Indian language publishing on the rise

The demand for online content in Indian languages (IL) is growing faster than for that in English. Recently released census data suggest that more than 50% of young Indians are bilingual and 18% are trilingual. Migration of youth, for studies or employment, has fuelled this multilingualism. Yet, it is only recently that it is attracting attention of the wider publishing and tech communities. This has led to increased collaboration and tie-up between English and IL publishers.

The article Indian Language Content and Publishing Today by Nitasha Devasar (Brill, Volume 30, 2019), Managing Director of Taylor & Francis, India and South Asia, looks at recent trends in IL content and publishing. It focuses on the kind of content being consumed and the gaps in educational content especially at the Higher Education level; the key role technology plays in addressing these gaps; and the leap indigenous publishers may need to take in this regard.

Most of all, it looks at the evolving role the government and its digital first strategy can play in making the best international research and literary content accessible to a wider local audience, and in developing and securing IP locally to seed and support high quality local content.

Nitasha has 25 years of experience in academic publishing. Her edited volume on Indian publishing, Publishers on Publishing: Inside India’s Book Business is the first insider account of this industry. She is on the Editorial Board of Logos, an international journal on publishing. She is also the President of the Association of Publishers in India and a member of the FICCI Publishing Committee, besides being Adviser with the Women Leadership Forum of Asia.

Source: Taylor & Francis Books India Pvt Ltd.