DNPA Conclave 2026: India’s digital public infrastructure puts media at heart of civic innovation | India News
India’s digital news ecosystem is at a critical juncture as technology, artificial intelligence, regulatory frameworks and audience expectations converge to reshape the future of journalism. At DNPA Conclave 2026, media, technology and policy leaders discussed how credibility, verified content and India’s expanding digital public infrastructure are redefining the responsibilities and opportunities of news organizations.Technology can strengthen journalism by amplifying reliable and responsible reporting, S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, said, stressing the need to prioritize authenticated information in the era of rapid digital transformation.“If you create the right kind of content, technology will help you amplify the right kind of message.”He highlighted the public responsibility of publishers to ensure that verified and curated information prevails over unverified material circulating online.“There’s a social duty, and a social need to create authenticated content. Any content that’s authenticated and clearly curated needs to have priority and more privilege than any other content that’s just randomly put out there.”The conclave also emphasized the combination of pressure on the Indian media. Artificial intelligence adoption, regulatory overhauls, advertiser verification, and audience distrust are unfolding simultaneously, constricting change and reducing room for trial-and-error strategies. Publishers now face structural decisions that will dictate long-term direction rather than short-term growth, especially in a diverse market characterized by linguistic diversity, uneven connectivity and massive youth participation.Adding perspective on India’s digital foundation, Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, spoke during a fireside chat on The Evolving Telecom and Digital Infrastructure Landscape, highlighting how telecom and digital systems are transforming access to information and connectivity.Vineet Nair, founder-chairman of the Communication Foundation and former CEO of HCL Technologies, addressed the architecture of India’s digital identity, explaining how India’s public digital infrastructure — spanning governance, finance and identity — is reshaping citizen expectations around access, authentication and trust. For media organizations, this indicates that credibility, inclusion and accessibility are no longer optional – they are central to their role.India’s digital public infrastructure positions technology as civic architecture, placing media at the heart of a broader ecosystem of digital citizenship. Globally, India is being observed as a model for integrating technology, governance and public interest, with the media acting as a participant and a stakeholder in this transformation.Held under the theme “Rewriting the Playbook for a Resilient Digital Future”, the conclave brought together leaders to explore how trust, innovation, AI, regulation and sustainable growth will shape the next phase of India’s news industry.
