HT Media Group CHRO Paras Kaushik to lead People and IT strategy

HT Media Group has broadened the portfolio of its Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Paras Kaushik, giving him charge of Group IT in addition to his current role overseeing People Strategy. The move signals a deliberate effort by the media house to fuse human capital and digital infrastructure as part of its transformation agenda.

Kaushik, who joined HT Media in 2020, has since led the people strategy across the company’s six key verticals—Print, Digital, Radio & Audio, Shine.com, Mosaic Digital, and OTTplay. His tenure has been marked by an intrapreneurial approach, shaping initiatives such as CHRO Vantage, a leadership development programme to build the next generation of HR leaders, and Iconic Workplaces, a joint certification with Deloitte and Mint India to benchmark workplace standards.

With the additional IT remit, Kaushik’s brief expands from talent and culture to the very backbone of HT Media’s digital operations. According to the company, his mandate includes strengthening enterprise applications, embedding AI-driven processes across functions, and creating a resilient technology infrastructure to support a future-ready, digital-first organisation.

“Technology alone doesn’t transform organisations—people do,” Kaushik said in a statement to People Matters. “With this expanded role, my goal is to ensure that our technology backbone empowers our people to collaborate better, innovate faster, and deliver impact at scale. By aligning Group IT with people strategy, we can create stronger synergies and a culture of digital-first thinking across HT Media.”

The decision reflects more than a simple redistribution of responsibilities. By consolidating HR and IT leadership under one executive, HT Media is signalling a strategic alignment of people and technology, recognising that organisational growth depends on the interplay between human capability and digital agility.

In today’s media landscape—defined by rapid technological change, shifting consumer habits, and the demand for real-time content delivery—such integration is increasingly seen as critical. Eliminating silos between talent development and technology infrastructure could help HT Media accelerate innovation, streamline processes, and enhance collaboration across its diverse businesses.

A leader with global perspective

Kaushik brings over two decades of leadership experience to the expanded role. Prior to HT Media, he served at the Samvardhan Motherson Group, where he managed HR for a workforce of 135,000 employees across 41 countries. His earlier 17-year stint at the Aditya Birla Group saw him shape HR strategy across varied businesses, from lifestyle retail to global learning and development.

This global exposure, coupled with his track record in digital HR transformation and leadership pipeline building, has defined his approach at HT Media—blending traditional people practices with innovation-led frameworks. His expanded responsibility is expected to further embed these strengths into the organisation’s digital core.