India Today shuts southern editions

The three loss-making regional editions – Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam – have been discontinued after incurring loss for over two decades

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | February 13, 2015

India Today has decided to close down its loss-making regional editions – Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam – from next week. India Today Group Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie informed his colleagues of the decision through an email communication earlier this week.

The language editions of the flagship India Today English magazine was at that time a path-breaking initiative in the sense it was the first time that an English magazine had tried to tap the vernacular market. Over the years the move paid dividends in terms of market penetration and wider reach. But the emergence of very strong local brands in each of these three southern markets made the existence of India Today's language editions unviable.

Purie wrote in his message: “The India Today weekly editions of Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam have been incurring loss for over two decades. We have been absorbing the losses so far in the hope that they will turnaround. After great deal of deliberation we have come to the conclusion that we don't see the viability of these editions in the foreseeable future. It is, therefore, with a heavy heart that we have decided to discontinue these editions.”

Addressing concerns regarding the future of the staff in these editions, Purie assured that any exiting employee will be fairly compensated. “The office in Chennai will now be a smaller Bureau. Some colleagues who are already contributing to the English edition will be retained in ITE and be a part of this Bureau,” he added.

With the closure of three editions, India Today is now available in English and Hindi only.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com