India Trade Promotion Organization, in association with the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), will organize the digital edition of the Delhi Book Fair (DBF) on 30 and 31 October 2020. Book Fairs make a significant contribution in promotion the habit of reading among readers of all ages. Delhi Book Fair has made a pivotal contribution in promoting this hobby and is recognized as the most prominent book extravaganza awaited by book lovers from across the city. DBF offers a vast selection of the choicest Indian books on a variety of subjects.
The fair offers a niche platform for B2B transactions and is the hotspot for networking and buying and selling of publishing as well as translation rights. It also offers multifarious retailing opportunities for book lovers and visitors. The DBF also puts together conferences, seminars, panel discussions, buyer-seller meets, book releases, book readings, author interactions, and other literary interactions for book lovers.
This year the fair is going to be a virtual event with over 100 exhibitors, authors and publishers bringing more than 5000 books right to your doorstep. The DBF offers discounts on books and related merchandise, conducts interactive webinars, and provides a global marketplace for the publishing industry in this virtual edition.
The key highlights of the 2020 digital edition include panel discussions and webinars on trending topics of 2020 by authors and publishers; a plethora of creative competitions by POGO and Cartoon Network for junior bookworms; and essay and painting contests by participating schools.
2023 promises an interesting ride for print in India
Indian Printer and Publisher founded in 1979 is the oldest B2B trade publication in the multi-platform and
multi-channel IPPGroup. While the print and packaging industries have been resilient in the past 33 months since the pandemic lockdown of 25 March 2020, the commercial printing and newspaper industries have yet to recover their pre-Covid trajectory.
The fragmented commercial printing industry faces substantial challenges as does the newspaper industry.
While digital short-run printing and the signage industry seem to be recovering a bit faster, ultimately
their growth will also be moderated by the progress of the overall economy. On the other hand book
printing exports are doing well but they too face several supply-chain and logistics challenges.
The price of publication papers including newsprint has been high in the past year while availability is diminished by several mills shutting down their publication paper and newsprint machines in the past four years. Indian paper mills are also exporting many types of paper and have raised prices for Indian printers. To some extent, this has helped in the recovery of the digital printing industry with its on-demand short-run and low-wastage paradigm.
Ultimately digital print and other digital channels will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future. For instance, there is no alternative to a rise in textbook consumption but this segment will only reach normality in the next financial year beginning on 1 April 2023.
Thus while the new normal is a moving target and many commercial printers look to diversification, we believe that our target audiences may shift and change. Like them, we will also have to adapt with agility to keep up with their business and technical information needs.
Our 2023 media kit is ready, and it is the right time to take stock and reconnect with your potential markets and customers. Print is the glue for the growth of liberal education, new industry, and an emerging economy. We seek your participation in what promises to be an interesting ride.
