Ten teams were shortlisted for the final round of the competition.
The competition aimed to design a future-proof newspaper experience for the 18 to 24 age group, while maintaining the core principles of journalism such as credibility, public interest and responsible reporting.
Students were encouraged to propose print, digital or hybrid concepts that used technology in meaningful ways to enhance storytelling and reader engagement.
A total of 100 students divided over 30 teams took part in the preliminary round. Based on the submitted ideas and visual mock-ups, 10 teams were shortlisted for the final round.
The teams presented their concepts live at IIT Saarang 2026 before a jury comprising Sridhar Arnala, Chief Sales and Distribution Officer, The Hindu Group, and Nagaraj N., Vice President – Data and Analytics and Designated AI Officer, The Hindu Group.
“We have designed a Gen Z-focused newspaper that prioritizes visual storytelling over reading long texts,” says Vir Jain of the winning team Reporters, along with Shambhuraj Salunkhe and Rajvardhan Waghmare. “Our concept includes comic-style visual storytelling to explain the news flow, a ‘follow-a-case’ format for in-depth story tracking, and an AI reporter that reads and summarizes news without compromising journalistic values.”
The Hindu is the media partner for IIT Saarang 2026.
Published – Jan 13, 2026 04:40 IST
#Newspaper #Future #challenge #held #IIT #Saarang