Abstract

The publishing sector in India is growing at an estimated 30 per cent annually. New publishing technologies are creating opportunities for book publishers in the country. The current ebook market is said to be less than one per cent of the total book market, but expected to grow multifold in the next 2–3 years. This paper scopes out the factors that will lead to the growth of ebooks, namely, growth of literacy; internet penetration; proliferation of personal handheld devices; localization; and the government’s policies and initiatives. It lists the epublishing efforts of private publishers and new enterprises in education and trade segments of the industry. The article observes that although ebook publishing is at a nascent stage with potential for remarkable growth, print runs of printed books are increasing simultaneously. A hybrid model for the book industry, of both printed books and ebooks, is suggested as a viable option for the needs of a developing country such as India, where access to digital content continues to be a significant challenge.