Sunil Mehta, managing director, Mehta Publishing House, passed away on 12 January 2022. Mehta who was 56 is survived by his father, wife, sister, and two children. The dynamic publisher entered the hospital in end-December for what is considered a routine procedure.
Mehta was well known amongst Indian language publishers for his active acquisition of titles for translation particularly into Marathi. His generosity of spirit, his vision, and his belief in Indian audiences particularly for fiction and further across several non-fiction segments, will be missed by the publishing community.
The Pune-based Mehta Publishing House of which Sunil Mehta was the managing director was founded by his father Anil Mehta. Sunil Mehta built it into a modern and globally active organization that embraced the pluralism of ideas amongst both authors and potential readers. He expanded language publishing in translation and the reach of his titles with the use of technology and his professional approach to the industry.
Neeta Gupta co-founder of the Publishers’ Exchange, writes, “It’s hard to even think about Sunil Mehta in the past tense, let alone mourn him, or pay respects in the form of an obituary. I’m just jotting down my deep gratitude for his immense generosity of spirit.
“I first met Sunil Mehta of Mehta Publishers, over fifteen years ago in Frankfurt, and we stayed in touch professionally more or less all through these years. But it was only in the last two years during the pandemic when a group of us Indian language publishers came together informally to form the Publishers’ Exchange, that we started meeting and interacting weekly.
“I just had to pick up the phone and somebody at his office would be on the other side, helping us resolve issues like online and offline retail, software, or copyright-related stuff.
“I think what really set him apart was his enthusiasm and his gentle sense of humor; his commitment to translations and his fearlessness when it came to publishing, pandemic or no pandemic.”
PostScript of 16 January 2022
Friends and colleagues who had come together from across India to say a few words as a tribute to his inspiring life, included, Urvashi Butalia, Pranav Johri, Jaya Bhattacharji Rose, Vasudhendra, Manisha Chaudhry and Vidula Tokekar. Several of the speakers spoke about his spreadsheet for publishing workflow, an expert system which he willingly shared. Others spoke of, “His enthusiasm and his gentle sense of humour; his commitment to translations and his fearlessness when it came to publishing, pandemic or no pandemic.”
My own view is that Sunil Mehta was a formidable Indian publisher and not what is too often referred to being either a “language publisher,” a “regional language publisher,” or an “independent publisher.” What becomes apparent is that for Mehta all aspects publishing are components of a structured approach to a business, and each aspect and detail require care, skill and professionalism. In the main his admirers and friends are no less generous or courageous.
