The TOI Story

by Sangita P. Menon Malhan

‘Commercially, Samir Jain was the best thing that could
have happened to The Times of India. But he destroyed an
institution and made it a great big factory’
PRITISH NANDY
The newspaper industry in
India was once organized
around unstated but
fairly rigid regulations.
Until the 1980s, when
Bennett, Coleman and
Company Limited, owners
of The Times of India, The
Economic Times and other
publications, rewrote the
rules – whether they were
about pricing, advertorials
or editorial freedom. Over
the next two decades,
the Indian newspaper
industry found itself utterly
transformed.
In 1985, The Times of India
had three editions with a
circulation of a little over
5.6 lakhs. By March 2012,
it had become the largestselling
English daily in
the country, with fourteen
editions and a circulation
of over 45 lakhs. As it grew,
the newspaper ended up
reinventing the rules of
reportage, editorial policies
and marketing initiatives for
the entire industry.
Yet, very little is known
about how the Times
Group changed the
dynamics of the Indian
media business. Sangita
Malhan, a former journalist
with The Times of India, set
out to remedy this. She
began by interviewing
the journalists and
corporate honchos who
had played crucial roles
in the transformation of
the paper. What she has
unearthed is a fascinating
story of clashing egos,
changing visions and
corporate makeovers. A
must-read for industry
insiders as well as all those
who are interested in the
way news is produced and
consumed in India.

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2013

Reviews

[Renjith R · Rating 4 out of 5]

An elaborated study of BCCL publications.

[Rama Bhandare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book giving a glimpse inside the working of BCCL the media giant owning publications like Times of India, Economics Times, Filmfare

A story of how the leadership turned the beloved paper from a editorial powerhouse into a cash cow on basis of surging advertising revenues.

[Sonali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about The Times of India, a paper that friends and family have grown up with, was bound to elicit a great deal of interest. I picked up a copy of The TOI Story and went through it, chapter by chapter. It delights all the way. Keenly researched with a lot of nuance and detail about the events and the key people. The surprise package is how little one knows about these papers. The thought behind the evolution of both these brands, the mega changes in the industry, brand building piece by piece - all of this makes for absorbing reading. The battle with Hindustanm Times, specially the part about invitation price, is engaging. If you have not been a TOI reader, or do not even think much about newspapers in general, then read The TOI Story only for Samir Jain, the shy, low profile, whimsical owner who makes it all happen. Rivetting !

[Sudarshan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work. Has pace and breadth. Years of painstaking research by the author, Sangita P Menon Malhan, shows. It's a book on the media, alright. On the largest selling English daily in the world. On The Times of India, a group that almost evokes extreme reactions. It's a book also on fostering change in business and industry. Above all, the most definitive work on Samir Jain, the shrewd media baron, reclusive "spiritual" aspirant, ruthless businessman..... loved it ! Won't spoil it for you by saying more

[Santosh Rangapure · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great story of media Powerhouse Times. I was amazed with the changes Sameer Jain made in an enterprise. He changed total perspective of looking at a newspaper. Truly inspiring story for every businessman.