Dorling Kindersley, is the well known illustrated reference publisher of highly visual non-fiction for adults and children with titles in over 62 languages and in more than 87 countries. Established in 1974 as an independent imprint, DK subsequently became a part of what is now the Penguin Random House Group – the world’s largest trade publisher. Headquartered in London with offices in New York, Munich, Melbourne, Toronto and New Delhi, DK began its editorial operations in Delhi in 1998 with a team of just 10 people. Today it employs close to 300 people in its Noida (Delhi NCR) office.
In 2014, DK India launched a local publishing list with a special focus on the children’s segment. It has since then published titles such as Young Chefs, in collaboration with Michelin-starred celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, Eyewitness Gandhi and 100 Indians who made history. Aparna Sharma, managing director of DK India, says, “DK’s aim is to inform, enrich and entertain readers of all ages and everything DK publishes, whether in print or digital, embodies our unique design approach. Our publishing house brings unrivalled clarity to a wide range of topics with a unique combination of words and pictures, put together to spectacular effect. We have a reputation for innovation in design for both print and digital products that are relevant to a wide audience group.”
DK’s books cover a wide range of subjects including general reference, lifestyle, travel, education as well as digital media products. Talking about the books genres that are doing good business in the market, Sharma says,
“In India, our general reference (family learning) books such as encyclopedias, visual dictionaries do really well, as do our full range of children’s books. For adults, yoga and pregnancy titles are popular buys. While traditional distributors account for 65% of book sales in India, the remaining 35% is through eRetailers.”
“DK’s aim is to inform, enrich and entertain readers of all ages and everything DK publishes, whether in print or digital, embodies our unique design approach,” says Sharma
Future plans
As part of its publishing plans in India, DK has recently tied up with Green Gold Animation, an animated content provider and creator of the popular cartoon character Chhota Bheem, to launch a bouquet of print and digital products for children. While DK lends its well-researched, graded content, developed by educational experts, as well as world-class design and production, Green Gold brings in Chhota Bheem and his friends – adorable toon characters. “DK is recognized all over the world for its high quality learning books for children, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with Green Gold Animation to introduce a range of fun yet educational books in DK’s iconic style, specially for the Indian child,” explains Sharma.
With an ambitious programme of publishing more than a dozen titles over the next two years, DK India hopes to inspire children to read, create and learn along with Chhota Bheem and his friends. These books will be distributed and sold through the extensive Penguin Random House network – both online and offline. Commenting on the company’s plans for the future, Sharma elucidates, “While the India operations will continue to play a key role in supporting DKs global list, we are excited about growing opportunities in this region, and are working to build a substantial trade list, while also developing new channels like custom publishing and licensing. DK promises to be a key player in areas of digital learning and children’s education in India.”
