If you have a problem with your weight, relationship or business in India, you rarely see an expert to solve it. Instead, you read a book.
Self-help is big business in India. The appearance of the "queen of feelgood" Oprah Winfrey at the Jaipur Literature Festival last week nearly caused a stampede, with thousands wanting to see their idol live.
A tiny sector a decade ago, today the Indian publishing industry is basking in the warm glow of the self-help craze, with millions of copies shifted from shelves every year.
"Our best-selling genre is lifestyle, especially diet and fitness. Books such as Rujuta Diwekar'sDon't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight and Payal Gidwani Tiwari'sFrom XL to XS are still selling strongly," says Milee Ashwarya, the editorial director of Ebury India and Random House India.
The Indian market offers different prospects to elsewhere in the world.
"I think Indian publishing has huge potential to grow, unlike the West, where the market has stagnated or is slowing down," Ms Ashwarya says. "Lifestyle and business are two genres which I believe will see a lot of growth in the future."
"Self-help books are huge in India," says Ravi Deecee, the chief executive of DC Books, one of southern India's largest booksellers and publishing houses with more than US$15 million (Dh55m) annual turnover.
"People like to seek advice from an expert, but they don't necessarily want to pay a lot of money for it," he adds. "The pundits know their business and everyone at the Jaipur Literature Festival was talking about the next big thing. Publishing industry in India, like everywhere else in a world, is going through a change.
"But our change is different to the West. We are seeing the market exploding in India when it comes to book sales, whereas in Europe or UK it's all about formats."
Andrew Phillips, the president of Penguin International, echoes that view.
"India is different to many other markets around the world - the book trade is growing, the number of publishers present in India is growing, the number of readers is growing and there are many new authors wanting to be published for the first time. It is an extremely vibrant publishing market," he says.
It certainly is. A recent study by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, a business advocacy group, estimates the market to have been worth about $1.4 billion last year, and it is growing about 10 per cent each year.
"The Indian market for popular fiction has grown from selling just few thousands of print copies to today's print runs that are often several hundreds of thousands," Mr Deecee says.
Many of those attending the annual book festival have watched the Indian industry change rapidly from an emerging market to a sector with long-term growth prospects.
"We are entering into a phase of maturity," says Urmila Dasgupta, who runs the New Delhi agency Purple Folio. "We can no longer afford to publish just anything and hoping that people will like it, but we have caught up with the West. We need to look at the commercial aspect of each book and its potential audiences."
Publishers agree the book business is no longer for the elite few.
"There are different segments within the Indian market, and as publishers we have to be able to cater to all kinds of readership, be it literary or commercial. You can no longer be snobbish and just publish for a select audience," says Ms Ashwarya.
Understanding the Indian publishing industry means understanding the diversity of the market.
Mita Kapur, who runs Siyahi, a literary consultancy, says the regional publishing market is the fastest-growing sector right now.
"The English-language books get more attention but it's the regional language books like Tamil that are growing the fastest. We have a vibrant language scene here in India and statistically the sales of these is outnumbering the English-language ones," she says.
Publishing, as with any other sector, is volatile to global economics and many western publishing houses have been forced to seek alternative markets.
"Many big UK publishing companies experienced a slowdown in their domestic market, so they started to look elsewhere and India could offer a large English-language potential," says Shruti Debi, of Aitken Alexander Associates, a literary agency in London.
Multiple sales channels are on the cards for most publishing companies. As traditional high street bookshops are struggling, most will now offer online presence.
"During 2012, as well as the above, I would expect to see the continuing growth of online retail in India such as Flipkart and also the advent of more reading devices, which in turn will lead to a substantial uptake in e-book sales," says Mr Phillips.
India is still at an early stage for online book sales but Amazon, the world's largest online bookseller, is reportedly close to starting its operations in India and has already started to recruit staff there.
Local retailers do not seem to worry about the global giant's forays, but welcome the competition.
"Online is growing fast and any new entrant will be welcome because it will grow the market and increase awareness," Mr Deecee says. "My business is based on bricks and mortar as well as online, and both segments are bringing in healthy profits."
It seems India, however, is not quite ready for e-books just yet.
"Reading devices are still too expensive for mass market, but I am sure this segment will mature with time, too, and offer huge potential," he says.
"There are lots of people online and we have to respond to the market demand because that's where the future is," Ms Kapur says. "Having said that, I don't think the electronic books will take over in this country for a long time because there isn't a market for them yet."
All the literary chatter and deal-making aside, the popularity of the festival itself is another sign of how India's publishing business is ready for its next chapter.
"This [Jaipur Literature] festival has changed in the last five years from an exclusive meeting to a mass-market festival, inspiring thousands of people to buy books," Ms Dasgupta says.
"This is a sign of how our industry has changed massively in the last few years. Good fiction is getting more popular with the masses, rather than the privilege of the few."
business@thenational.ae
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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'Jurassic%20World%20Dominion'
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
More on animal trafficking
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
