The Press Trust of India (PTI) is the largest news agency in India and South Asia. Headquartered in New Delhi, it is a non-profit cooperative owned by the country's principal newspaper publishers, and provides news, photographs, and feature services to subscribers across print, broadcast, and digital media.
| Name | Press Trust of India |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | PTI |
| Type | Non-profit cooperative news agency |
| Founded | 27 August 1947 |
| Operational from | 1 February 1949 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Area served | India and international |
| Languages | English, Hindi (Bhasha) |
| Ownership | Cooperative of Indian newspapers |
PTI was established in the closing months of British rule in India to take over the operations of the Associated Press of India, which had been controlled by Reuters. The agency was registered as a non-profit company under the patronage of leading Indian newspapers, with the objective of building an independent national news service after Independence.
It began full operations on 1 February 1949, when it took over from the Reuters-run service. PTI's structure as a cooperative—owned and funded by its newspaper subscribers rather than by the government or private shareholders—was modelled on agencies such as the Associated Press in the United States.
PTI provides a range of services to media organisations, government bodies, and corporate subscribers:
PTI operates a network of bureaus across India, covering all state capitals and major cities, supported by a wide pool of correspondents in district towns. It also maintains correspondents in several foreign capitals, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries with significant Indian interests.
The agency has reciprocal arrangements with major international news agencies, including the Associated Press (AP), Agence France-Presse (AFP), and others, allowing it to distribute world news to Indian subscribers and Indian news abroad.
PTI is governed by a board of directors drawn from member newspapers. The chairmanship rotates among representatives of leading publications. The day-to-day operations are headed by an Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer.
As the principal news supplier to most Indian newspapers, television channels, and digital outlets, PTI plays a central role in setting the news agenda in India. Its dispatches are widely used by All India Radio, Doordarshan, and private broadcasters, as well as by government departments and foreign missions tracking Indian affairs.
The cooperative model has allowed PTI to remain editorially distinct from both the state and individual private owners, although the agency's relationship with the Government of India—particularly over subscription terms with public broadcasters—has periodically been the subject of public discussion.