‘Newspaper of the Future’ challenge held at IIT Saarang 2026

The Hindu Group hosted “The Newspaper of the Future”, a student competition at IIT Saarang 2026, inviting participants to reimagine how newspapers can engage young readers in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

The contest focused on designing a future-ready newspaper experience for the 18–24 age group, while retaining the core principles of journalism such as credibility, public interest, and responsible reporting.

Students were encouraged to propose print, digital or hybrid concepts that used technology meaningfully to enhance storytelling and reader engagement.

A total of 100 students across 30 teams participated in the preliminary round. Based on idea submissions and visual mock-ups, 10 teams were shortlisted for the final round.

The teams presented their concepts live at IIT Saarang 2026 before a jury comprising Sridhar Arnala, Chief Sales and Distribution Officer, The Hindu Group, and Nagaraj N., Vice President – Data and Analytics and Designated AI Officer, The Hindu Group.

“We designed a Gen Z–focused newspaper that prioritises visual storytelling over long-form reading,” said Vir Jain of the winning team Reporters, along with Shambhuraj Salunkhe and Rajvardhan Waghmare. “Our concept features comic-style visual narratives to explain news flow, a ‘follow-a-case’ format for in-depth story tracking, and an AI reporter that reads and summarises news without compromising journalistic values.”

The Hindu is the media partner for IIT Saarang 2026.