Narosa Publishing House was founded by the current managing director, Narendra Kumar Mehra in 1977. He is also the current president of FIP (Federation of Indian Publishers). Today, the company has grown into a dedicated publisher of books in the science technology and medical (STM) segment—its primary area of focus. Indian Printer & Publisher met Subir Lahiri, production manager, Narosa for a discussion on the company’s journey so far as well as its future plans.
Global reach
Lahiri shared how Narosa Publishing has emerged as a leading publisher of STM books with an enviable international footprint. The company has achieved steady growth over the years beginning with publishing student editions of internationally accepted textbooks during its formative years to aiming at publishing 80-100 new titles in a year now. This includes state-of-the-art monographs, college and university text books and preceding volumes that are published each year in the areas of physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, medicine, life sciences, computer science, earth science, environmental science, statistics and management.
The company has tie-ups with leading institutions and research organizations that have helped it publish quality text books across several disciplines. Narosa has partnered STM publishers worldwide to co-publish and distribute published works and offer Narosa’s books for translation in international languages as well as grant reprint rights to international publishers. According to Lahiri, Narosa delivers books in different parts of the world within three weeks of publication through its network of book stores. The company’s agents and representatives located across Europe, North and South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia actively promote its titles in both institutions as well as among the book retailers.
Journals
Narosa publishes two bi-annual journals—JUET (Jaypee University of Engineering & Technology) Research Journal of Science and Technology and Journal of Ocean and Ship Technology. JUET is a peer reviewed and refereed journal, which publishes research and review papers covering a broad spectrum of topics from engineering, science, mathematics, and technology divisions. The journal is an independent publication, offering both online and print versions to the scientific, engineering and technological communities with a forum for scholarly expression and reflection. It provides information on the latest trends and developments in research.
The Journal of Ocean and Ship Technology is published on behalf of the Department of Ocean Engineering & Naval Architecture, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. The institute has been imparting quality technical education over the past five decades and has made significant contributions to the development of the shipbuilding industry, naval infrastructure and assets and allied enterprises like offshore oil and gas exploration, marine research, mining and other oceanographic research. In the years ahead, it plans to contribute in enhancing capacity in offshore renewable energy initiatives like solar and wind power.
The future
Many STM publishing setups across the world are increasingly turning their focus on web-based publishing. Lahiri explained that in some subject areas, the number of new books published is declining. For instance, if a new title required around 4,000 copies to be printed some years ago, today half that number would suffice. The fall in demand for printed copies has been complimented by a rise in demand for ebooks, which is now the trend.
Interestingly, there are also contradictory signs from certain developed markets that suggest some renewed interest in printed books among a certain section of youth. That is a good indication since printed books have their own value for the reader. Either way, Narosa is well prepared to meet the demand, be it for printed copies or ebooks. In accordance with the demand for STM books, Narosa will continue to work with its panel of authors to publish and distribute titles globally.
