India’s digital news ecosystem is at a critical juncture, with technology, artificial intelligence, regulatory frameworks and audience expectations coming together to reshape the future of journalism. At the DNPA Conclave 2026, leaders from media, technology and policy discussed how trustworthiness, verified content and India’s expanding digital public infrastructure are redefining the responsibilities and opportunities of news organizations.MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan said technology can enhance journalism by amplifying credible and responsible reporting, stressing the need to prioritize verified information in an era of rapid digital change.“If you create the right content, technology will help you amplify the right message.”He stressed the public responsibility of publishers to ensure that verified and curated information takes precedence over unverified material circulated online.“Creating verified content is a social responsibility and a social necessity. Any verified and curated content obviously needs to have priority and more privileges than any other content that is randomly published.”The secret meeting also highlighted the convergence of pressures facing Indian media. Artificial intelligence adoption, regulatory recalibration, advertiser scrutiny and audience distrust are unfolding simultaneously, compressing change and reducing the space for trial-and-error strategies. Publishers now face structural decisions that will determine long-term direction rather than short-term growth, especially in a diverse market characterized by language diversity, uneven connectivity and significant youth participation.Speaking during the fireside chat on ‘Evolving Telecom and Digital Infrastructure Landscape’, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti added perspective on India’s digital foundation, highlighting how telecom and digital systems are changing access to information and connectivity.Vineet Nayar, founder and chairman of Sampark Foundation and former CEO of HCL Technologies, delivered a talk on “India’s Digital Identity Architecture,” explaining how India’s public digital infrastructure (covering governance, finance, and identity) is reshaping citizens’ expectations for access, authentication, and trust. For media organizations, this shows that credibility, inclusion and accessibility are no longer optional, but core to their role.India’s digital public infrastructure positions technology as a civic architecture, placing media at the heart of the broader digital citizenship ecosystem. Globally, India is seen as a model for integrating technology, governance and public interest, with media being both a player and a stakeholder in this transformation.The conclave, themed ‘Rewriting the Playbook for a Resilient Digital Future’, brought together leaders to explore how trust, innovation, artificial intelligence, regulation and sustainable growth will shape the next phase of journalism in India.
