TRA’s Brand Trust Report (BTR) 2026, which annually ranks India’s 1000 Most Trusted Brands, has been released recently, revealing a significant shift in India’s media trust landscape. In a notable development within the English print news category, Hindustan Times has overtaken long-time rival The Times of India in the All-India trust rankings – marking the first time since 2016 that Hindustan Times has moved ahead in the Brand Trust Report.
In the BTR 2026 rankings, Hindustan Times is placed at 628, while The Times of India ranks 980, despite improving 115 positions from last year. The shift signals evolving reader perceptions of trust within India’s highly competitive English newspaper market.
Among other English print brands, The Hindu features at 915, while India Today magazine appears at 996, reinforcing the continued presence of legacy editorial brands within the national trust landscape.
The television news segment also recorded notable movements this year. Zee News leads the Hindi news television category with an All-India rank of 211, maintaining its strong trust equity among audiences.
Aaj Tak emerged as one of the most improved media brands in the report, jumping 527 ranks to reach 349, while ABP News recorded a 356-rank improvement to 677. India TV also features in the rankings at 941, reflecting the continued prominence of Hindi television news brands in shaping audience perceptions of credibility.
In the English television news segment, NDTV registered one of the strongest upward movements, climbing 685 ranks to 540, highlighting renewed trust momentum for established broadcast news brands.
Regional media brands also recorded significant gains. Bengali newspaper Bartaman posted one of the largest improvements in the media category, rising 783 ranks to 784, underscoring the growing importance of regional language journalism in India’s trust ecosystem.
Beyond news media, the BTR 2026 rankings also feature entertainment and factual television networks including Discovery Channel, Star Gold, and Disney Channel, demonstrating how long-standing broadcast brands continue to build trust through consistent viewer engagement.
Mr. N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research said, “Trust in media brands is shaped by consistency, editorial credibility, and long-term audience relationships. The movement seen this year particularly Hindustan Times moving ahead of Times of India after nearly a decade reflects how trust leadership can shift when audiences reassess the reliability and relevance of the brands they engage with daily. Television news brands have also shown strong momentum, with several channels recording significant improvements in their trust rankings.”
The Brand Trust Report 2026, now in its 15th edition, evaluates thousands of brands across categories to understand how Indian consumers perceive trust in brands they interact with in everyday life.
The complete All-India listing of brands in BTR 2026 can be accessed here:
https://trustadvisory.info/tra/AllIndiaListingBTR2026.php
