Arnab Goswami to Keynote Speaker at the South India Media Summit 2026 in Hyderabad on September 28

Fourth Dimension Media Solutions, India's leading media outsourcing company, has announced that Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief and Founder of the Republic Media Network, will be the keynote speaker at the seventh edition of the South India Media Summit (SIMS) 2026, to be held on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Hyderabad.

Over the years, South India Media Summit has established itself as one of the most relevant industry platforms in South India, bringing together leaders across media, marketing, business and technology to engage in meaningful conversations around the evolving landscape of advertising and communication. Now in its seventh season, it has grown into the largest media gathering in the region - the one platform where broadcasters, publishers, OTT players, radio networks, agencies, advertisers and brands share a single stage.

The presence of Arnab Goswami, one of India's most influential voices in news, marks a defining moment for the summit. A familiar figure at the South India Media Summit, Mr. Goswami has been associated with the platform across several of its editions - from its 2019 Chennai edition, where he spoke on innovation in South India, to its landmark 2023 edition in Hyderabad. 

In 2026, he takes the stage as the headline keynote speaker, at a time when the region has moved from the margins to the very centre of India's media and marketing strategy. The Hyderabad edition will be inaugurated by Dr Vivekananda Gaddam, Hon'ble Minister, Government of Telangana, and Shri Vamsi Gaddam, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha.

Diverse line-up of speakers

The 2026 edition will feature a strong and diverse line-up of speakers, each bringing a unique perspective shaped by real-world experience across industries, including Dushyanth Sridhar, Vedic Scholar; Dr Abhay Patil, Homeopathy Doctor, Ashwini Homeopathic Clinic; Ravi Bulusu, Co-Founder & CEO, Enmovil Solutions; Satyanarayana Kornepati, Sr Vice President, R K SWAMY; Vivek Nambisan, Managing Director, Nambisan's Dairy Private Limited; B. Gopinath, CEO, The Residency Hotels; Prashant Nair, Head – Marketing, Business Process & New Initiatives, LCV Business, Ashok Leyland Ltd; Hariprasad, Co-Founder, Artcube.ai; Pratip Francis, General Manager – Brand Marketing, MRF; Pali Tripathi, CEO, Taabi Mobility Limited; Uday Jadhav, Chief Executive Officer, Sakal Media Group; Ashwin Padmanabhan, COO, WPP Media – South Asia; Sajeev Rajasekharan, Managing Director, TPV Technology; Hemant Arora, VP & Global Head, Truecaller; Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Network, India; Subramanyam Yadavalli, CEO, Apollo International; Dr Angelo George, CEO, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd; Amaljith P.A, Co-Founder & Operations, FirstDine; Sony V Mathew, VP & Head, Branding & Communications, ESAF Small Finance Bank; Nahaz Basheer, Founder & Managing Director, Cremberie; Bharati Balaji, Dy. Director General, AIDA (All India Distillers' Association); John Nair, COO, Trinity Air Travels & Tours; VKC Razak, Managing Director, VKC Group; Umesh Kaipenchery, Revenue Head – AVOD, Arha Media & Broadcasting; Dr Kailash Katkar, Founder & Managing Director, Quick Heal Technologies; Ganesh Ram, MD & CEO, MF Utilities; V Umanath, Managing Editor, MediaNews4U; Deepak Karnani, Director, CereOne Media; Sampath Mohan, Brand Building Coach & Founder, Ten 2 Hundred; Vijay Sunku, Director, Parimal Mandir; Srikanth Ramani, Director, SGR (777) Foods; Kurian Thomas, Director – Marketing & Administration, Veegaland Homes; Nandagopal Nair, Vice President & Head of Brand & Communications, V-Guard Industries; Arjun Bhatia, CMO, Matrimony.com; Sarath Mohan, AVP – Sales & Marketing, Pushpit Steels; Anand Bharadwaj, Co-Founder, Sweet Karam Coffee; Shakthivel, CEO, Challenge Ads; Ipsit Bibhudarshi, Category Head – IFB Essentials, IFB Industries; Jaikishin Chhaproo, Head – Media & Brand PR, ITC; and Shiv Sundher Gopalakrishnan, Head – Marketing, Roca Bathroom Products.

What will be discussed?

With representation spanning FMCG, automotive, finance, healthcare, media, technology and emerging businesses, the summit reflects the interconnected nature of today's marketing and business ecosystem. The conversations are expected to cover the key shifts of the moment - how strategy is being redefined in regional markets, the convergence of media, technology and commerce, content and OTT, connected television, AI-led marketing and evolving consumer behaviour.

Speaking on the announcement, Shankar B, Chief Executive Officer of Fourth Dimension Media Solutions, said: “Bringing a voice as commanding as Arnab Goswami's to Hyderabad is a defining moment for the South India Media Summit. Regional markets today are not an extension of strategy, they are where strategy is being defined. Over the years, we've seen a clear shift in how brands approach visibility, moving from broad messaging to context-driven presence. The summit is built around this reality, and a keynote of this stature affirms just how central the South has become to the future of Indian media.”

Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief and Founder of the Republic Media Network, added: “South India is not a market to be addressed; it is a force that is reshaping the national conversation. The energy, the enterprise and the sheer scale of this region are impossible to ignore, and platforms like the South India Media Summit are where that story is told without filters. I look forward to returning to Hyderabad and speaking directly to the leaders who are building the next chapter of Indian media.”

About the summit

The summit continues its journey across South India after six successful editions. Since its debut in Chennai in 2018, SIMS returned to the city in 2019 and 2022, before travelling to Hyderabad in 2023, Kochi in 2024 and Coimbatore in 2025. 

Each edition has shaped industry dialogue around branding, media innovation and regional influence. The 2019 Chennai edition featured Arnab Goswami alongside advertising veteran Srinivasan Swamy and agency leaders from Wavemaker, Mindshare and Starcom, with debates on fake news, regional OTT and media measurement. 

The 2023 Hyderabad edition, which featured actor-producer Amala Akkineni among its speakers, explored television, digital and the role of women in media. The 2024 Kochi edition brought together leaders from HDFC Securities, TTK Prestige and the Meeran Group across sessions on media responsibility, connected TV and the cinema–OTT equation. The 2025 Coimbatore edition hosted leaders from Bisleri, Eureka Forbes, Hyundai and Samsonite in the summit's first deep dive into AI, VR and XR.

Beyond the discussions, SIMS offers brands a unique opportunity to build presence within a highly engaged ecosystem. With integrated visibility across television, digital platforms and on-ground interactions, it enables brands to go beyond conventional advertising and participate in industry-level conversations.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, platforms like the South India Media Summit play an important role in bringing together leaders who are actively shaping the future of advertising, content and consumer engagement.

About Fourth Dimension Media Solutions

Fourth Dimension Media Solutions is a leading name in media outsourcing and regional marketing enablement. With a strong presence across television, print, digital and events, the company has been instrumental in building platforms such as the South India Media Summit, the South India Digital Summit, the South India Television Summit and the South India Content Summit, each contributing to industry conversations across the region.