DNPA Conclave 2026: Global leaders assess AI impact, discuss future of digital news

The Fourth Annual Digital News Publishers Association Conclave (DNPA) 2026 brought together leaders from media, technology and policy to deliberate on the future of journalism in an increasingly complex digital environment.

Held under the theme “Rewriting the Playbook for a Resilient Digital Future,” the conclave focused on trust, innovation, artificial intelligence, regulation and sustainable growth, signalling a decisive moment for India’s digital news ecosystem.

The session began with a keynote address by Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman of Hero Enterprises. He examined why long-term capital remains limited for digital news networks. Munjal described the sector as relatively new but critical in shaping information distribution.


He stressed that building trust with audiences is fundamental to longevity. From an investor’s standpoint, he highlighted the importance of diversified revenue streams, questioning whether companies remain overly dependent on advertising or are exploring alternatives such as subscriptions and events.

He also observed that over the last two decades, investor approaches toward enterprises have undergone a dramatic shift, with greater emphasis on sustainable and scalable business models.

The first panel discussion, titled “From reach to results, influence vs performance: Where does digital news fit in the new media equation?” examined digital news from an agency lens.

The panel comprised of Ashwin Padmanabhan (WPP Media), Kartik Sharma (Omnicom Media Group India), Vinod Thadani (Dentsu Media & iPROSPECT) and Santosh P Kumar (Innocean India).


The session was moderated by Hemant Jain (Lokmat Media Group), where he questioned whether the industry is facing a perspective, product or measurement problem.

Kartik Sharma pointed out that measurement frameworks need sharper focus, highlighting that many clients still buy media based on impressions. He suggested moving towards defined target reach metrics for better outcomes. Vinod Thadani added that “performance” carries different meanings depending on the publisher and context, indicating that standardised definitions remain a challenge.

The second panel discussion, titled “The new economics of content in the AI age,” explored monetisation and content credibility amid rapid technological change.

Participants included Toshit Panigrahi (TollBit), Gowthaman Ragothaman (Saptharushi), Marcus Pousette (Magnite), Aaron Rigby (Taboola) and Bharat Gupta (ToBe & former CEO, Jagran New Media). The session was moderated by Puneet Jain (CEO, HT Digital).



While acknowledging that AI is disrupting traditional models, speakers agreed it also presents opportunities to redefine content creation and distribution. Responding to a question on whether AI-led monetisation could generate significant revenue within the next 12 months, Gowthaman Ragothaman cautioned that one year may be too short to make firm predictions.

Bharat Gupta emphasised that the ecosystem has shifted from simple content discovery and engagement to more complex monetisation pathways, urging publishers to adapt and redefine production strategies in response to changing discovery mechanisms.

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