Window seat above the wings

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Recently while travelling, I happened to get a window seat above the wings…my vision below was limited…which set me thinking – do we believe in 'the reality below the wings' or just limit our vision 'till we see the wings'? I think the latter is not true…Even in the publishing industry, we feel that the growth is at stake…the scenario is changing… but is it actually so?

Most of the publishers are struggling to find the right path - print vs digital…the debate continues…but this is just a platform that is changing…the content still remains intact. From time immemorial, man has found a medium to communicate – right from stone carvings to palm leaves to paper and now digital. But, the need for content has never declined – it is actually increasing day by day. New subjects and new ways of writings have been created and admired, while old ones are given a facelift and presented in a better way. The age-old epics, the Panchtantra, etc have been adapted and presented in hundred different ways…keeping the content alive.

Very recently, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series got the e-book format for the first time. Though the author resisted the digital format for so long, she finally gave in to the need of the hour. Even the recently concluded New Delhi World Book Fair and the London Book Fair showcased all mediums for content distribution – print and digital are actually linked together and these will go hand in hand.

Coming back to the Indian market, according to an industry estimate, print industry in India is about $17-20 billion, to which education contributes about $4-5 billion and is growing at compound annual rate of about 14-15 percent. More recently, MBS Nair, president, Indian Pulp and Paper Technical Association, said that the demand for paper will grow from the present 12 million tonnes to 17 million tonnes over the next five years. This growth will be supported by the increased government spend on education schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and National Literacy Mission. With such impressive figures, the industry is definitely set to bloom.

The idea is to look beyond what you are seeing…there’s immense growth potential in the industry and publishing would remain one of the core industries of the civilised world.

Let’s do what we are good at – creating and distributing interesting and useful content, even if we see the imaginary wings.

Happy reading!

Sk Khurana
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