How a 1961 Indian newspaper became the world's second-largest English business daily

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Launched in 1961, The Economic Times has evolved from a traditional print publication into a massive multimedia conglomerate. Today, it stands as the second-most widely read English-language business newspaper globally, trailing only The Wall Street Journal, while simultaneously expanding its reach across nineteen Indian cities and eight distinct regional languages.

Founded by The Times Group, The Economic Times began its journey in 1961 under the leadership of its first editor, P. S. Hariharan. Over the subsequent decades, the publication solidified its role as a primary source for financial intelligence, covering the Indian economy, international finance, commodity markets, and share prices. By 2012, its influence was cemented by a daily readership exceeding 800,000, a figure that highlights its dominance in the business news sector.

The publication's growth strategy has been defined by aggressive diversification beyond print. In 2009, it entered the broadcast space with the launch of the television channel ET Now. This was followed by the 2018 introduction of ET Prime, a member-only storytelling platform, and the development of specialized digital tools like ET Portfolio. The brand has also expanded its footprint through niche platforms such as ETHRWorld and ETBrandEquity, which cater to specific professional sectors.

In recent years, the organization has prioritized linguistic accessibility to capture a broader demographic. After launching an ET Hindi website in 2017, the company underwent a significant expansion in 2022 by launching digital editions in seven additional Indian languages: Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada. This shift reflects a broader strategy to adapt to changing audience dynamics and maintain relevance in a rapidly digitizing media landscape, ensuring that financial literacy and business news remain accessible across India's diverse linguistic regions.

The editorial leadership has seen a succession of influential figures, including D. K. Rangnekar, who served from 1964 to 1979, and later editors like Hannan Ezekiel and T. N. Ninan. Currently, the publication is led by Bodhisattva Ganguli. Despite the digital pivot, the print edition remains a significant fixture, with the Audit Bureau of Circulations reporting an average circulation of 269,882 copies during the latter half of 2022.

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