India’s Newspaper Revolution: Capitalism, Technology and the Indian Language Press, 1977-1999

This books shines a light into a black hole: the revolution in India’s newspapers, and the reading habits of its people, since the late 1970’s. While newspapers hold readers, Indian daily circulations have increased by close to 500 per cent in twenty years. The book pinpoints the role propelling a print boom in ten major Indian languages; analyzes the role of capitalism and technology in shaping identity–national or otherwise; and examines patterns of ownership, the recruitment of journalists and the forces striving to control the Indian-language press. The book contributes to a more precise understanding of events in India in the 1980’s and 1990’s.