Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers is a leading name in the undergraduate medical books market in India. Founded in 1969 by Late Sohan Lal Vij, the company is now chaired by his son, Jitender Pal Vij, with core focus on medical publishing. Over the past five decades, the company has published more than 4,000 titles, across different genres of medical science studies not just in India but also globally. Indian Printer & Publisher met Chetna Malhotra Vohra, associate director of content strategy, for a discussion on the medical book publishing industry in India and where Jaypee Brothers fits the niche segment.
Vohra was candid about the medical publishing industry doing quite well, especially the undergraduate segment, with the government formulating plans to open new medical colleges across the country. There is optimism among publishers as the number of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) as well as other medical colleges is set to increase substantially in the next few years. Vohra asserted that in the undergraduate medical books segment, which happens to be the biggest segment of the market in India, Jaypee Brothers is way ahead of competition, accounting for over half the market share.
Jaypee Brothers publishes postgraduate, ward round handbooks as well as professional and reference books for medical practitioners. The company regularly brings out works of eminent key opinion leaders and academicians from different parts of the world and engages scores of other experts and specialists to keep up-to-date with the latest, authoritative and dependable information, knowledge and techniques. Although Jaypee Brothers outsources all its printing work, the entire prepress part is done in-house, at their Delhi office.
The genres of books published by Jaypee Brothers comprise under-graduate books, exam preparatory books, post graduate books, books for professional reference and many others. Bringing out newer editions or titles follows close observation of, and feedback from, the market about the need for updates on such books.
The process of content creation at Jaypee depends on two criteria—steady requirement raised by the organization based on demand indicators and voluntary contributions by subject matter experts. The authors are not just academicians but practitioners as well, who want to share their extensive experience with readers across the globe. The in-house editorial panel comprises doctors, many of whom have been associated with Jaypee for years. They are usually compensated with honorariums, which is a one-time payment for a particular assignment.
According to Vohra, Jaypee Brothers publishes around 50 medical journals including many for overseas markets, like the Duke Orthopedic Journal, which is affiliated to the Duke University in Durham, UK. Other published works include the Pan-American Journal of Trauma, Critical Care & Emergency Surgery, Donald School Journal of Ultrasound in Obesterics and Gynecology, and The Journal of Indian Orthodontic Society. The company also acquired The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice, which was previously owned by Colgate Palmolive. Of the 50 medical journals published by Jaypee Brothers worldwide, around 35 are published in India.
The publishing giant has co-publishing arrangements with the Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), the Indian Orthopaedic Society, as well as institutes like Shankar Netralaya, Maulana Azad Medical College and others. The company has 22 branches in India and others in Nepal, Bangladesh, UK and Panama, where it acquired Highlights of Opthalmology, a company that specializes in books on ophthalmology. This acquisition has placed the company among the leading publishers of books on ophthalmology worldwide and has also allowed it to service the Latin American market since they have a fairly large number of titles in Spanish, as a result of their acquisition of the Panama-based Highlights of Ophthalmology, now known as Jaypee Highlights Medical Publishers, Inc.
