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Tag: Kalli Purie

  • From print to AI how news keeps up with times

    From print to AI how news keeps up with times

    MUMBAI: Wake up, check your phone, catch a podcast, scroll a story, news never sleeps. At a lively session on “Credibility in the Age of Chaos & Media’s Role in Shaping India’s Identity,” India Today Group vice chairperson and editor-in-chief Kalli Purie joined Business Standard columnist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, to explore how a 50-year-old brand stays relevant in a 24 by 7 media whirlwind.

    Purie reflected on longevity and adaptation. “Fifty is the new 25. Men age, magazines don’t,” she said, highlighting how India Today has evolved from a fortnightly publication to producing over 120,000 content pieces every month across print, video, podcasts, social media, and live events.

    Kohli-Khandekar added a sharp perspective on the challenge of capturing audience attention in a saturated media environment. “Where does news lie in this era of short stories, micro dramas, and podcasts? How does it stay relevant and profitable?” she asked, emphasising the need for integration across platforms to maintain trust and impact.

    The discussion turned to technology and AI, where Purie revealed some pioneering initiatives. From AI anchors covering Bihar elections to AI-assisted translations and folk music storytelling, India Today has been embracing innovation to increase efficiency, reduce monotony, and explore new revenue streams. “AI is like a sandwich,” she quipped. “Human bread with AI in between. The human touch has to remain.”

    Purie stressed that technology alone cannot replace credibility. “You are a primary source. People want news from a human perspective, on the ground. AI cannot tell that story… yet,” she said, hinting at a future where robots might cover hazardous assignments while humans oversee the narrative.

    The session also highlighted India’s media identity in a global context. Purie noted, “People want sources from their own country. Digital imperialism is real, but Indian media has to assert its relevance.” Kohli-Khandekar added that 24 by 7 connectivity requires news organisations to adapt fast, integrate teams across platforms, and keep audiences engaged with stories that matter locally and globally.

    The conversation showcased how a legacy brand like India Today balances tradition and innovation, human insight and artificial intelligence, local identity and global perspective. Purie’s parting thought summed it up perfectly: staying credible, creative, and connected is the ultimate headline.

  • AI meets news: India Today leads the way

    AI meets news: India Today leads the way

    MUMBAI: When it comes to news, India Today is taking a deeper dive. The media giant has become the first in the APAC region to launch Taboola’s Deeperdive, a Gen AI answer engine designed to bring instant, trustworthy answers straight to readers on its own sites.

    Deeperdive taps into decades of India Today’s rich editorial content, allowing readers to ask questions on anything from election analysis to trending stories, and get AI-powered answers sourced from trusted journalists. The engine even suggests related queries, keeping users engaged longer and exploring more of the site.

    “Pioneering journalism means being future-ready,” said India Today Group vice chairperson and executive editor-in-chief Kalli Purie. “With Deeperdive, we’re offering richer experiences, staying connected to our readers, and unlocking new AI-powered frontiers of engagement and monetisation.”

    Taboola CEO and founder Adam Singolda added, “India Today is a must-visit destination for news and analysis. Deeperdive lets them join the Gen AI revolution on their own terms, delivering trusted answers while opening search-like advertising opportunities.”

    Built to understand the “pulse of the internet,” Deeperdive analyses trends from over 600 million daily users across 9,000 publishers. Unlike traditional AI engines, it uses real-time data to deliver timely, contextual insights, ensuring readers get answers that matter, right when they need them.

    For publishers, this means longer reader engagement, more site exploration, and high-intent ad revenue within their own environments, all while maintaining a seamless, intuitive experience.

    With 50 years of journalistic excellence and a digital presence spanning Aaj Tak, Business Today, and The Lallantop, India Today is leveraging AI not just to keep pace with change, but to lead it, showing that when it comes to content, the future is very much now.

  • Teen spirit unfiltered as MO lifts the lid on Secret Lives of Teenagers

    Teen spirit unfiltered as MO lifts the lid on Secret Lives of Teenagers

    MUMBAI: When teens start talking, the world better listen. MO India Today Group’s Instagram-first Gen Z brand has rolled out a bold new experiment: Secret Lives of Teenagers (SLOT), a six-part Insta-first series that puts today’s young voices front and centre, no filters attached.

    Presented by Swiggy, the show assembles a group of outspoken, curious, and sometimes chaotic teenagers many of them students at top global universities who dive headfirst into the themes that define their generation. Think identity crises, ambition vs burnout, heartbreak and hookups, rebellion, mental health, and, of course, life lived perpetually online.

    The conversations are raw, hilarious, and painfully real, giving audiences parents, educators, marketers, and even brands, a rare peek into the psyche of Gen Z. For teens themselves, SLOT functions as a loudspeaker for experiences often sidelined: finally their truths, in their own words.

    What makes the format different is its Insta-first DNA. SLOT was born under MO, the India Today Group’s cultural playground for youth, designed to talk in the internet’s native language reels, memes, podcasts, and behind-the-scenes storytelling. With this series, MO flexes its credentials as a space where Gen Z can be messy, funny, and thoughtful, all at once.

    India Today Group vice chairperson and executive editor-in-chief Kalli Purie explained: “With SLOT, we’ve created a space that’s raw, real, and completely Gen Z no borrowed narratives. Digital-first brand MO and SLOT bring out the spontaneity of social storytelling. It doubles up as a resource for anyone wanting to understand Gen Z India.”

    Backing it, Swiggy Food Marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor will close every episode with his take on the “Gen Z vibe” for CMOs. As he put it: “Gen Z don’t follow trends, they set them. They’ve rewritten how we eat, shop, and live online. SLOT is a front-row seat to their world raw honesty, humour, and bold perspectives. For brands or parents trying to understand Gen Z, this is the place to start.”

    From Shoshthi to shindoor khela, festivals may belong to tradition but SLOT belongs to a generation intent on rewriting the rules of growing up. And on Instagram, where attention spans shrink and stories disappear in 24 hours, these teenagers are proving their own stories might just last longer.

  • Business Today rings in new market shows with opening and closing bell

    Business Today rings in new market shows with opening and closing bell

    MUMBAI: Markets may thrive on numbers, but sometimes it takes a sharp story to make sense of the swirl. finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman today struck the gong on a new phase of Business Today Multiverse, launching two dedicated market shows designed to keep investors ahead of the curve at the opening bell and right through to the close.

    The Market Opening show, airing 9:05 am to 9:30 am, promises a crisp 25-minute scan of overnight Wall Street movements, Asian market trends, and the first stirrings of Dalal Street. With early reads on the Sensex, Nifty and stock-specific triggers, the segment distils the noise into clarity giving professionals a cheat sheet for the business day ahead.

    Come 3:00 pm, the baton passes to Market Closing, a half-hour wrap that does more than just flash the ticker. Expect deep dives into sectoral trends, top gainers and laggards, institutional flows and macroeconomic sparks, all explained with context, not clutter. For investors, it’s the day’s financial screenplay neatly tied up before the curtains drop.

    Together, the twin programmes expand the Business Today Multiverse, an omnichannel media ecosystem that blends print depth, digital speed, broadcast punch and social conversations. For an audience hungry for credible financial information in uncertain times, the shows are positioned as trusted guides to navigate not just numbers, but narratives.

    Calling the new launch a “collab that matters”, Business Today vice chairperson and executive editor-in-chief Kalli Purie said: “What people need most is clarity backed by expertise. That’s where the authority of Business Today, a 35-year-old brand built on integrity and independence from vested industrial interests becomes invaluable. These new shows carry forward our promise to give audiences news that impacts their money, delivered with trust.”

    In an age where a single market ripple in New York can send tremors through Mumbai’s trading floors, the launch underscores how timeliness and transparency are no longer luxuries but essentials. By pairing editorial authority with real-time precision, Business Today Multiverse is betting that investors will tune in not just for numbers but for the story behind them.

  • Kalli Purie urges RSS to boost women’s role in leadership at book launch

    Kalli Purie urges RSS to boost women’s role in leadership at book launch

    MUMBAI: When Kalli Purie took the mic, she made sure the Sangh heard more than just polite applause. Speaking in the presence of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the launch of Tan Samarpit, Man Samarpit, a biography of swayamsevak Ramesh Prakash India Today group vice chairperson called for women to find stronger footing in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s leadership structures.

    Purie praised the Sangh’s famed simplicity, discipline, and its unusual ability for century-long planning, referencing its centennial blueprint and Panch Parivartan vision. But she also pushed the envelope, noting that corruption must not be normalised as “a way of life”. She spotlighted India Today’s experiment with Gross Domestic Behaviour (GDB), a metric designed to gauge civic discipline, inclusivity, gender balance, and attitudes towards corruption.

    Her candour drew a direct response from the Sarsanghchalak himself. Bhagwat stressed that true social transformation cannot come from ideas alone: “Knowledge is not enough. Change comes only when it reflects in the swayamsevak’s life through discipline, example, and practice.”

    On the question of women’s representation, he pointed to the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women’s wing founded in 1936, which he described as running in parallel to the RSS. “Wherever there are swayamsevaks, women are alongside,” he said, adding that in many regions, women are invited into core meetings, their proposals are included, and their role in decision-making is expanding. “Fifty per cent of society cannot be kept outside,” he underlined, while noting that processes differ across states, which he framed as a mark of the Sangh’s evolving nature.

    Yet Bhagwat also added a note of balance: “Rashtra seva should never come at the cost of family duties. The two are complementary, not contradictory.”

    Between Purie’s call for parity and Bhagwat’s emphasis on gradual adaptation, the evening turned into more than just a book launch, it became a mirror to the Sangh’s ongoing conversation about gender, governance, and the path to social change.

  • Hello! makes a grand entrance in India with a desi twist on glamour

    Hello! makes a grand entrance in India with a desi twist on glamour

    MUMBAI: Say hello to the newest sparkle in India’s glossy galaxy. In a move that’s set to redefine celebrity journalism and luxury lifestyle reportage, the India Today Group has officially launched the Indian edition of the world-renowned Hello! magazine in partnership with HOLA! S.L.

    The Spanish-born magazine, beloved globally for its inside access to star-studded lives, royal soirées, dream homes, and haute couture, is now ready to charm Indian readers in both print and digital formats. From cover-to-cover glamour to Instagram-worthy exclusives, Hello! India promises to bring readers up close and personal with celebrities, fashion icons, and tastemakers with a touch of desi dazzle.

    Talking about the launch, India Today Group vice chairperson & executive editor-in-chief Kalli Purie said, “We are very excited to add HELLO! to our existing lifestyleportfolio. I am confident that Ruchika and Sakshi will use their vast experience to make Hello! a leading brand in India”

    “As Hola! completes 80 glorious years, we’re proud and delighted that Hello! India continues to be part of our story. We know that everyone who reads and connects with it will always find so much to celebrate,” said Hola S.L. Group and Hello! chairman Eduardo Sanchez Pérez.

    On the business front, India Today Group COO of lifestyle & luxury business Sakshi Kohli will lead the charge. A veteran of the group with more than 17 years of experience, Kohli has spearheaded other luxury titles like Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Brides Today.

    With a print edition, a strong digital presence, and marquee lifestyle events on the cards, Hello! India is poised to add a fresh, glossy glow to the country’s publishing landscape. So, whether it’s the latest red-carpet moment or a peek inside a palace, it’s time to say Hello! to a world of timeless glamour with an Indian soul.

  • Rahul Kanwal departs from TV Today

    Rahul Kanwal departs from TV Today

    MUMBAI: Rahul Kanwal, the journalistic juggernaut who steered India’s top news channels through tumultuous times, has resigned from the TV Today group.

    After a two decade plus -long innings at the broadcasting powerhouse, Kanwal is hanging up his microphone as news director of India Today and Aajtak, and executive director of Business Today. His departure marks the end of an era for a newsman who became the face of prime-time journalism in the subcontinent.

    The Harvard-educated presenter transformed the group’s digital footprint with remarkable alacrity. Under his watch, the 30-year-old Business Today brand underwent a digital metamorphosis that rivals would kill for.
    At the helm of a 500-strong reporting army, Kanwal’s editorial empire reached a staggering 400 million viewers monthly. The Newstrack anchor, famous for his centrist “question all, take no prisoners” approach, created waves by establishing the Data Intelligence Unit and Anti-Fake News War-Room when misinformation was running rampant.

    The Chevening fellow’s career trajectory has been nothing short of meteoric—from humble beginnings as a reporter at Zee News in 1999 to conquering the summit of Indian broadcast journalism over his 23-year career.
    Kalli Purie, vice-chairperson of the India Today Group, described Kanwal’s journey as “the quintessential India Today Group narrative—an extraordinary journey of organic growth, limitless opportunities, and a meteoric rise that benefited both sides.”

    In an internal memo to staff, Purie acknowledged their 22-year collaboration: “We’ve worked closely together, built formidable teams, created powerful editorial IPs, and traversed the length and breadth of our incredible country, collecting memories that will last a lifetime. Our newsroom is the envy of the media ecosystem.”

    She added: “Change is never easy, but as news professionals, it is our very lifeblood. It is what drives us forward. There is just so much to do as AI is again opening a new doorway, an exciting inflection point for content creators.”

    The CEO expressed confidence in the team Kanwal leaves behind: “He has mentored a strong second line, which is locked and loaded for what comes next. It’s now your turn to shine.”

  • India Today group unveils AI pop stars in groundbreaking musical initiative

    India Today group unveils AI pop stars in groundbreaking musical initiative

    MUMBAI: The India Today Group (ITG) has orchestrated another technological crescendo in its innovation symphony, launching a revolutionary new music genre called A-Pop featuring two virtual vocalists who promise to hit all the right algorithmic notes.

    Just two years after introducing Sana, reportedly India’s first AI news anchor who has since evolved from digital debutante to virtual veteran, the media powerhouse is now harmonising human creativity with artificial intelligence in the musical realm.

    “A-Pop is more than a genre — it is a fluid, evolving, and collaborative creative process,” explains ITG vice chairperson & managing director Kalli Purie. “It merges human imagination with AI capabilities, producing music that is unrestricted by conventional limitations.”

    The virtual virtuosos making their melodic debut are Aishan and Ruh, each with carefully crafted personalities that blend the authenticity of human backstories with the boundless potential of digital existence.

    AISHANAishan, a 22-year-old musical wunderkind with roots in Bareilly and Jodhpur, has been fine-tuning his craft since 17. This digital dream weaver blends indie acoustic, pop and R&B into a sonic tapestry that reflects his fabricated yet relatable life experiences. When not composing computer-generated compositions, this binary Bieber can be found embracing mountain scenery, sporting designer trainers, and maintaining his “old-money” aesthetic.

    Inspired by new people and sounds, his lyrics reflect his thoughts and experiences. An ambivert, he connects with fans but values his quiet moments. A Nainital soul, he’s drawn to the mountains, while also being a dog lover, bike enthusiast, sneakerhead, and food explorer, all with a classy, old-money style. 

    His virtual counterpart Ruh, a 24-year-old Delhi native, embodies the spirit of freedom in both personality and performance. This pixelated pop princess brings vibrant energy to new-age music while ostensibly travelling the world, absorbing diverse cultural influences that inform her distinctive sound. Her programming prioritises authenticity and self-expression, values designed to resonate with the group’s younger audience demographic. 
     

    RUHWith an extroverted, vibrant personality, she embraces adventure and travel, exploring new cultures to create new-age pop music. A passionate music lover, she uses it to express herself boldly and authentically. Driven by personal freedom, self-expression, and individuality, she inspires others to live authentically and pursue their passions without fear of judgment. 

    “Our latest foray into music is a sterling example of what the fusion of human creativity and AI can produce,” notes Purie. “A team of music professionals spent relentless hours over several weeks working with AI-led technology to create this pioneering work.”

    The virtual vocalists represent a new movement where the boundaries between human and machine creativity become increasingly blurred. Their songs may feature human-written lyrics with AI composition, or machine-generated verses with human musical arrangements, all delivered through synthesised voices that never tire or demand royalties.

    Unlike their flesh-and-blood counterparts, these digital divas can produce multilingual music, engage with fans around the clock, and personalise content based on audience preferences—offering a performance that’s literally inhuman in its consistency and availability.

    For listeners keen to tune into this binary balladeering, Aishan and Ruh’s musical offerings are available across all major streaming platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Saavn. Fans can also follow their carefully curated digital lives on social media, where these virtual performers will be hitting high notes and high engagement metrics for the foreseeable future.

  • Aaj Tak announced the winners of Sabse Tez Awards 2023

    Aaj Tak announced the winners of Sabse Tez Awards 2023

    Mumbai: The wait is finally over. Aaj Tak, (Source: BARC | HSM | 15+ | Wk 49-52’23 | 24 Hrs | Avrg Weekly Gross AMA 000s) has announced the winners of ‘Sabse Tez Awards’ in a special show which aired on 14 January 2024. In a multi-week campaign, viewers had voted for their favourite personalities in five different categories titled Sabse Tez Neta, Sabse Tez CM, Sabse Tez Actor, Sabse Tez Actress and Sabse Tez Cricketer.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been voted ‘Sabse Tez Neta’ of 2023. India Today Group chairman and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie and vice chairperson & MD Kalli Purie presented PM Modi with this award during their meeting with him. Earlier, PM Modi was chosen as India Today’s ‘Newsmaker of the Year 2023’. On this occasion, the PM had described the farmers, artisans, athletes and citizens of the country as the newsmakers of this year. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been adjudged as the ‘Sabse Tez Chief Minister’. After winning this award, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that he was deeply grateful to all those who had voted for him.

    Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has been chosen as the ‘Sabse Tez Hero’ for 2023. On this occasion, Shah Rukh Khan said, “Like always, I promise that because of this award, I will work even harder and with more dedication to provide you as much entertainment as possible.” The ‘Sabse Tez Actress’ award of 2023 has been given to nation’s heartthrob Deepika Padukone. After winning the award, Deepika expressed her gratitude to Aaj Tak and all the viewers. Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami has been selected as the ‘Sabse Tez Cricketer’ for 2023. After winning the award, Shami said, “I want to thank Aaj Tak and all the viewers of Aaj Tak for choosing me as Cricketer of the Year.”

    ‘Sabse Tez Awards’ has always managed to capture the nation’s pulse that resonates with millions of viewers. The unique democratic approach to the selection process involves various participation mediums like SMS, WhatsApp, and online voting, thus ensuring that the awards truly reflect the public’s sentiment. The ‘Sabse Tez Awards’ are a testament to Aaj Tak’s commitment to inclusivity and viewer engagement.

  • Kalli Purie is the new executive editor-in-chief of India Today Group

    Kalli Purie is the new executive editor-in-chief of India Today Group

    Mumbai: Existing vice president Kalli Purie of India Today Group was assigned additional charge as executive editor-in-chief of the group. She has been serving as vice president of the group since 2017. She is the daughter of Aroon Purie. In the internal communication in the company he wrote, ‘  I am designating her additional responsibility as executive editor in chief to being vice president chairperson of India Today Group.’

    In brief mail, Aroon Purie stated ‘ As you all know KP has been successfully heading the business and editing domains for a while. In line with her role, I would like to announce an additional designation for her as editor in chief of the India Today Group. This will not require any operational change for now.’

    She has been part of the group since 1996 heading from magazine, she also successfully served as Chief Operating Officer of the India Today Group Digital.