Economic aspects of book fairs in India and Bangladesh

Book fairs are held regularly in both India and Bangladesh. The objectives behind organizing book fairs are well known to us. This piece will highlight the economic aspects book fairs are held on regular occasion in India and Bangladesh.

Book fairs are just like academic congregations of writers, academicians as well as that of book wholesalers and retailers. In this context, the term wholesalers are referred to those who sell books in bulk quantities as well as in smaller amounts to retailers whereas retailers are those who sell books in retail outlets as well as in different book fairs.

So book sellers are just like business persons but the pattern of business is slightly different. Anyhow the books sellers have to analyze their profits in order to sustain the competitiveness in the business. However the competitiveness in the business is still consistent with some book sellers earn profit whereas there are quite good numbers of book sellers available in both India and Bangladesh who always crave for profit.

In the subsequent paragraph it is my coveted task to analyze on how to  ensure profit during every book fairs which are held in India and Bangladesh and thus profit is deeply analyzed which will ultimately pave the way for prosperity and successes in book trade.

Economic aspects of book fairs in India

Publishing industry in India is vast and extensive as all over the country there are 23 diverse languages spoken by the natives. However the key languages spoken by the Indian citizens are English and Hindi. English language is spoken by selective groups of citizens as this language bears commonwealth flavor.

However educated sections speak mostly English the reason behind is that they are all alumni of English medium schools and colleges. That is why in most of Indian Book Fairs we find there is tremendous craze for English medium books instead of vernacular medium books.

Now coming to the economic aspects of Book Fairs we find from available records that the total amount of Book sales contributed to around per annum 6.7 billion dollar.

Though in Indian Book Fairs as well as in retail cum wholesale trade we find sales of English language publishing is the third largest as per global scenarios are concerned however with the passing away of time we evince with ecstasy that regional language book trade are also equally flourishing.

At the present juncture we find that imposition of GST in book trade has been alarming hence the overall retail price has skyrocketed badly. However holding of book fairs in different book fairs is no doubt an added advantage but apart from the book fairs we find that rates offered to the readers by wholesale traders are much cheaper than the previous ones.

Say for example in the Indian city of Kolkata we find that discounts offered to the customers at wholesale College Street market is to the tune of 20% to 25%. Whereas in different Book Fairs of India traditional discounts offered to the buyer is 10%. However in different book fairs let me state the readers a rough sketch about discount pattern, such as

Kolkata Book Fairs

Every year Kolkata Book Fair is held during peak winter months. It is held for 12 days at a stretch. There are participants from various parts of India as well as from various overseas countries. Neighboring Bangladesh is also one of the key participants. During the twelve days of the fair there are approximately 2 to 2.5 lakhs   participants converge at the fair ground. The total amount of businesses take place amounts of approximately little more than one crore Indian rupee.

Delhi Book Fair

It is the largest book fair held every year in India with various subtitles of different Indian and global languages. Every day the book fair draws crowd to the level 2 to 3 crores approximately during the span of 12 days with businesses of around Rs 4 crores.

In other book fairs of India we find that sales are to the tune of approximately 2 lakhs to 6 lakhs for 12 days with viewer's capacity to the tune of around 40 to 50 thousands per day.  Apart from Kolkata International Book Fairs and World Book Fairs at Pragati Maidan at New Delhi, the other prominent book fairs held every year in India are Mumbai Book Fairs, Bangalore Book Fairs, Chennai Book Fairs etc.

In the Indian state of West Bengal there are various vernacular Bengali Book Fairs in different district towns of the state which also encourage greatly reading habits of native populations.

Book fairs in Bangladesh

Book Fairs in Bangladesh is gaining prominence all around the country. In Bangladesh prominent book fair held in the country is Aamar Ekushey Book Fair around the ramparts of Bangla Academy, Dhaka.

Apart from the above there are also regional book fairs held in major cities of the country like that of Rangpur, Kushtia, Jashore, Chittagong etc. As per the available records in the year 2019 Book Fair sales amounted to around 700 million BDT.

This is quite significant as this gives us an indication that reading habits in that country is increasing by leaps and bounds. Though the key focusing is upon regional Bengali books but now as per the progress of Bangladeshi societies concerned we find demand for English language books are also gaining importance.

Only impediments pertaining to it is huge amounts of GST along with BST being imposed which takes heavy toll upon middle class citizens inclination to purchase English language editions.

However this writer from Kolkata, India finds one aspect extremely dismal when Bangladesh Book Fair is held every year in November at Mohur Kunja, Kolkata. There the turnout is just reverse to other Book Fairs stated above. The entire ten days of last named Book Fairs looks a drab encounter.

The total sales estimated to be around INR Rs 100000/-. In this regard Bangladesh knowledge and creative writers associations is not taking serious views into it. However during the Book Fairs at Dhaka there are around 600 to 700 new titles issued by each publisher.

Summing up my above discourse it is a feeling on my part that all book publishers, wholesalers and retailers of both India and Bangladesh must take a serious view of profitability or economic aspects of the fair otherwise one day or rather we will evince with utter sorrow that this prestigious trade will land up in utter sorrow and despondency which cannot be avoided forever.

The writer is a freelance
contributor based in Kolkata