Last year, Mathrubhumi made a choice. The 103-year-old publisher decided not to wait for digital change to force its hand. Instead, it started building its own intellectual property and launched events aimed at people far outside its old news base. The company’s leaders believe that IPs not tied to any one medium, plus community-driven events, can bring in new money and new faces. Old-school advertising is fading. Mathrubhumi wants to get ahead of that.
Mathrubhumi has recently expanded its branded-content and interest-based verticals to include health, tourism, property, and leadership, reflecting a broader shift toward community-focused franchises.
Devika says the old lines between readers and viewers are gone. People of all ages now use many platforms. Their interests mix in ways no one expected. Someone might follow both tech and art, or music and cars. By focusing on these overlaps, Mathrubhumi hopes to build properties that pull in people who never would have come for news alone.
This is a big gamble. The Kappa CULTR festival, for example, was a bold move into electronic music. Few expected it from a century-old publisher. But it worked. The festival opened doors to new communities that Mathrubhumi had never reached before. The group’s literature festival works the same way. It brings together people with different interests and pushes the brand beyond its news roots.
Business model shifts
Mathrubhumi continues to operate a large digital news ecosystem with active topic hubs and event-linked coverage, such as health conclaves and leadership awards, indicating an ongoing shift toward audience clusters and live/event properties.
Technology is another front. AI is changing the media business fast. Mathrubhumi is looking at how automation can cut out repetitive work and boost efficiency. But Devika draws a line. She warns that audience data should not run the newsroom. Data can help, but it can’t be the editor. The company wants to keep its journalistic identity, even as it adapts.
Mathrubhumi’s approach fits a bigger trend in Indian publishing. Legacy brands are under pressure to reinvent. As reported earlier, publishers are now focused on learning what their audiences care about and building direct ties, not just chasing ad money or pageviews.
Editorial identity at stake
For Mathrubhumi, the stakes are high. The company is willing to keep trying new formats, IPs, and business models. But it won’t drop its editorial standards. Devika says it’s too early to know which bets will pay off or what the business will look like in five years. The focus now is on staying financially strong and protecting the reputation for credible journalism that has lasted more than a century.
This path is risky. Diversifying takes money. Not every new idea will work. But with ad revenue shrinking and audiences splitting up, standing still is not an option. Mathrubhumi is ready to leave its comfort zone. It’s holding firm on editorial integrity. That’s the blueprint. The real test is coming. Can these interest-led IPs bring lasting growth without losing the values that built the brand? Time will tell.
