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Mint (newspaper)
Mint (newspaper)
from Wikipedia

Mint is an Indian business and financial daily newspaper published by HT Media, a Delhi-based media group which is controlled by the K. K. Birla family. The family also publishes Hindustan Times.[2] Mint was launched in 2007 and specializes in business and politics.[3]

Key Information

It publishes a single national edition distributed in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. Mint is not published on Sunday. Every Saturday, it prints its sister magazine, Mint Lounge. It was India's first newspaper to be published in the Berliner format.[4][5] The former editor of The Wall Street Journal India, Raju Narisetti ran Mint from its founding in 2007 to 2008.[6] Narisetti was succeeded by Sukumar Ranganathan, who served as an editor until 2017.[7]

In 2014, Mint and The Wall Street Journal ended their seven-year editorial partnership.[8] The companies now have a content syndication agreement as well as a subscriptions bundle. In 2017, former editor of Khaleej Times Vinay R. Kamat was appointed as Editor, replacing Sukumar Ranganathan.[9][10] In November 2020, Sruthijith Kurupichankandy, better known as SK, was appointed Editor-in-chief.[11]

History

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Launch

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Mint began in collaboration with The Wall Street Journal on 1 February 2007, with the Journal's former deputy managing editor, Raju Narisetti as its founding editor.[12]

Relaunch

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In 2016, Mint changed from the Berliner format it popularised in India and became a broadsheet. Mint also publishes Mint Lounge as a Saturday cultural edition.[13]

Livemint website

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After struggling in the initial years, the Livemint website is now the second most read business news website in India, behind The Economic Times.[14] After HT Media Limited acquired VCCircle from News Corp in 2020, the Livemint website also shares content with the VCCircle and TechCircle websites. The Deals, Tech and Startups page on the Mint newspaper routinely gets content from both VCCircle and TechCircle.[15]

Notable employees (past and present)

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Mint is an Indian daily business and financial newspaper published by HT Media Ltd., a Delhi-based media group controlled by the K. K. Birla family, and launched on 1 February 2007 in partnership with The Wall Street Journal. Headquartered in New Delhi, it provides coverage of economic policy, corporate affairs, markets, and industry analysis aimed at professionals and decision-makers. Mint distinguishes itself through clear, unbiased reporting on India's economic landscape, emphasizing long-form journalism and data-driven insights over sensationalism. By 2024, its digital platform had achieved substantial reach, attracting 42 million unique monthly visitors and ranking as India's second-largest business daily by audience engagement. The publication has earned recognition, including a Gold award at the 2010 IFRA Asia Media Awards for special coverage and selection as India's top media product in 2009 by advertisers. While generally rated as least biased with mixed factual accuracy due to occasional unverified claims, Mint has faced limited controversies, such as a 2008 copyright dispute with the Centre for Science and Environment over report usage.

History

Founding and Launch (2007)

Mint was founded by , the publishing arm of the group controlled by the family, as a dedicated business daily aimed at providing clear, accessible economic and financial reporting in . The initiative stemmed from 's strategy to enter the competitive market, which at the time was dominated by established players like and , by leveraging a partnership for global content integration. In a strategic alliance with Dow Jones & Company, publishers of The Wall Street Journal, Mint secured an exclusive content-sharing agreement that supplied four pages of international news and analysis from WSJ's 1,900 journalists each weekday, adapted for Indian readers. This collaboration, announced in late 2006, enabled Mint to differentiate itself through a blend of local insights and global perspectives, with the newspaper adopting the Berliner format—compact yet broadsheet-like—for enhanced readability, marking it as India's first such publication. Raju Narisetti, formerly deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal India, was appointed as the founding editor to oversee the launch. The newspaper launched its first issue on February 1, 2007, simultaneously in and , priced at ₹2 to attract a broad readership amid a market questioning the need for another daily. The inaugural edition featured coverage of the Tata Group's acquisition of Corus on January 31 as its lead story, signaling an emphasis on major corporate developments. Initial operations focused on building circulation through targeted marketing, with the paper positioning itself as a "refreshing" alternative via structured sections on markets, companies, economy, and technology, supported by data-driven graphics. By November 2007, expansion to Bangalore began with an initial print run of 12,000 copies, reflecting early growth momentum.

Early Expansion and Challenges

Following its launch in Delhi and Mumbai on February 1, 2007, Mint rapidly expanded its print presence to Bangalore on November 13, 2007, targeting the city's status as a major commercial hub. This move capitalized on growing demand for specialized business journalism in southern markets, with investing in local printing and distribution to support the rollout. The expansion continued amid economic headwinds, with new editions in launched on May 1, 2009, and on July 1, 2009, completing a national footprint across key metros in under three years. These additions drove readership to approximately 175,000 by mid-2009, a 25% increase year-over-year, establishing Mint as India's second-most-read business daily behind the dominant . However, competition from entrenched players like posed ongoing hurdles, requiring Mint to differentiate through its Wall Street Journal-licensed content and cleaner layout to capture market share. The 2008 global financial crisis presented significant challenges, as Indian firms curtailed budgets amid cost pressures, leading to a 5% decline in Mint's ad revenues in certain reporting periods during fiscal 2010. anticipated Mint achieving profitability by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 (January-March 2009), but the slowdown delayed full revenue realization despite strong circulation gains. Overall, these early years tested Mint's resilience, with operational costs for multi-city printing and staffing offset by gradual advertiser uptake in a contracting market.

Digital Integration and Relaunch Initiatives

In September 2012, Mint established an integrated newsroom to unify operations across its print and digital platforms, enabling seamless content production and distribution between the newspaper and Livemint.com. This initiative included a comprehensive revamp of Livemint.com, enhancing its , capabilities, and real-time market data integration to better serve digital audiences seeking instantaneous updates. By September 2016, Mint underwent a full relaunch positioned as "a for the digital era," shifting its print format from to a more compact design while deepening synergy with Livemint.com through shared editorial resources and cross-platform storytelling. The changes emphasized mobile-first content adaptation, expanded video and interactive features on the digital side, and a unified branding strategy to address declining print readership amid rising online consumption of financial news in . In January 2019, Livemint.com pursued further digital evolution with a revamp aimed at transitioning toward a subscription-based model, introducing premium paywalls for in-depth and exclusive content while maintaining free access to core market updates. executive Rajiv Bansal noted this as part of broader efforts to monetize digital traffic, projecting rollout across platforms including print integrations like Mint over subsequent months. These steps reflected Mint's adaptation to data-driven user engagement metrics, with Livemint.com reporting sustained growth in unique visitors focused on economic reporting.

Ownership and Operations

HT Media and Birla Family Control

HT Media Limited, the entity responsible for publishing Mint, operates as a publicly listed company on Indian stock exchanges, with its flagship publications including the Hindustan Times and Mint. , a entity, holds a majority stake of 69.51% in as of March 31, 2024, ensuring family dominance over strategic decisions despite the of approximately 30.5% shares held by institutional and retail investors. Shobhana Bhartia, daughter of the late industrialist Krishna Kumar Birla, serves as chairperson and editorial director of , positions she has held since inheriting oversight of the group following her father's legacy. Under her leadership, has maintained operational continuity across its print and digital arms, with Mint launched in 2007 as a specialized daily to complement the broader portfolio. The Birla family's control is rooted in historical acquisition: in 1933, they purchased the newspaper from its founders, transforming it into a cornerstone of their media interests, which expanded to include Mint under the same governance structure. This promoter-led structure, typical of family-held Indian conglomerates, vests power on key appointments, including editorial roles, with the family retaining influence over content direction and expansion strategies, as evidenced by HT Media's diversification into digital platforms like Livemint.com. While public shareholders provide liquidity, the concentrated ownership by Hindustan Times Limited—itself non-listed and Birla-managed—limits external sway, aligning operations with long-term family objectives rather than short-term market pressures.

Publishing Logistics and Circulation

Mint is printed at multiple facilities operated by its parent company, , which maintains a network of printing presses across to support efficient production and distribution of its single national edition. Key printing centers include those in for northern regions and Hyderabad for southern distribution, with expansions enabling localized for better timeliness. In November 2023, launched dedicated print editions in and , leveraging existing infrastructure to serve expanded areas like the Tri-City region (, , ) and surrounding cities such as , , , and towns in . The newspaper's distribution logistics rely on HT Media's established , involving contractual transportation fleets for timely delivery to subscribers and vendors in major urban centers. It reaches readers primarily in metropolitan hubs including , , Bangalore, Hyderabad, , , , , , and , ensuring broad coverage of India's key economic regions through a centralized and decentralized model. Print circulation figures for Mint are not prominently detailed in recent Audit Bureau of Circulations reports, reflecting its niche positioning as a daily amid a shift toward digital metrics; advertising platforms estimate average daily print runs around 250,000 copies across editions. As India's second-largest financial by readership, it sustains targeted distribution to business professionals, though overall print volumes have faced industry-wide pressures from digital alternatives. HT Media's FY2025 financials indicate group-wide circulation declines, underscoring broader challenges in sustaining physical copy volumes.

Content and Format

The print edition of Mint adopts a format since September 2016, transitioning from its original Berliner size introduced at launch to accommodate expanded content depth and advertising space while maintaining a focus on readability and visual clarity. This shift enabled larger page layouts for data-heavy features like charts and infographics, distinguishing it from competitors through a emphasizing compact yet informative presentation of financial information. Daily editions feature a modular structure with core sections including "First" for lead business and economic stories, "Think" for analytical pieces on policy and trends, followed by dedicated coverage of companies, markets, under "Money," and industry-specific reports. and content appears toward the rear, prioritizing evidence-based commentary over . The layout incorporates QR codes linking print articles to extensions on the digital platform, enhancing without altering the physical format's emphasis on standalone utility. A key feature is the Saturday supplement Mint Lounge, a standalone in format dedicated to , , books, , and leisure interests tailored to professionals, often lauded for its in-depth, non-financial narratives. Early editions included a weekly "Campaign" insert on and , though its continuity post-launch remains unconfirmed in recent operational details. Overall, the print structure prioritizes precision in economic reporting, with features like segmented classifieds and preserved column widths to mirror digital navigation for hybrid readers.

Livemint Digital Platform Evolution

Livemint.com, the digital companion to the Mint newspaper, was launched on February 1, 2007, coinciding with the print edition's debut, providing online access to business and economic news with an initial focus on mirroring print content. In September 2012, Mint introduced India's first integrated newsroom for print and digital, adopting a "web-first" strategy where reporters prioritized online filing of stories and exclusive digital content throughout the day. The accompanying website revamp featured a cleaner magazine-style design, enhanced navigation with a floating toolbar, improved article interlinking (including related stories, keywords, and context-specific data like stock prices), and refined search for multimedia. This overhaul, supported by a multi-channel marketing push, drove record page views on launch day and aligned with Mint's editorial emphasis on relevant, user-friendly delivery. A major redesign occurred on January 20, 2019, introducing infinite scrolling, card-based layouts inspired by habits, and measures to reduce user exits (such as limiting back-button navigation), aimed at boosting engagement and competing with rivals like . The update included plans for a partial to monetize premium content, alongside app enhancements for market tracking. By 2023, these evolutions contributed to Livemint becoming the world's fastest-growing news website, with a 49% year-over-year increase in page visits, and a 25% compound annual revenue growth rate through 2024, driven by digital subscriptions and expanded business-focused offerings.

Editorial Approach

Business and Economic Reporting Style

Mint's business and economic reporting emphasizes in-depth, unbiased analysis and insightful commentary on the Indian and global economy, markets, and developments, distinguishing it through structured folios tailored to diverse business reader needs. This approach prioritizes empirical data integration, such as market dashboards and data visualizations, to provide actionable insights for decision-makers tracking economic indicators, corporate performance, and fiscal policies. Coverage extends to stock markets, startups, and macroeconomic trends, often featuring long-form articles that dissect causal factors behind economic shifts with clarity and minimal clutter. The style adheres to a that guides reporters toward factual accuracy, independence from undue influence, and avoidance of in financial , fostering reliability in an industry prone to volatility-driven narratives. Economic stories typically incorporate quantitative metrics—like GDP growth rates, figures, and balances—alongside qualitative assessments of regulatory impacts, presented in an accessible format to bridge complex analyses for audiences without diluting rigor. This data-centric method contrasts with more narrative-heavy competitors, aiming to empower readers with tools for informed and evaluation rather than speculative hype. Editorial practices include dedicated sections for , market updates, and opinion columns drawing from policy experts, ensuring comprehensive yet concise treatment of topics like fiscal reforms and global trade dynamics. While maintaining a focus on growth-oriented reporting as an "unbiased chronicler" of India's economy, the outlet incorporates forward-looking perspectives on challenges such as tariff negotiations and sectoral disruptions, supported by verifiable from official sources.

Independence, Biases, and Political Influences

Mint, as a business-oriented newspaper published by HT Media Ltd., operates under a code of journalistic conduct that explicitly commits to editorial independence, emphasizing the separation of news from advertising, opinion, and ownership influences to uphold integrity and public trust. This framework aims to insulate reporting from commercial pressures, with guidelines prohibiting conflicts of interest and requiring transparency in sourcing. Despite these internal safeguards, the publication's ownership by HT Media—controlled by the Birla family through chairperson and editorial director Shobhana Bhartia—introduces potential pro-business inclinations, as family business interests in sectors like commodities and manufacturing could subtly favor market-friendly policies and deregulation narratives. Bhartia's role, including her past Rajya Sabha nomination by the Congress party in 2006 and strategic partnerships like the 2009 tie-up with the Wall Street Journal for content collaboration, underscores her influence over HT Media's direction, though no verified instances document direct intervention in Mint's daily editorial decisions. Assessments of Mint's biases describe it as least biased overall, with balanced story selection that avoids overt editorializing on political matters, though it exhibits by lightly covering controversies involving both ruling (BJP) and opposition parties to minimize backlash. This caution aligns with broader trends in Indian corporate media, where reliance on government advertising revenue—HT Media reported ₹1,200 crore in total revenue for FY2023, a portion from ads—can temper criticism of failures or . Economically, Mint displays a center-right tilt, prioritizing free-market analysis and corporate perspectives in coverage of reforms, trade, and , as evidenced by consistent advocacy for since its 2007 launch amid India's post-1991 economic opening. User and analyst perceptions on platforms like and reinforce this, noting a business-oriented lens that favors right-leaning economic views while occasionally featuring left-leaning , but rarely delving into investigative exposés that challenge elite interests. Political influences on Mint remain indirect, shaped more by India's media ecosystem than overt partisanship; unlike general news outlets, its niche focus limits alignment with electoral cycles, though HT Media's parentage has drawn scrutiny for selective emphasis during events like the and elections, where coverage balanced growth narratives under BJP governance with critiques of inequality. No major controversies accuse Mint of government-directed , distinguishing it from outlets labeled "godi media" for pro-BJP , but systemic pressures—such as the 2021 IT Rules mandating grievance officers and content traceability—have prompted industry-wide restraint. Factual reporting earns mixed ratings due to occasional unverified claims in opinion-adjacent pieces, underscoring the need for reader cross-verification amid ownership-driven incentives for advertiser-friendly narratives.

Reception and Impact

Readership Metrics and Market Position

Mint maintains a strong position as India's second-largest business daily by readership, trailing only . According to the (IRS) data referenced in industry analyses as of May 2025, Mint ranks second among business s all-India, behind Economic Times Mumbai edition, with placing third. Print circulation figures for Mint hover around 250,000 copies daily, supporting its targeted reach among urban professionals and decision-makers, though exact recent Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) data remains limited amid a broader industry shift toward digital platforms. In the digital realm, Livemint.com, Mint's online counterpart, has emerged as a leading platform, recording 42.3 million unique visitors in October 2024, surpassing The Economic Times across platforms per Comscore metrics. By November 2024, it attracted 37 million unique visitors and generated 162 million page views, solidifying its #2 ranking among Indian business news websites. Traffic analytics for September 2025 place Livemint.com at #123 in overall and #22 in the news and media category, with monthly unique visitors exceeding 50 million in prior peaks, though subject to fluctuations like a 43% year-over-year dip reported in some 2025 aggregates. Mint's market position reflects a niche focus on premium, in-depth , appealing to affluent readers and advertisers in sectors like and policy. It competes effectively with (market leader with broader market coverage) and (noted for analytical depth), but differentiates through HT Media's integrated print-digital ecosystem, reaching over 650,000 decision-makers via combined channels. This dual strength positions Mint as a key player in India's fragmented business media landscape, where digital engagement increasingly drives influence despite print's enduring role in credibility and subscriptions.

Awards, Recognition, and Influence on Policy Discourse

Mint has received several accolades for its , , and editorial content. In , it won a in the Best in Special Coverage category at the IFRA (now WAN-IFRA) Asian Media Awards for its coverage of economic issues. By 2014, Mint secured two Excellence in Journalism Awards, including one in the commentary category for Niranjan Rajadhyaksha's Café Economics column, recognizing its analytical depth in analysis. In 2019, reporter Teena Thacker received the Citi Journalistic Excellence for investigative reporting on Johnson & Johnson's faulty hip implants in , highlighting Mint's role in consumer safety exposés with policy implications. The publication's design and supplementary sections have also been honored. In 2020, Mint won the Best Newspaper Front Page Design award at the WAN-IFRA 19th Asian Media Awards for its May 27, 2019, edition front page. Mint Lounge, its weekend magazine, earned two Red Ink Awards from the Mumbai Press Club in 2021 for features on arts and personal narratives, affirming its quality in long-form journalism. Over its first decade, Mint accumulated multiple journalism awards, including for investigative series on infrastructure projects like the Sethusamudram canal. In terms of broader recognition, Mint is described as an award-winning publication esteemed by Indian business leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers for its data-driven economic reporting. Mint Lounge is widely regarded as India's premier Saturday magazine for its in-depth features and opinion pieces that extend beyond into cultural and societal analysis. These honors underscore Mint's reputation for rigorous, independent economic journalism amid a media landscape often criticized for advertiser influence and shallow coverage. Mint contributes to policy discourse through specialized reporting on fiscal reforms, trade policies, and regulatory changes, often cited in economic analyses. Its events, such as the annual Mint BFSI Summit and Investment Summit, convene policymakers, regulators, and industry executives to debate issues like banking reforms and , fostering direct input into regulatory frameworks. While causal attribution of specific policy shifts to Mint's coverage remains unquantified, its focus on empirical data and first-principles critiques of government interventions—such as GST rollout challenges and tariff impacts—positions it as a to state-aligned narratives in media. This influence is amplified by its readership among Delhi's policy elite, though tempered by ownership ties to that may constrain bolder critiques.

Controversies

In October 2008, Mint, published by Ltd., accused the (CSE), an Indian , of for reproducing over 800 Mint articles on CSE's environmental portal, indiaenvironmentportal.org.in, without authorization. The allegations were first publicized in a blog post by Mint's editor, , on October 18, 2008, highlighting the unauthorized full-text republication of articles, which Mint argued deprived it of potential licensing revenue and violated its rights. HT Media, Mint's parent company and majority shareholder alongside , issued two legal notices to CSE demanding removal of the content, but CSE responded by claiming partial compliance while the materials remained accessible. CSE defended its actions by potentially invoking the fair dealing exception under Section 52(1)(m) of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957, which permits reproduction of articles on current events in or periodicals unless the has reserved such —a notice absent in the disputed Mint pieces. However, Mint contested the applicability of this provision, asserting that CSE's online portal did not qualify as a traditional ", , or other periodical" and that verbatim copying of entire works exceeded limits, lacking transformative elements like criticism or . Critics noted irony in CSE's position, given its own strict policy prohibiting unauthorized reproduction of its content, such as that published in its Down to Earth. On December 21, 2008, the Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte injunction in favor of HT Media, ordering CSE to immediately remove all infringing HT Media content from its website and refrain from further unauthorized use of such materials. The ruling emphasized the prima facie evidence of infringement, prioritizing copyright protection over CSE's aggregation claims, though the full merits of the fair dealing defense were not adjudicated at that stage. No further public resolution or appeal outcomes were reported beyond the interim order, underscoring ongoing uncertainties in applying pre-digital copyright exceptions to online platforms in India at the time.

Allegations of Ownership-Driven Editorial Slant

Critics have alleged that Mint's editorial stance reflects a pro- bias inherited from its parent company , driven by chairperson Shobhana Bhartia's nomination to the by the Congress party in 2006 and her perceived ties to its . Such claims posit that these affiliations influence coverage, particularly in opinion sections featuring columnists perceived as critical of the BJP or favoring liberal economic views. In a 2014 Reddit AMA, former Mint editor Sukumar Ranganathan faced direct questions on whether Bhartia's links affected reporting, including claims of a "pro- slant" impacting columns. Ranganathan denied interference, describing as "professionally run" with no owner meddling, and emphasized Mint's commitment to free markets over party loyalty: "We are not for any particular person or party. We believe in free markets and free people." Mint's internal code of journalistic conduct mandates avoidance of and inaccuracies while prohibiting actions that implicitly harm HT Media's , which some interpret as a safeguard for ownership interests. Despite these perceptions, no documented cases of story suppression or direct editorial overrides by owners appear in investigative reports from outlets like the . Media bias assessments rate Mint as least biased overall, citing balanced story selection and minimal editorializing, in contrast to ' left-center rating. These evaluations suggest that while ownership ties fuel skepticism—especially amid broader concerns over Indian media houses' political alignments— of slant-driven interference remains anecdotal and unverified.

Key Personnel

Founding Editors and Leadership Transitions

Raju Narisetti, previously editor of The Wall Street Journal India, served as the founding editor of Mint, which launched on February 1, 2007, under HT Media Ltd. Narisetti led the newspaper's initial development, emphasizing a distinctive business journalism approach modeled partly on The Wall Street Journal. In December 2008, Narisetti stepped down from his role, effective January 2009, to pursue opportunities abroad, including a position at The Washington Post. He was succeeded by R. Sukumar (full name Sukumar Ranganathan), who had joined HT Media in 2006 as managing editor of Mint and brought prior experience from Business Today magazine. Under Sukumar's nine-year tenure from 2009 to 2017, Mint expanded its awards haul, including multiple Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards and Society of Publishers in Asia recognitions, while maintaining a focus on analytical business coverage. Sukumar transitioned in September 2017 to become of Hindustan Times, prompting further changes at Mint. In November 2020, Sruthijith KK (also known as Sruthijith Kurupichankandy) assumed the role of , overseeing digital integration and content strategies amid evolving media consumption trends. Sruthijith's tenure emphasized Mint's adaptation to online platforms until September 2023, when Ravi Krishnan was appointed , succeeding him and bringing expertise from financial journalism at outlets like Bloomberg and . These transitions reflect HT Media's efforts to align editorial with shifting market demands, including digital growth and competitive pressures in Indian media.

Notable Journalists and Contributors

R. Sukumar served as one of Mint's founding editors upon its launch on February 4, 2007, and held the position of editor from 2008 to 2017, overseeing its early growth into a leading business daily with a focus on analytical financial reporting. Sruthijith KK, often known as SK, was appointed editor-in-chief in November 2020, leading Mint through expansions in digital content and data-driven journalism until September 2023. Ravi Krishnan succeeded as editor-in-chief in September 2023, bringing experience from real-time financial news platforms to emphasize Mint's role in covering market dynamics and corporate strategies. Among contributors, Rajadhyaksha, as former executive editor, authored the influential "Café Economics" column from Mint's inception until August 2018, providing in-depth analysis of macroeconomic trends and policy impacts. N. Madhavan, a senior editor since November 2022, specializes in macroeconomy, policy, and corporate sectors, drawing on prior roles at outlets like Hindu BusinessLine to offer evidence-based commentary on economic reforms. Bibek Bhattacharya, deputy editor of Mint Lounge and national editor, has contributed for over seven years, focusing on cultural-economic intersections with 21 years of journalistic experience. Anil Padmanabhan, deputy managing editor, writes weekly on the nexus of and , enhancing Mint's coverage of debates.

References

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