India Today

India Today is the leading news magazine and most widely read publication in India. The magazine’s leadership is unquestioned, so much so that India Today is what Indian journalism is judged by, for its integrity and ability to bring unbiased and incisive perspective to arguably the most dynamic, yet perplexing, region in the world. Breaking news and shaping opinion, it is now a household name and the flagship brand of India’s leading multidimensional media group. Additionally, the weekly brings with it a range supplements like Women, Home, Aspire, Spice and Simply which focus on style, health, education, fashion, etc. and Indian cities.

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

India Today

THE LIGHTER SIDE

THE YOUNG GRANDMASTERS • GUKESH DOMMARAJU IS NOW THE YOUNGEST EVER WORLD CHAMPION, BUT THAT IS JUST ICING ON THE CAKE IN INDIA’S CHESS STORY. FOR THE ‘GOLDEN GENERATION’, 2024 WAS THE YEAR THEY DID IT ALL

‘Criticism has always been a source of motivation for me’ • It’s just day five since he was crowned 2024 FIDE World Chess champion (which he celebrated with a bungee jump), and Gukesh Dommaraju is still learning to adjust to the fanfare. In an exclusive interview with Deputy Editor Suhani Singh, Guki, as he is fondly referred to by fans, talks about his love for chess, the impact of ‘Vishy Sir’, his Gen Z compatriots, the streaming mania around chess and future goals. Excerpts:

THE THIRD COMING • PM NARENDRA MODI GETS A HISTORIC THIRD TERM BUT WITH THE INDIA BLOC DENYING THE BJP A MAJORITY ON ITS OWN, SOME OF THE SHEEN WEARS OFF

THE BHAGWAT DHARMA • Under Mohan Bhagwat’s leadership, the RSS sharpened its stance, using the Lok Sabha election results to assert its influence and push for a recalibration in the BJP’s approach

HALTING THE BJP JUGGERNAUT • A roller-coaster year saw the Opposition coalition rebound with bold moves and policy wins, but internal rifts continue to test its durability

ELEVATED JUSTICE • The former CJI bequeathed on the court a legacy of rigour, justice and constitutional morality, but also drew scrutiny for the loose ends left by his judicial balancing

TRIAL BY FIRE • Formal charges in a US court, an air marked by accusations of bribery and concealment of information, the attendant political backlash, pressure on stock prices, valuation losses. Yet the famed Adani growth appetite and business resilience stays

THE MAHA BONDING • At one time, Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar were seen as an unwieldy trio with mutually subversive intent. A bumper assembly poll harvest inverts that

WINNING THE BATTLE FOR BENGAL • Count only RG Kar and Sandeshkhali, and you would think 2024 was Mamata Banerjee’s annus horribilis. And then you count the seats

THE ONE IN THE VORTEX • The AAP chief has had a dramatic year, including a stint in jail. All eyes are on him as the party fights a decisive battle to rule Delhi for a third consecutive term

THE COMEBACK KING • It was in no one’s script: Naidu’s standing leap from near-oblivion, to a place where he writes the destiny of Andhra—even New Delhi

TRUST YOUR GUT, BUT TREAT IT WELL!

THE ART OF STAYING IN POWER • Correctly sensing the direction of the political wind is Nitish Kumar’s forte, making him a crucial pillar for Modi 3.0

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO • Hemant and Kalpana Soren changed Jharkhand’s political game, converting near-collapse into an extraordinary comeback

THE LION PRINCE • A spectacular assembly election win ended a long political winter for Kashmir and his party, the National Conference. But Omar Abdullah now faces crucial tests—that of meeting great expectations and holding his own with the Centre till J&K gets its statehood back

A MONUMENTAL TRANSITION • It was a symbol of the ownership of space by the Hindu faith—its...