Press Trust of India has transformed its infographics operation by integrating AI tools, making production 12 times faster and boosting social media engagement over fivefold. The shift has expanded visual coverage, strengthened subscriber adoption, and positioned PTI Infographics as a key driver of timely, data-rich digital storytelling.
In the relentless churn of India’s news cycle, speed has always been the defining currency. For the Press Trust of India (PTI), the country’s largest and most influential news agency, delivering accurate, comprehensive coverage to hundreds of subscribing media organisations has long been its core strength. Yet as digital consumption habits have evolved, the agency found itself confronting a new reality: text alone was no longer enough to command attention in an ecosystem dominated by social feeds, data-heavy stories, and audiences seeking instant clarity through visuals.
PTI’s challenge was not a lack of information but the absence of engaging, ready-to-publish visual formats that could translate complex developments into digestible narratives. From election data and economic indicators to policy decisions and breaking news, many stories were rich in numbers and nuance but difficult to absorb quickly. Subscriber publications, working under tight deadlines of their own, increasingly valued visual assets that could complement reporting and drive audience engagement. PTI recognised that infographics were no longer a value-add; they were becoming essential.
This realisation led to the formation of a dedicated unit in 2024: PTI Infographics. Placed under the leadership of Pratyush Ranjan, Chief Editor of Digital Services, AI Integration, and Fact-check, the team was tasked with building a visual storytelling layer that could serve both subscribers and PTI’s own digital platforms. The ambition was clear, but the execution proved difficult. Infographics production is traditionally labour-intensive, requiring hours of research, data verification, design coordination, and editorial review. With a lean workforce and the constant pressure of daily news, the team struggled to keep pace. Even simple data-driven stories could take an entire day to visualise, forcing difficult editorial choices about which events deserved visual treatment and which would remain text-only.
The turning point came in early 2025, when PTI Infographics joined the Google News Initiative’s Data Journalism Lab, conducted in collaboration with How India Lives. Between January and May, Deepak Chaudhary, a sub-editor with the infographics team, participated in the programme, gaining hands-on exposure to a range of AI-powered tools, including NotebookLM, Gemini, and Google AI Studio. What began as individual upskilling quickly evolved into a broader transformation as these tools were integrated into PTI’s workflows and shared across the team.
AI fundamentally changed how the infographics desk approached research and production. Tasks that once consumed hours—such as scanning dozens of PTI reports, extracting key data points, and structuring narratives—could now be accomplished in minutes through AI-powered summarisation and content analysis. Instead of manually combing through 50 or 60 articles, editors could generate structured breakdowns of PTI’s own reporting, identify visual story angles, and move swiftly to production. AI also assisted in ideation, illustration prompts, and automated formatting of charts and tables, reducing friction at every stage of the process.
The impact was immediate and measurable. An infographic series that previously took nearly 24 hours to produce could now be completed in as little as two hours, representing a twelvefold increase in efficiency. Daily output rose dramatically, from just three or four infographics a day to an average of 18–20 explainers and visual packages. On breaking news days, that number surged to 30–35 slides and packages, allowing PTI to offer comprehensive visual coverage of all major developments rather than a selective few.
This surge in productivity also expanded the range of formats PTI could experiment with. Beyond basic charts, the team began producing deep-dive explainers, contextual timelines, market snapshots, and quick-turnaround business graphics. For instance, Sensex and Nifty “best and worst performers” visuals, which once took up to 90 minutes, can now be turned around in just 30 minutes. The desk’s ability to respond in real time has reshaped how PTI covers fast-moving stories, ensuring that visual context keeps pace with breaking headlines.
The benefits extended well beyond the newsroom. Subscriber adoption of PTI infographics increased significantly as client media organisations found greater value in ready-to-use, high-quality visuals that complemented their reporting. On social media, the difference was stark. While a typical PTI article link averages around 15,000 views on X, an infographics series now draws more than 100,000 views on average, translating to a more than 500 percent jump in engagement. Visual storytelling not only amplified reach but also positioned PTI as a more dynamic presence in the public digital space.
For Pratyush Ranjan, the transformation underscored the importance of aligning journalistic values with technological innovation. He noted that earlier, the sheer effort involved in producing infographics meant many stories that deserved visual explanation never received it. Post-training, that constraint has largely disappeared. Complex reports can now be broken down quickly, visual-ready material prepared in hours rather than days, and comprehensive infographic packages created for every major news event. The result, he said, is not just faster production but stronger journalism, where clarity and context are enhanced through visuals.
Ranjan also emphasised that AI has elevated the quality of output, not diluted it. By automating repetitive tasks, the team has more time to focus on editorial judgment, storytelling, and experimentation. Infographics are no longer limited to simple representations of data; they are becoming richer narratives that help audiences understand why events matter. Subscribers, in turn, are engaging more deeply with this content, strengthening PTI’s relationship with its client base.
Looking ahead, PTI’s ambitions for its infographics unit are firmly tied to deeper AI integration. The focus is on scaling up production further, diversifying formats, and moving beyond static visuals towards more interactive graphics. Training more team members is also a priority, ensuring that AI-enabled workflows become standard practice rather than a specialised skill set. For PTI, the goal is not to chase technology for its own sake, but to embed it in a way that enhances speed, accuracy, and storytelling impact.
In an era where attention is fleeting and information overload is the norm, PTI’s experience offers a compelling case study in how legacy news organisations can adapt without compromising editorial integrity. By embracing AI as a tool rather than a replacement, the agency has managed to boost efficiency, expand reach, and reaffirm its relevance in a rapidly evolving media landscape. What began as a response to a visual gap has evolved into a broader rethinking of how news can be delivered—faster, clearer, and with far greater resonance for digital audiences.
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