In India, newspapers play a significant role in democracy. India has a long and rich history of newspaper publishing, dating back to the 18th century. Today, more than 100,000 newspapers are published in the country in more than one hundred languages. Newspapers are essentially public information sources and play a vital role in shaping public opinion. They also play a crucial role in the country's economy, as they are an effective advertising medium. The first newspaper in India was published in 1780 and was called the Bengal Gazette. The first English-language newspaper was published in Calcutta in 1814, and the first Hindi-language newspaper was published in 1826. Today, many diverse types of newspapers in India cater to different audiences.
Did you know? India imports the majority of its newsprint paper from countries like Canada, the US, and Russia. India is the biggest import market for newsprint paper with 17,981 shipments of Newsprint paper on an average to India every year.
Newspaper Industries in India
The Indian newspaper industry is one of the largest in the world. India has over 100,000 daily newspapers, and over 42 crores 50 lakh people read newspapers regularly in the country as of 2019. The sector employs over 10 lakh people and has an annual turnover of over ₹200,00 crores. The industry is highly fragmented, with over 80% of the market being served by regional and local newspapers. The top three newspaper groups - The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and The Hindu - account for only 25% of the market. The Indian newspaper industry is facing several challenges. The growth of digital media has led to a decline in print readership. Ad revenues have also been hit as advertisers shift their budgets to digital platforms.
The newspaper industry is responding to these challenges by investing in digital businesses and launching new products and services. Many newspapers now offer digital subscriptions and have launched apps and websites, and some newspapers are also experimenting with new business models such as paywalls and micropayments. The Indian newspaper industry is a vital part of the country's media landscape and plays a crucial role in democracy and society. The industry is facing challenges but is also innovating and evolving to meet the needs of its readers.
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Key Takeaways:
- The newspaper industry in India is highly competitive, with over 70,000 publications registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India.
- There are approximately 407,000,000 people who read newspapers in India every day.
- There are over 1,000 daily and 9,000 weekly newspapers in India.
- The Times of India is the most popular English newspaper in India, with a circulation of over 45 lakh copies.
- Dainik Jagran is India's most popular Hindi newspaper, with over 35 lakh daily readers across the country.
Top 10 Newspapers in India
Following is the list of the top 10 newspapers in India-
Dainik Jagran:
Dainik Jagran is one of India's most widely read Hindi-language newspapers. It is published in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana. The newspaper has over 1.6 crore copies, making it the largest circulated daily newspaper in India. The newspaper was founded in 1942 by Purushottam Das Tandon.
Hindustan:
Hindustan Newspapers is one of India's oldest and most popular newspapers. It was founded in 1857 by a British journalist named William Digby. The Hindustan Times Group currently owns the paper. Hindustan Newspapers have a long history of being a reliable source of news for Indians. The paper covers various topics, including politics, business, sports, and entertainment. Hindustan Newspapers is also known for its investigative journalism. In recent years, Hindustan Newspapers have faced stiff competition from other newspapers, such as The Times of India and The Hindu. However, it remains one of the most widely-read newspapers in India.
Dainik Bhaskar:
Dainik Bhaskar is one of the largest-selling Hindi newspapers in India. It is published in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The newspaper has a circulation of over 40 lakh copies and is read by over one crore people. The newspaper was founded in 1958 by the Late Shri Girwarlal Agarwala. The newspaper is owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group, which also owns other newspapers and TV channels.
Malayala Manorama:
Malayala Manorama, a famous newspaper in India, is one of the country's most popular and respected newspapers. It is published in Kerala and has a wide readership across the state. The paper is known for its unbiased and objective reporting and is respected for its fair and balanced coverage of news and events. Malayala Manorama is a daily newspaper in India published in the Malayalam language. The newspaper has a readership of over 2 crore people, headquartered in Kottayam, Kerala. It is the second most widely read newspaper in Kerala, after Mathrubhumi.
Daily Thanthi:
Daily Thanthi is a famous Tamil newspaper in India. The paper is headquartered in Chennai and published in sixteen other cities across the country. It has over 12 lakh copies and is read by over 1 crore people daily. The paper was founded in 1942 by S. P. Adithanar and is currently owned by the Adithanar family.
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Rajasthan Patrika:
Rajasthan Patrika is a Hindi-language daily newspaper published in India. It was founded by Kapoor Chandra Kulish in 1956 and is owned by the Hindustan Times Group. Rajasthan Patrika has over 30 lakh copies and is one of India's largest circulated Hindi-language newspapers. The newspaper has a wide readership in Rajasthan, where it is published in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, and Bharatpur. It also has editions in the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara in Gujarat, Bhopal, Indore, and Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Amar Ujala:
Amar Ujala is a Hindi-language daily newspaper published in India. It has a readership of over 2 crore people, making it one of India's most widely read Hindi-language newspapers. Amar Ujala was founded in 1948 by Krishna Lal Kishore Chand and Lala Jagat Narayan. Amar Ujala has a vast network of reporters and correspondents across India, and it is one of the few Hindi-language newspapers to have a bureau in New Delhi. The newspaper covers various topics, including politics, business, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. Amar Ujala also has an online presence, with a website that offers breaking news, videos, and a range of other features.
The Times of India:
The Times of India is one of India's largest English-language daily newspapers. It is published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., owned by the Sahu Jain family. It is headquartered in Mumbai. The Times of India has the largest circulation among all English-language daily newspapers worldwide. It is one of the oldest English-language newspapers in India and has been published continuously since its first issue in 1838. The Times of India is available online on the website timesofindia.com. The website has been ranked as the second most popular website in India by Alexa. The Times of India is also available on the Kindle e-reader.
The Hindu:
The Hindu is a daily newspaper published in India. The Hindu was founded in 1878 as a weekly publication and became a daily newspaper in 1889. The Hindu is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in India, with over 14 lakh copies as of July 2016. The Hindu has its most extensive circulation base in southern India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Hindu is published in Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi.
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Hindustan Times:
Hindustan Times is one of the leading newspapers in India. It is published in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna, Chandigarh, and Pune. The newspaper was founded in 1924 by Sunder Singh Lyallpuri, a freedom fighter and social reformer. The KK Birla Group owns the newspaper, and the group also holds other publications like The Hindu, Hindustan, and Nandan. The newspaper is published in English and Hindi. The newspaper has a wide circulation and is read by people from all occupations. The newspaper covers all the latest news and happenings in India and worldwide.
Conclusion
India's newspaper industry is an essential part of its economy and plays a significant role in its social and political life. The Indian newspaper industry is also highly fragmented, with no single newspaper having more than a 5% market share. The Times of India is the largest newspaper in India by circulation. The newspaper industry in India is facing many challenges, including declining circulation and advertising revenues, the growth of digital media, and competition from television and radio. However, the industry continues to play a crucial role in the country's social and political life and is expected to continue.
