Abdussalam Puthige, born on 2nd April, 1964, in Ganjimutt near Mangalore, India, is the son of Marhoom Maulana E M Shafi and Marhoom Ruqiya Hasan. He is a prominent figure in the field of Indian journalism, literature, and translation. His journey into the world of media commenced with his commitment to social justice.

Abdussalam Puthige studied History at the University of Madras and later learned about Human Rights at the Indian Institute of Human Rights in New Delhi. He has also studied Law at SDM Law College, Mangalore.

In 2003, Abdussalam Puthige along with some likeminded friends and well-wishers launched Vartha Bharati (VB) Kannada Daily. Under his leadership, Vartha Bharati evolved from a regional newspaper to a widely respected media house, with print editions in Mangalore, Shimoga, and Bangalore. VB is considered as an alternative media in Kannada. It is particularly popular for giving voice to the voiceless sections of the society. VB’s simple language, sharp editorials, eye opening articles, special reports and analysis are widely circulated and appreciated in Kannada literary and intellectual circles.

Embracing the digital age, Abdussalam Puthige spearheaded VB’s expansion into the online sphere, leveraging platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to reach a broader audience and create meaningful engagement. Today, VB has a very popular Kannada news portal varthabharati.in, an English news portal english.varthabharati.in, a prominent Kannada YouTube news Channel youtube.com/varthabharatinews. On Facebook and Instagram, VB is known to have highest rate of engagement from its readers and viewers among all the Kannada Dailies.

Beyond his editorial responsibilities, Abdussalam Puthige is involved in other media projects. He is the Director of Madhyama Kendra (Media Centre) in Bangalore and The Managing Trustee of The Community Media Trust (CMT) in Mangalore. Madhyama Kendra is involved in imparting training and conducting studies in Journalism. CMT publishes Vartha Bharati Kannada Daily.

Along with being a member of Press Club, Bangalore, he is also the Managing Director of  Samvahana Campaigns Pvt Ltd and Madhyama Communications Ltd, both based in Mangalore.

Abdussalam Puthige’s literary contributions are equally noteworthy. As an author, he has penned numerous works, including the influential ‘Towards performing Dawah,’ published by The International Council for Islamic Information (ICII) in Leicester, United Kingdom. Moreover, his translations have brought seminal works to a broader audience, including the Kannada translation of the Holy Quran, ‘Kannadadalli Quran Anuvada,’ which has so far been published in eight editions. Abdussalam Puthige’s Kannada translation of Holy Quran was also launched through Mobile App in text and Audio in 2020 by Madhyama Prakashana, Bangalore. Today, it is the highest downloaded Kannada Quran app in Google Play Store.

He has also annotated English translations of Sir Muhammed Iqbal’s masterpieces, ‘The Complaint and the Answer’ (‘Shikwa aur Jawab Shikwa) – 2016 (New edition ISBN-10: 9670957001/ ISBN-13: 978-9670957005) and ‘The Devil’s advisory council.’ (‘Iblees ki Majlise Shoora’) published by IBT, Malaysia (ISBN-10: 967095715X ISBN-13: 978-9670957159).

Abdussalam Puthige is also popular as a very good speaker in Kannada, English and Urdu languages. He has delivered numerous lectures across prominent universities and other institutions in India and abroad on various topics.

In recognition of his commitment to journalistic ethics and truth-telling, Abdussalam Puthige was honored with the prestigious Transparency International Award in 2009, a testament to his tireless efforts in upholding the highest standards of integrity in journalism. Most recently, in 2024, he was bestowed with the Sandesha Media Award by the Sandesha Foundation in Mangalore.