“Chinese are the most humourous people in the world”

says Liu Zhenyun, a well-known Chinese author, who is known for his humourous streak in the saddest of situations in his books.Liu Zhenyun is a famous Chinese writer, whose works include novels such as Yellow Flower Under the Sun in Hometown, Going Around in Hometown, Hometown: Noodles and Flowers (four volumes), Cell Phone, My Name is Liu Yuejin, One Sentence worth Ten Thousand, I Did Not Kill My Husband, etc. He has also penned famous short stories such as Company of New Soldiers, Chicken Feathers Everywhere, Reminiscing 1942 etc. One Sentence worth Ten Thousand was awarded with Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2011. Throughout the years, Liu’s works have been translated into English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, Russian, Hungarian, Serbian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other languages.

Liu Zhenyun

Indian readers can read English version of his novels I Did Not Kill My Husband, Cellphone, and others, published by Skyhorse. “The response for the English version of my novel has been very good. The New York Times had reviewed the novel and said that Chinese also have a sense of humour and they are not serious or mysterious,” told Liu.

On asking about whether he is happy with his translated works or do translations lose the original flavor, Liu replied, “All translations are done by sinologists who are high-quality translators. They always try to maintain the original flavor.” Liu started writing when he was in college and his first book was published in 1992. “I have something to tell to the world. But, all my novels are a mix of fact and fiction as only a fiction novel cannot be of top quality,” he shared. Liu has written a novel set in the famine in 1942. “But, it has a sense of humour too as life is even sadder than the description in the novel,” he added.

His books are so interesting that they have been adapted to films as well. Two of his books - One Sentence worth Ten Thousand and I Did Not Kill My Husband – will be soon adapted into films.

FLTRP: a complete educational service provider in China

Tell us something about the role of FLTRP in popularizing foreign language education in China?

Zhang Siying with Varsha Verma

Zhang: Aiming for higher goals, we have been actively exploring innovative transformation and expanding our business scope. Educational training and service, online courses have become our new strengths.

New Concept English, first published by us in 1996, is still selling very well today. It is the bestseller in the English language learning market. In 2001, FLTRP and Macmillan Education jointly complied and published New Standard English, based on the currently new curriculum issued by the Ministry of Education. So far, more than 500 million copies have been sold.

In the past decade, FLTRP has provided training to about one million college and school teachers. The annual FLTRP National English Debating Competition was first held in 1997, and there after attracting students from hundreds of universities every year. FLTRP initiated the annual National English Public Speaking Contest in 2002, the National English Writing Contest in 2013 and the National English Reading Contest in 2015.

What have been the changes in the industry since the inception of FLTRP?

Zhang: Over the past 36 years, we think the biggest change in the industry has been the transform from print copies to the digital ones. And embracing the digital age, FLTRP also made endeavors in developing new products like online learning materials, the E-pen, Apps, etc to provide better, easy to learn and more advanced services to our users.

Describe FLTRP as a complete educational service provider.

Zhang: FLTRP started as a language education publisher, and has expanded into more subject areas. The formats of our products have extended from print to digital and mobile. And the age groups of our learners now cover pre-school kids to adults.

FLTRP has now built itself into a language publisher to an educational solutions provider. We provide training courses, online education services, assessment services to target users, as well as organize types of competitions including English debating, speaking and writing competitions.

What kind of books are published and in what languages?

Zhang: Our publications range from academic and educational works, to humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, and to the mass reading and children’s books. We now publish in 47 languages.

Which are the most popular languages and why?

Zhang: The most popular language of all is, of course, English, since it is the most frequently used language in the world, and has highest number as far as speaking is concerned. Other major European and Asian languages, like French, Japanese, German, Korean, Spanish, and Russian, are also quite popular in China.

How many books have been published so far?

Zhang: We now have a backlist of more than 9,000 titles, and we publish more than 1,000 new titles each year.

What are the average print runs of these books?

Zhang: Print runs may vary with different titles. For textbooks used in the school system, the print runs can be over 10 thousand, while for less popular titles like the teacher’s handbooks, the first print runs would be around 1,000.

Also, are these available as ebooks as well?

Zhang: This also depends on the types of books. For textbooks, we usually provide E-pen applicable print copies to facilitate users with more ready-to-use audio materials, and we also provide online resources and platforms to assist teaching and learning. For readers, we often provide ebooks.

What is the process of selection for authors? And how do you ensure that you publish authentic information?

Zhang: Our process is in fact quite simple: we first establish our publishing plan according to the demands of our readers and the local market, and then we find the suitable potential authors for the projects. We ask all potential authors to write sample units, and make evaluations according to the quality of the samples before making final decisions on the right authors to employ.

To ensure that we publish authentic information, we always cooperate with leading foreign publishers and first-class authors. We also train our editors, and send them to various language-teaching related conferences to get the cutting-edge information.

What are your views on the increasing competition of digital publishing to printed ones? Do you think it is a threat to the print? Why/Why not?

Zhang: We cannot deny that the competition between digital and traditional publishing is getting fierce. But we think that instead of being a threat to the print, digital publishing can be a very useful supplementary tool to the print if applied in the right way. Digitized materials are more convenient, and can make learning more vivid and interesting, and make teaching management more efficient.

Since you also publish dictionaries and other reference books, how has digital publishing affected the sales of these books?

Zhang: When the digital age first came to affect the publishing circle, the sales of dictionaries and reference books did suffer from a rapid decrease. But the negative effects only lie in the format of publishing, not the contents. What we need to do is to adapt the formats to a more convenient form, so that readers are given the freedom of shifting from print to digital.

What about your distribution system for offline and online sales?

Zhang: We have our traditional offline distribution system, and are working with major online stores in China. We are also building our own online flagship store.

Beijing International Book Fair: a resounding success!

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Held from August 26-30, 2015, Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) was a meeting ground for publishers from China and 82 different countries and regions around the world. The show was abuzz with activities on all five days. Here, Varsha Verma, associate editor, All About Book Publishing (ABP) brings a report.The 22nd Beijing International Book Fair was successfully held from August 26-30, 2015 at the China International Exhibition Centre (New Venue).

The statistics…

Spread over an exhibition area of 66,000 sq m, with 2,400 stands, featuring 2,302 publishing houses from not only the mainland China, but also from 82 different countriesand regions.Approximately 3,00,000 titles were on display.Over 1,000 cultural events and seminars were held,which attracted more than 2,60,000 visitors to the fair.The rights deals signed at the fair numbered to 4,721, an 8.6 percent increase from last year.

Guest of honour country…

The United Arab Emirates was the country of honour this year, with an exhibition area of 1,000 sq m. The UAE invited its cultural institutions, publishers, and writers to attend the Fair, and held activities to enhance communication amongst publishing industry and writers. These included UAE culture, art and heritage photo gallery, film screening, henna hand art, Arabic calligraphy, crafts, etc.

9th Special Book Awards of China

The 9th Special Book Awards of China was held at the Great Hall of People, Beijing. Established in 2005, it is a national-level award for foreign books that make great contributions introducing China and promoting Chinese culture and publications – it is awarded to foreign nationals, and Chinese nationals of foreign descent, working as authors, translators and publishers. Twenty people were awarded this year - Colin Patrick Mackerras, John Makeham, Carducci Lisa, François Cheng, Bellassen Joël, Schmidt-Glintzer Helwig, WL Idema, Sykhoun Bounvilay, Chimedtseye Menerel, Adam Marszalek, Perelomov Leonard sergeyevich, Mária Ferancová, Angel Fernandez Fermoselle, Robert E Baensch, Alitto Guy Salvatore, Ahmed Mohamed Elsaid Soliman, Kaung Min, Salaczne Zombori Klára ágnes, Samer Khair Ahmad Khrino and Eric Abrahamsen.

Major highlights…

This year BIBF, for the first time, facilitated the Hall of International Children’s Publications (over 14,000 sq m) for children’s publishers from home and abroad. Besides, the Rights Trade Zone, the 1,500 sq m BIBF Picture Book Exhibition and the Illustration Exhibition were set in this hall. The new hall attracted over 40,000 children and parents during public days.

This year, BIBF continued to organise brand activities such as 2015 Beijing International Publishing Forum, BIBF Advanced Seminar on International Rights Trade, CLT-ELT Seminar, BIBF 10+10 Roundtable Meetings, and IDPF@ BIBF International Digital Publishing Forum. Moreover, BIBF launched the first International Children’s Publishing Forum, Rights Managers’ Salon and the International Translation Grant Presentation. These activities contributed to enhancing communications between publishers from home and abroad.

BIBF literature activities…

The show brought together a galaxy of writers, translators and artists from various countries and offered a reading retreat for literature fans. Over 50 renowned authors from China, Britain, Spain, Russia, Mexico, Sweden, etc participated in a series of activities like 2015 BIBF Literature Night, Introduction to New Books and Close to Reading. The activities were held in Writers Zone and offsite venues like One Way Space, Kubrick and Courtyard Institute and TrainspottingCulture Salon.

Print on Demand

At the show, there were a few companies showcasing their POD facilities. One such exhibitor was Xerox. According to Arie Levi, general manager, Xerox Impika Inkjet Solutions, Asia Pacific, Xerox started their operations in China in late 2014. “Many big publishers, with encouragement of Chinese government, have now begun to save cost (waste) and the market is now on a stage of looking at saving cost on printed material. We are in the process of getting an order for Xerox Impika soon,” he said.

Illustrations: a visual support to a book

Children books become all the more interesting when they have attractive illustrations. Infact, illustrations breathe life into children’s books. Here, Manisha Chaudhry, editorial head, Pratham Books, shares her views on the role of illustrations in children books and the quality of illustrators in India, in conversation with Varsha Verma.

What is the role of illustrations in children books, what their major attributes are and how the work of Indian illustrators is evolving, shares Manisha Chaudhry, editorial head, Pratham Books.

ABP: What is the role of illustrations in children books?

Manisha: Illustrations breathe life into children's books. When a child first encounters a book, (whether she can read or not!) she begins by 'reading' the pictures. It is by looking at the pictures again and again and perhaps talking about them and asking questions or imagining things around them that she becomes ready to read in the formal sense of the word. At that stage, the illustrations support her own individualistic way of reading the book. Sometimes the illustrations provide direct visual support to the story and help her connect to characters and situations. For some children, they provide a take off point to add to the story using their own imagination. Children like books where the story and illustrations perfectly complement each other.

ABP: Is the story more important or the illustrations, considering the fact that when a child picks up the book, it is probably the illustrations that attract him?

Manisha: That is a bit like asking whether water is more important or food! Both are needed for a memorable reading experience for the child. It depends on the age and print readiness of the child and cannot remain constant. Since we use the word 'children' for anybody between the ages of 3-14 years, we cannot make such generalisations. Even in developmental stages of childhood, the ability of a child to read visuals and language capabilities grow simultaneously.

When children experiment with language, they also narrate experiences, real or imagined, which is probably their first taste of a story. Even if a child is first attracted towards a book because of the illustrations, she looks at them to make up her own personal story.

As publishers of children's books, we all work on both aspects so that the book gives joy to the child and trigger a positive interest in the act of reading.

ABP: How do you rate the quality of Indian illustrators vis-a-vis foreign ones?

Manisha: Indian illustration is a very broad and varied category. Quality also depends on the publishing house. There has to be a willingness to allocate a good illustration and book design budget and invest in good production. India has very fine illustrators who do excellent and imaginative work if they get the required support from publishing houses.

Usually, when people refer to 'foreign' illustrators, they mean illustrators working in western countries. Many western countries have had a longer track record of children's publishing and very supportive policies towards the creation of children's books. In the Scandinavian countries, France, Poland, Switzerland and so many others, there has been such tremendous support for children's books with illustrations and consequently there is a market which has led to such a variety of books. I'm sure there must be some books of indifferent quality also, but we get to see the best and boldest in terms of illustration and design.

I think we need to look beyond measuring ourselves against others. We have a wealth of traditions of visual representation in India as also young designers coming out of design schools. If book illustration and design received greater attention from publishers, I am sure a lot more exciting work will get done. There are many excellent Indian illustrators who are transforming the landscape and will do even more interesting work in the future as the children's books segment continues to grow.

ABP: What are the various attributes that should be kept in mind while including illustrations in a children book?

Manisha: Illustrations are essentially a creative interpretation of a story or a situation by the artist. They have to stand on their own within the overall framework of the book. Depending on the type of book being illustrated, such as a picture book, text book, comic book, the attributes may change. They have to serve the purpose of the book. The obvious things to eschew would be any form of stereotyping whether relating to race, class or gender, although that can depend on the context of the story. Any disturbingly graphic depictions of violence are usually kept out.

Clarity and a visual balance with the text is another very important attribute specially in beginners' books, picture books, etc. If there is the possibility of communication between the illustrator and editor and author and if there is a specific audience in mind, it becomes easier to decide the attributes. Whether detailed or with bold lines, black and white or coloured, the idea is to create an ideal package to draw a child into the world of books.

ABP: Since you have worked with a lot of illustrators, brief us about any particular illustrations which have touched your heart?

Manisha: It is very difficult to pick favourites. There are so many illustrators who have touched my heart. Some of them directly and others whose work I admire.

I love Bindia Thapar's illustrations. She illustrated a book called City of Stories for us and I feel happy as soon as I spot that book. Her cityscapes, her characteristic style makes the book shine in a different light altogether.

I also love Priya Kuriyan's work. She has illustrated many books for us and I will always look upon the Rituchakra series with great fondness. Maya Ramaswamy's work in titles such Nono, the Snow Leopard, King Cobra, The Adventures of Philautus the Frog is outstanding.

Ruchi Shah's work is really interesting too. Nina Sabnani, Shilpa Ranade, Tapas Guha all bring a great sense of individual style to the books they illustrate. I also admire Atanu Roy, Shuddhasatwa Basu, Taposhi Ghosal, Anita Balachandran.. I could go on with so many other names....

ABP: Any message for our readers.

Manisha: Publishers have to play their part if we want to see more and better children's books in all Indian languages. They have to support illustrators and recognise that even the simplest picture books and early readers have a far reaching impact on a new generation of readers.

“Future augurs well for a company that believes content is king”

says Raghu Ram Aiyar, executive sr. vice president, Amity University Press in conversation with Varsha Verma.

The K-12 publishing segment is growing at a rate of 16 percent per annum. With the rise of e-textbooks, the content has become the king and the publishers are considering taking more interactive approach to data provision. But, with stiff competition and discount wars, the industry is reeling under pressure. Here, Raghu Ram Aiyar, executive sr. vice president, Amity University Press, discusses the trends and future prospects of the K-12 publishing industry.

Varsha: You are a veteran in the academic publishing industry; describe your journey so far?

Aiyar: I began my career in the year 1990 as the senior vice president at Macmillan. During those days, Kolkata used to be the south-east headquarters of the company’s worldwide operations. It was baptism by fire, as it were. The company was going through a rough patch as it was marred by labour problems and was toying with the idea of closing down its operations. But, the company moved on this time around concentrating on publishing books catering to the Indian market. Those were the days when the decision makers and influencing factors spent quality time with publishers reviewing the content of the titles religiously and with deep keenness.

Unfortunately, this trend seems to be on the wane in the present day. The trade has taken over in helping the institutions in deciding the prescriptions. Maybe this is because choosing the right book is important but not a prioritised area. Publishers hardly get any time at the school level.

From Macmillan to Amity University Press (AUP) in 2003: The visionary chancellor Atul Chauhan had laid the foundation and then the company sprang into action with my joining them. It was a start from the scratch, yet again. Mornings and nights were spent by us in formalising a publishing programme that has caught the imagination of a discerning school audience, today. Amity University Press (AUP) has carved a niche for itself and has become a name to reckon with in the publishing industry. I take extreme pride in the fact that our books are considered benchmark by schools that do not even use our books. AUP has grown from strength to strength from 2003 to 2016. The future augurs well for a company that does not believe in compromising on quality and believes that content is king.

Varsha: What have been the major trends in the publishing industry and where does it stand now?

Aiyar: The publishing industry has been undergoing a major evolution and with digital media gaining popularity, it has become relatively easier for more and more non-publishing media companies to join the business of creating and distributing content. With the rise of e-textbooks the content has become the king and the publishers are considering taking more interactive approach to data provision. They are trying to go down the enriched content route and provide the end users videos and interactive graphical content. The publishers are viewing Massive Open Online Courses (MCOC) as a lucrative business opportunity to market textbooks and e-textbooks.

Varsha: The Indian publishing industry is still disorganised. What are your views on K-12 segment, which has become a little organised?

Aiyar: The discount war is forcing many institutions to prescribe books not on the basis of merit but on the basis of the discounts being offered by the publishers. However, institutions belonging to old school of thought, who don’t want to compromise on quality still opt for publishers with a proven track record. The rising competition is forcing publishers to add value to content and make it available online if they want to sustain their legacy and do good business.

I strongly feel there is a need for a forum where academic publishers can sit across the table with institutional heads and develop online version of their texts and also load them with interactive features that are going to be beneficial to students.

Varsha: What are the limitations and challenges that publishers face today?

Aiyar: I feel the publishing industry has witnessed a major metamorphosis since its inception. The publishing industry today is at a crossroad as the conventional publishing industry is facing an eminent threat from e-books. E-books today are ready to phase out or edge out the printed ones. The trend seems to be picking up because publishers don’t need to invest in paper or arrange for transportation of the consignments. Moreover, more and more middle class Indians are choosing kindle edition over the physical book because low cost editions are available at the click of the mouse.

The publishing industry is yet to acquire an official industry status; it still continues to be an unorganised sector. The other factors which pose challenge to the industry are rampant piracy and discount war. The pirated copies sold at busy traffic intersections lead to corporate infringement and all the publishers need to join hands to curb the problem from assuming mammoth proportion.

One eminent threat that I can foresee in the future comes from the government. If the government decides to hike the cost of paper by a large percentage, the cost of the books will go up, whereas the government has been building pressure on the publishers to cut down on the prices of the books. Isn’t it ironical?

Varsha: How is digital affecting the K-12 industry and how is it expected to transform the publishing industry in the next 10 years?

Aiyar: I think e-books can never replace physical books, they will continue to be around for a longer time in India as compared to other countries. Internet is yet to penetrate fully in the country and many remote areas still continue to be out of bounds. Moreover, a large section of the society still finds kindle and e-books unaffordable and inaccessible. However, in the coming years it would become imperative for the publishers that every new book is simultaneously released as an e-book.

In future publishers should be ready to dole out extra money on scanning, proofing, preparing the PDF and turning the physical book into an e-book. They have to be prepared to change the format of the book to meet the requirement of different e-retailers. Another important thing that they need to keep in mind is that marketing through e-vendors does not eliminate the distribution cost completely.

Though, e-retailers are not charging a fortune right now, but will not think twice before milking publishers like distributors in future.

“I write about things that appeal to young adults”

- says Vibha Batra in conversation with Varsha Verma of All About Book Publishing (ABP).

Vibha Batra is an upcoming wri t e r of books for young adults (YA). Her published books include The Activist and The Capitalist, Sweet Sixteen (Yeah, Right!), Seventeen and Done (You Bet!), Eighteen and Wiser (Not Quite!) - a YA trilogy published by Penguin. She has also authored Ishaavaasya Upanishad (a translation published by Rupa, Tongue-in-cheek (a collection of poetry), and A Twist of Lime (a collection of short stories). Another collection of short stories, Family Crossword, will be out later this year. Here, she shares her views on YA fiction and more.

ABP: Tell us something about your YA trilogy and the response it has received so far?

Vibha: It’s the story of sixteen-year-old Rinki Tripathi, who moves from Delhi to Chennai and how she adapts to the change, how she makes peace with her new life, how she finally falls in love with her new home and new friends. The YA trilogy was very well received. Sweet Sixteen (Yeah, Right) was a bestseller. The response was so positive and encouraging, I bravely set out to write the next two instalments: Seventeen and Done (You Bet) and Eighteen and Wiser (Not Quite).

ABP: How were the characters and storyline created, is it inspired from the real life?

Vibha: Many moons ago, I moved from Kolkata to Chennai. I was a teenager, it was a crazy time. I always thought there was a story there. A funny one at that. It was playing in my head for quite a while. So I just decided to sit down and write it. Having said that, it’s a work of fiction. No family, friends or teachers were harmed in the making of the trilogy!

ABP: When did you "know" you wanted to write professionally?

Vibha: Very early in life. I blame it on my genes! My late grandfather, Vishnu Kant Shastri, was an academic, scholar, and prolific writer. I grew up reading his memoirs, travelogues, and poetry.

ABP: In your opinion, what is the hardest part of writing a book? Why?

Vibha: I think the writing part is comparatively easy. Marketing the book – that’s the real toughie!

ABP: What factors are kept in mind while writing for young adults?

Vibha: Well, I consider myself a young adult. So I write about things that appeal to the target audience – me! Right from acne eruptions to stubborn kilos, from academic pressures to lasting friendships, from romance to humour.

Interestingly, while I was writing the first part of my Young Adult trilogy, my editor pointed out my affinity to cuss words. So I had to replace them with less offensive alternatives like ‘Shut the Front Door’, Flying Fudge’, ‘Dang Rabbit’, ‘Bull Spit’, ‘What the Fish’ and so on.

ABP: What writing/ publishing advice do you give to aspiring writers of any age?

Vibha: Unsolicited advice makes me want to run the other way. So all I’m going to say is: Keep writing and never ever give up.

ABP: What are you reading right now? Are there any authors (living or dead) that you would name as influences?

Vibha: I’m (proof) reading my manuscript at the moment (she laughs!!!). The biggest influence is my grandfather, the late Vishnu Kant Shastri. My list of favourite authors is pretty long and includes Ruskin Bond, Saki, Maupassant , Rabindranath Tagore, JK Rowling, Bill Bryson. As for poets, I love Ogden Nash, Nissim Ezekiel, Ghalib, Rumi, Jagdish Gupt, and Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

ABP: What was the book that most influenced your life – and why? Vibha: When my grandfather passed away, I decided to translate his book Ishaavaasya Upanishad: Gyaan Aur Karm into English. It was published by Rupa in 2007. So you could say it influenced my life the most. Because until then, I was perfectly content being a copywriter!

ABP: What are your favorite books to give and get as gifts?

Vibha: I can’t choose, I like them all. The sole exception - horror. Hats off to people who love the genre and can make solo trips to the loo in the middle of the night!

ABP: We live in a time when young people have numerous choices for entertainment. What would you like to say to young adult who may be hesitant about reading a book for "fun?

Vibha: I’d say give it a shot, amigos and amigas, you won’t be disappointed!

ABP: Which is the next book that readers can look forward to?

Vibha: My second collection of short stories ‘Family Crossword’ is just released and my next novel (Rom-com) will be released in 2016.

“We wish to promote the rule of law”

Says Mohan Ramaswamy, managing director, India, LexisNexis Legal & Professional, in conversation with Varsha Verma. LexisNexis India was recently in news for acquiring indigenous legal publishing house -Universal Law Publishing.Publ ishing industry in India is very fragmented, with national as well as regional players. Courts in India have a phenomenal number of pending cases. The Indian judiciary has got a major investment boost in the last five years and it is important to equip the judiciary with the right tools and resources. If we look at the numbers, Indian legal publishing would be a US$ 70-75 million industry, with a growth of 7-8 percent per annum, told Mohan Ramaswamy, managing director, India, LexisNexis Legal & Professional, a leading publisher and online solutions provider in the legal, tax, academic, and test-prep segments.

“We wish to promote the rule of law and expand our sphere and provide authentic and well-researched information to the legal fraternity. LexisNexis was purely a legal publishing house till a few years back, when we added tax and later academic titles to our list. This has been achieved through both organic as well as inorganic growth. While growing organically, we have built up our own strengths, we have also partnered or acquired existing players who were either looking at partnerships or were on the verge of exiting,” added Mohan.

LexisNexis has recently acqui red Univers a l Law Publishing, which has been publishing law books and bare acts for legal professionals, academics and students in the Indian market for five decades. Recognised for their relevance and speed to market, Universal Law Publishing titles are held in high regard by legal professionals across India. Over the years, Universal has published popular works by eminent authors like PM Bakshi, HM Seervai, KD Gaur, justice VR Krishna Iyer, justice PN Bhagwati, justice Michael Kirby, Soli J Sorabjee and Arun Jaitley to name a few.

Mohan added, “It i s a strategic acquisition as Universal Law Publishing perfectly complements our existing range of offerings in the legal market. Their presence in the bare act space expands our reach to a large set of legal practitioners. And soon, we expect to make Universal’s content available on our Indian online legal research solution – Lexis India – providing even more content to our customers.”

“LexisNexis India is one of the leading publishers and online solutions providers with many good authors and titles. This combination gives authors an opportunity to work with superior editorial and product development systems with higher quality benchmarks that provide greater value to customers. Under the aegis of LexisNexis editorial and supported by their strong marketing and sales teams, Universal Law Publishing titles will now be accessible in more markets,” he added.

Mohan Ramaswamy

On asking about whether Universal Law Publishing would continue its brand, Mohan replied, “We will try our best to retain the brand as far as we can as it has its own brand identity. Nevertheless, it would become an imprint of LexisNexis and best practices we have adopted at LexisNexis would be practised here to service our customers better.”

Talking about the competition in the legal publishing segment, Mohan shared that there’s an opportunity for everybody and it is always healthy to have competition. “The USP lies in better and easier platform. LexisNexis has differentiated and created a niche for itself.

We have invested in people and right resources. In India, we had a team of just 30 professionals 7-8 years back, which has now increased to 250+ employees and we are expanding further. The recent acquisition of Universal Law Publishing has added 50 more employees to our team. Besides, we have good online tools and technologies and stateof- the-art platform. And we are making continuous investments in all spheres,” he added.

“LexisNexis is committed to India, and we will continue to make the right investments to help our customers become more effective, efficient, and productive in their professions,” concluded Mohan.