HT Labs: India’s Testing Facility Turns Experiments into Products
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The Future of News is Now: How Hindustan Times is Building Tomorrow’s Media Through innovation
New Delhi – In a media landscape defined by disruption, Hindustan Times is not just adapting, it’s building the future. Through it’s digital innovation hub, HT Labs, the 100-year-old publishing house is embracing a startup mentality to experiment, test, and ultimately, redefine how news and content are delivered.
Launched in 2020,HT Labs isn’t about incremental changes; it’s about bold bets. “it’s a proof of concept, and onyl if it works, do you scale. The entire concept is about failing, and failing fast,” explains Avinash Mudaliar, Co-Founder and CEO of HT Labs, speaking at the recent Digital Media India event.
This approach has already yielded a diverse portfolio of successful platforms. From OTTplay for movie and TV enthusiasts, to Slurrp for foodies and home chefs, to educational resources like HT School and financial guidance with Mint Genie, and even a platform for content creators, Upublish, HT Labs is proving that innovation can thrive within a legacy media organization.
But how? Mudaliar describes HT Labs as ”a bridge between today’s core operations and tomorrow’s bets,” actively experimenting with new technologies, formats, and business models to move beyond customary content ecosystems.
The secret, in part, lies in its structure.With a team of over 160 staff, supported by more than 100 external collaborators, HT Labs operates entirely remotely, drawing talent from across India. This distributed model, Mudaliar notes, has revealed that those who thrive are ”entrepreneurs by DNA” – individuals comfortable with risk, product building, and innovation in areas like UI, UX, and AI.
This agile structure allows HT Labs to move at a remarkable pace. “We can ship a product in 24 hours,” Mudaliar states. But it’s not just about speed. The strength of being embedded within Hindustan Times, which celebrates its centennial anniversary this year, provides a unique advantage.
“These systems already have these people, so it’s a plug-and-play.We bring in our product-business expertise, they bring in their expertise of the past 100 years,” Mudaliar explains. This symbiotic relationship allows HT Labs to leverage the established infrastructure of a major publishing house – finance, HR, and commercial departments – while maintaining the agility of a startup.
Beyond internal development, HT Labs also offers its expertise to other publishers, building and running websites and newsletters on a commission basis. This demonstrates a commitment to fostering innovation across the industry, not just within Hindustan Times.
HT Labs isn’t just a laboratory; it’s a testament to the power of embracing change and a blueprint for how established media companies can thrive in the digital age. It’s a reminder that even a century-old institution can be a hotbed of innovation, driven by a willingness to experiment, learn, and, yes, even fail.
Note: I’ve aimed for a people-frist approach, focusing on the human element of innovation and the impact of HT Labs on both the company and the wider media landscape. I’ve also structured it as a news article with a clear lead, supporting details, and a concluding statement. I’ve removed the extraneous HTML tags and formatting inconsistencies from the source text.