This day, that age, and a few memories
R. Sekhar and K. C. Rangaswamy recount the 1976 launch of The Hindu's Hyderabad edition, marking a significant expansion for the newspaper. The piece reflects on the technical transition to modern printing and the logistical challenges faced during the office's establishment.
Why it matters
It provides historical context on the evolution of Indian media infrastructure and regional journalism.
For 76-year-old R. Sekhar, September 3, 1976, remains a memorable page in his life — the night he worked to bring out the first edition of The Hindu printed in Hyderabad, from its new office on Begumpet Public Road. It was also a marker of a printing revolution. The rotary press was giving way to modern four-colour offset printer.
“I remember the print run for the first edition was 29,000,” recalls Mr. Sekhar. For Hyderabad, then a city with a population of only a few lakhs, the figure meant that a substantial section of its well-heeled citizens could get hold of the newspaper. The test runs had begun days earlier, on August 20, when the new press was first put through its paces. Mr. Sekhar had begun his career with ITC in Madras before moving to Hyderabad after The Hindu posted him to the city.
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