India’s rich literary depth, growing global relevance and strong translation potential came into focus at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, as Claudia Kaiser, vice-president of the Frankfurt Book Fair, highlighted the country’s cultural diversity, strong reader engagement and expanding role in the global publishing ecosystem.
Speaking on the sidelines of the New Delhi Rights Table (NDRT), a key business-to-business initiative of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, Kaiser said India stands out for its cultural depth, diversity of voices and strong reader engagement, describing the country as “extremely enriching” for global publishing conversations.
“India has such a rich culture and such a rich literature that there are immense opportunities for Indian works to be translated into other languages,” she said, underlining the growing international interest in Indian literature.
Highlighting the importance of institutional support, Kaise noted that publishing remains a high-risk business globally, particularly in the area of translation rights. Financial subsidy programmes, she said, play a critical role in enabling publishers to invest in new voices and cross-border exchanges.
“Publishers need some form of support to take the risk of buying rights and paying for translations. Many countries, including Germany, have such systems, and they are extremely important,” she noted.
While acknowledging the growth of digital formats, Kaise stressed that printed books continue to hold their relevance worldwide.
“Printed books will always be there, even as digital products grow. Books offer a depth of experience that few other media can match,” she said.
Sharing her message for young readers, Kaise emphasized the transformative power of reading.
“Books have the potential to change lives and allow readers to step into another reality, not for a few hours, but for days,” she said.
Her remarks were made at the ongoing New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, one of the world’s largest book fairs, which was inaugurated earlier by Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
The 53rd edition of NDWBF-2026 began on 10 January at Bharat Mandapam and will continue until 18 January. Organixed by the National Book Trust (NBT) under the Ministry of Education, this year’s fair is being held on the theme ‘Indian Military History: Valour and Wisdom @75,’ with a special focus on the legacy of the Indian Armed Forces.
In a first for the event, entry has been made completely free for the general public to encourage wider participation and promote a stronger reading culture. The fair features participation from over 35 countries, more than 1,000 publishers, over 3,000 stalls, around 600 literary and cultural events, and over 1,000 speakers, positioning it among the world’s largest literary gatherings.
