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When Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, a lawyer who hailed from the
village of Kumbakonam, bought 'The Hindu' in April, 1905,
its circulation was down to around 800 copies. He was
without any experience in Journalism and his friends tried
to dissuade him from going ahead.
When he died in December, 1923, he left the newspaper with
a circulation of 17,000 and more importantly, with the
advertising revenues that made it viable.
He installed the first Rotary printing press in Chennai,
kick-starting a tradition of technological innovation that
'The Hindu' still follows today. A champion of the freedom
of the Press, Kasturi Ranga Iyengar established 'The Hindu'
as THE voice of the people. He also helped sharpen its
newsgathering approach, increase coverage and improve
distribution. Much of his hard-hitting journalistic style
now seems uncharacteristic of 'The Hindu' today, but it was
his drive that made 'The Hindu' a benchmark for the nation.
Today, the paper has a circulation of over 7,00,000 copies
and a readership of over 3 million.
Ill-health and slowness of speech reinforced his natural
reticence. But the strength of his work made him one of the
most admired Editors of his time.
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