At the crossroads of journalism and a fast-shifting digital world, Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated and delivered the Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of #TheConclave2026, organised by Pratidin Media Network, in New Delhi on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

A Northeast media powerhouse steps onto the national stage

Jayanta Baruah, Chairman of Pratidin Media Network and Editor of Asomiya Pratidin, joined Rijiju at the ceremony alongside members of the Pratidin Media family. The Assam-based media group — best known for publishing Asomiya Pratidin, one of the leading Assamese-language dailies — brought its annual flagship conclave to the national capital, signalling the growing footprint of regional media in shaping pan-India conversations about journalism and technology.

Rijiju, himself a senior BJP leader from Arunachal Pradesh, carries a natural affinity with the Northeast's media ecosystem. His presence at the inauguration underscored the political and cultural bridge the event seeks to build between regional storytelling traditions and national policy discourse.

Rijiju's message: opportunity, responsibility, and the changing nature of news

In his keynote, Rijiju framed the moment with a dual lens. 'The rapidly evolving media landscape presents both new opportunities and new responsibilities,' he said, positioning The Conclave as a 'valuable platform for meaningful conversations on journalism, technology and the changing nature of news.' It is a concise diagnosis of the tension every newsroom in India is navigating right now — the algorithmic feed versus the public-interest beat, the viral clip versus the verified fact.

The minister's remarks reflect a broader pattern in which senior government figures engage directly with media conclaves — not just as ceremonial guests, but as voices shaping the normative framework around digital news standards and regulatory responsibilities. When a Cabinet minister delivers a keynote at a journalism conclave, the industry listens for signals, even when none are explicitly sent.

What the conclave puts on the table

Subsequent sessions of The Conclave 2026 are expected to drill into the specifics: artificial intelligence in the newsroom, monetisation models for regional-language digital publishers, and the evolving standards around mis- and disinformation. India's regional-language media, long the backbone of mass political communication, is navigating a compressed digital transition — and Pratidin's decision to stage this conversation at the national level reflects an industry eager to write its own rules before regulators do it for them.

As The Conclave 2026 sessions unfold, any follow-up statements on media policy or digital news standards from Rijiju's ministry will be worth watching closely.