Jagran’s MM Gupta is new PTI chairman; Mathrubhumi’s Shreyams Kumar elected vice-chairman

New Delhi: Dr Mahendra Mohan Gupta of Jagran Prakashan Ltd, the publisher of the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, has been elected as the new chairman of the Press Trust of India’s Board of Directors.

The decision was made during a board meeting held after PTI's annual general meeting at its headquarters in New Delhi. Dr Gupta succeeds K N Shanth Kumar of The Printers (Mysore) Pvt Ltd in the role.

In addition, M V Shreyams Kumar of the Mathrubhumi group has been elected vice-chairman of the Board.

A veteran of the media industry, 84-year-old Dr Gupta serves as the non-executive chairman of Jagran Prakashan Ltd and has been involved with the organisation since its founding. He previously held the post of editorial director at Dainik Jagran.

With more than six decades of experience in print journalism, Dr Gupta has held several notable positions in Indian media. His past roles include chairman of United News of India (UNI), president of The Indian Newspaper Society (INS), president of Indian Languages Newspaper Association (ILNA), Council Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations and member of the Press Council of India. He also contributes to various social and cultural organisations in honorary leadership capacities.

The Press Trust of India, established in 1947 shortly after Independence, is the largest and oldest privately-owned news agency in the country. Owned by a consortium of Indian newspapers, PTI reinvests its profits into development and modernisation, with shareholders receiving no financial dividends.

In addition to Dr Gupta, Shreyams Kumar and Shanth Kumar, the 15-member PTI Board has several prominent figures: Aveek Sarkar (Ananda Bazar Patrika), Vijay Kumar Chopra (Punjab Kesari), Vineet Jain (Times of India), N Ravi (The Hindu), Viveck Goenka (The Express Group), Riyad Mathew (Malayala Manorama), Sameer Singh (Hindustan Times), L Adimoolam (Dinamalar) and Hormusji N Cama (Bombay Samachar). The board also features economist Prof Deepak Nayyar, former Foreign Secretary and NSA Shivshankar Menon and former executive director of Tata Sons Ltd R Gopalakrishnan.
PTI