When The Hindu asked me to write a nostalgic piece for the golden jubilee of its Hyderabad edition, I felt both humbled and honored. For someone whose association spanned more than a quarter century, the request struck a sentimental chord.

Key facts

  • Hyderabad edition launched in August 1976 from Begumpet
  • Originally printed Sportstar and Frontline with French engineering support
  • Gender imbalance initially - even sweepers were men
  • Editor G. Kasturi personally oversaw early operations

From Humble Beginnings

September 1, 1979 - the day I joined the Hyderabad bureau - feels like yesterday. So does September 30, 2005, when I retired. The edition had rolled out three years earlier from Begumpet, on land belonging to G. Pulla Reddy. Back then, there were hardly any shops or hotels around. The street-corner Friends Café served as an oasis for us reporters, who subsisted on chai and biscuits.

Two huge trees stood like sentinels on either side of the gate. They eventually fell to the city's progress during road-widening years later. The single-storey building housed everything - editorial, business, printing departments - all under one roof.

The Early Days

I had covered the formal launch as an Express correspondent in September 1976. Governor R.D. Bhandare and Chief Minister J. Vengal Rao presided. The legendary G. K. Reddy and K. S. Shelvankar were also present.

Minutes before the function, a heavy downpour inundated the compound. The ceremony hurriedly shifted inside. It was seen as an auspicious sign - and indeed, it turned out to be one. Soon, The Hindu became a big hit.

He would turn up at 10 a.m. and stay on until well past midnight, when the first edition rolled out.

Editor G. Kasturi was personally involved, hand-holding the edition through its baby steps. He'd work until the first edition rolled out past midnight, then retire to Hotel Blue Moon across the road. The dingy photography room with an old sofa became his relaxation spot.

Transformation and Growth

Another floor was added in the late 1980s to accommodate expansion. Later renovations forced us to work amid deafening sledgehammers and shouting laborers - we functioned in a warehouse-like atmosphere.

The turn of the century brought an ultra-modern corporate office with spacious cabins. The editorial department divided into State and City bureaus. MetroPlus and other features were added. A Regional Desk emerged.

It's amusing now: none of Begumpet's current landmarks existed in the mid-1970s. The Hindu building stood alone, rather royally. It could have projected itself as the Begumpet Badshah. Instead, it remained content with self-effacing directions: "next to Pulla Reddy sweet shop" or "next to the petrol bunk."

From Craigmore to Begumpet, from a lone building to a modern newsroom - The Hindu's journey in Hyderabad has mirrored, in many ways, the transformation of the city itself.