Publish Asia, organized by WanIfra in Manila, Philippines, from 29 to 31 March 2016 was witness to eclectic discussions about the current scenario in the newspaper industry around the world as well as specifically in the Asian market. India, as a market is one of the last few bastions where the newspaper industry is still growing. And, the interesting point about this growth is that the Indian market is in a position to cultivate the online monetization policies, while its print versions are still bringing in the revenues.
Publish Asia had two Indian speakers – Sanat Hazra, technical director, Bennett, Coleman & Co, India and Ramakrishnan Laxman, head – digital business, ABP News Network. Before joining the The Times of India as technical and production director in 2008, Sanat Hazra worked at the New York Daily News as VP of production. Hazra dedicated 14 years to the New York Times prior to joining the New York Daily News. As executive director of production at the New York Times, Hazra was responsible for transforming the company’s two printing plants into state-of-the-art operations, optimizing the entire supply chain of the newspaper, implementing Statistical Process Control and Six Sigma process and winning many International Newspaper Color Quality Club awards.
Hazra is optimistic about the growth of newspapers in India. He said, “Literacy in India stands at 74% at the moment, and is expected to touch 100% only by 2060. Internet penetration stands at 20% only. Also, with newspapers in India being delivered for less than US$ 2 a month, it is an affordable instrument which reaches the masses. The industry is expected to grow at a rate of 8 to 10% at the moment.”
“Literacy in India stands at 74% at the moment, and is expected to touch 100% only by 2060. Internet penetration stands at 20% only. Also, with newspapers in India being delivered for less than US$ 2 a month, it is an affordable instrument to reach the masses. The industry is expected to grow at a rate of 8 to 10% at the moment”– Sanat Hazra of Bennett, Coleman
In his presentation he pointed out that although advertising rates are a bit flat at the moment, advertisers are taking notice of the reach of vernacular dailies. However, to keep up the interest level of the Indian readers, newspaper publishers need to produce more innovations, be better and proactive in building brands and a strong organization and reduce costs to improve bottom-lines. “Over the years, TOI has showcased various innovations such as UV cured front page jackets, bookmark folds, reverse XL, flip lock and couponing. However, the real mantra for growth is to stay close to your customer, invest for growth and focus on your workforce.”
Laxman is a digital management professional with more than 18 years of experience starting up digital businesses for media companies in India. At present he is with ABP News Network since 2008 where he has laid the foundation of the digital business in the organization and has within a short span of time made it one of the leading players in the Indian digital news ecosystem.
In his presentation, Laxman said, “In the last one year, the Indian internet audience has grown at a rate of 32%. India is the second largest internet market in the world surpassing even the United States with a figure of 354 million users which is only 28% of the population and is poised to reach 650 million by 2020. 60% of the online audience will consume content in regional languages by 2018. There is a huge opportunity in the Indian market at the moment, and more and more media companies as well as social media groups are using the online platforms to circulate news. However, some of the news also turn out to be fake and sometimes, social media needs to be handled cautiously,” he added.
