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Hindustan Times EP Kohli to quit, Sharma likely to succeed
NEW DELHI: Changes are in the offing in The Hindustan Times, Delhi and north India’s former No 1 newspaper that has been displaced from the top slot by The Times of India.
Executive president Rajan Kohli will be leaving the organisation – voluntarily, it is said. The names that are doing the rounds to succeed him include that of Rakesh Sharma, an old timer with HT and the current printer and publisher of the newspaper.
An outsider’s name that is raising quite a few eyebrows is that of the CEO of a TV company that recently went public. This person had also worked with HT’s rival at one point of time.
Kohli took over as the EP at HT from Deepak Shourie in the late 1990s at a time when the newspaper was experimenting with changes in in its format, masthead and also planning aggressive expansion outside Delhi to become truly a national newspaper being published from several places.
The expansion did take place with hiccups along the way, but HT also got slowly swamped by an aggressive TOI during this period. The much-touted Mumbai edition, which has been talked about for over a decade now, has not not made an appearance, though over the past six months much activity has taken place in this regard.
Kohli’s stint with HT has been rare in the sense that he has been amongst the few exceptions where a professional from outside the organisation had occupied the top management post, after the owner-promoter’s family.
Shourie, who had taken over from Naresh Mohan, a trusted aide of KK Birla for several decades, was another rare exception.
Kohli’s departure was communicated to the to the senior-level functionaries of HT Ltd. in a personal communique from Shobhna Bhartia, Birla’s daughter, who now virtually run the newspaper empire.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
