing the legacy of quality journalism at Hindustan Times upon his return.
HT Media Group today announced a leadership transition at Hindustan Times. Kunal Pradhan will join the organisation on 1 October 2026 as Acting Editor-in-Chief and will take over as Editor-in-Chief in mid-November 2026 from R Sukumar, who has decided to move on from the organisation following this year's Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
Sukumar has made a significant contribution to HT Media over the last two decades. As one of the founding editors of Mint, and subsequently as Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan Times, he played an important role in strengthening the Group's journalism and guiding the newsroom through a period of significant change in the media industry. Under his leadership, Hindustan Times has continued to uphold its commitment to credible and independent journalism while adapting to the changing ways in which readers discover and consume news.
Speaking about his decision, R Sukumar said, “HT Media Ltd is one of the few media companies that still cares deeply about its journalism and it has been an honour and privilege to edit not one, but two mastheads of the company, Mint and Hindustan Times over the past two decades. Editors are just the visible face of teams that run newsrooms, and both at Mint and Hindustan Times, I have been fortunate to be part of extraordinarily talented teams. I am delighted that Kunal Pradhan, one of my fellow travellers at HT for most of my stint, is returning to take over as head of the newsroom.”
Kunal Pradhan returns to Hindustan Times, where he previously held senior editorial responsibilities, including as Managing Editor. His career spanning nearly three decades has included stints at India Today, The Indian Express, Mumbai Mirror and Reuters.
On his return to Hindustan Times, Kunal Pradhan said, “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. Sukumar and I have worked together for many years, and I have enormous respect for his vision, his clarity, and for what he has built. I look forward to working with the team to build on that foundation and take HT’s journalism to even more readers across platforms.”
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