New Delhi: Vivek Gupta of Sanmarg was on Thursday elected the President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) — the apex body representing publishers of newspapers, magazines, and periodicals in India — for 2025-26, an official said. 

Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director of the Sanmarg Group, was elected at the 86th Annual General Meeting of the society, making him the first president from eastern India to helm INS in 32 years.

He succeeds M.V. Shreyams Kumar of Mathrubhumi. In his presidential address, Kumar lauded the indomitable resilience of the Indian newspaper industry amidst global adversities, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Gupta, a stalwart of the media industry, previously served as INS Vice President in 2024–25 and Honorary Treasurer, his elevation marks a historic milestone — he is the first president from eastern India to helm INS in 32 years, said the official in a statement.

Gupta’s election as the head of INS also underscoring the region’s growing prominence in the national media.

The newly-constituted leadership team includes Karan Rajendra Darda of Lokmat as Deputy President, Tanmay Maheshwari of Amar Ujala as Vice President, and Anant Nath of Grihshobhika as Honorary Treasurer. Mary Paul continues her tenure as the Secretary General.

The incoming leadership is poised to steer the Society through a transformative media landscape, championing press freedom, strategic policy advocacy, and digital metamorphosis, said the statement.

The other Members of the Executive Committee of the INS for the year 2025-26 are:

1. S. Balasubramanian Adityan (Daily Thanthi)

2. Girish Agarwal (Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal)

3. Samahit Bal (Pragativadi)

4. Samudra Bhattacharya (Hindustan Times, Patna)

5. Hormusji N. Cama (Bombay Samachar)

6. Gaurav Chopra (Filmi Duniya)

7. Vijay Kumar Chopra (Punjab Kesari, Jalandhar)

8. Dr. Vijay Jawaharlal Darda (Lokmat, Nagpur)

9. Jagjit Singh Dardi (Charhdikala Daily)

10. Pallavi S. Dempo (The Navhind Times)

11. Viveck Goenka (The Indian Express, Mumbai)

12. Mahendra Mohan Gupta (Dainik Jagran)

13. Pradeep Gupta (Dataquest)

14. Sanjay Gupta (Dainik Jagran, Varanasi)

15. Shailesh Gupta (Mid-Day)

16. Shivendra Gupta (Business Standard)

17. Yogesh P. Jadhav (Pudhari)

18. Rajesh Jain (New India Herald)

19. Sarvinder Kaur (Ajit)

20. Vilas A. Marathe (Dainik Hindusthan, Amravati)

21. Harsha Mathew (Vanitha)

22. Dhruba Mukherjee (Anandabazar Patrika)

23. P. V. Nidhish (Balabhumi)

24. Pratap G. Pawar (Sakal)

25. Rahul Rajkhewa (The Sentinel)

26. R.M. R. Ramesh (Dinakaran)

27. Atideb Sarkar (The Telegraph)

28. Amam S. Shah (Gujarat Samachar, Baroda & Surat)

29. Kiran D. Thakur (Tarun Bharat, Belgaum)

30. Sowbhagyalakshmi Kanekal Tilak (Mayura)

31. Biju Varghese (Mangalam Plus)

32. I. Venkat (Eenadu)

33. Kundan R. Vyas (Vyapar - Janmabhoomi)

34. Kiran B. Vadodaria (Western Times)

35. Somesh Sharma (Rashtradoot Saptahik)

36. Jayant Mammen Mathew (Malayala Manorama)

37. L. Adimoolam (Health & The Antiseptic)

38. Mohit Jain (Economic Times)

39. K. R. P. Reddy (Sakshi)

40. Rakesh Sharma (Aaj Samaj)

41. M. V. Shreyams Kumar (Mathrubhumi) (IANS)