Fortune India hits the stands, finally

Fortune India, an English monthly, will be the 80-year old magazine's sixth international edition after China, Turkey, Korea, Indonesia and a special edition in Greece.
In fact, Fortune's association with the country dates back to 1942, when Jawaharlal Nehru had penned an article for it, and significantly enough, the launch issue has reproduced Nehru's article, Fortune India editor D N Mukerjea told PTI in a pre-launch interaction.

"The magazine will bring value and experience to its readers even in this day of multiple media formats," he said. Launching the much-awaited title, ABP Group editor-in-chief Aveek Sarkar said, "we are pleased to partner with the most prestigious business publication in the world. We share the same vision of trusted insight, deep reporting and provocative story telling with Fortune."

Time Inc vice-president for licensing and international development Jim Jacovides said, "Fortune's level of quality news journalism requires a thoughtful team of editors who understand and are passionate about local, regional and global matters in business. To communicate the brand promise to advertisers and readers alike, it requires strategic publishing professionals. In ABP, we've found all of this. We're delighted to launch Fortune India with them."

The ABP Group had entered into an agreement with Time Inc, a Time Warner company, late October 2007 to publish the magazine in India. But both the parties had to wait nearly three years to get various approvals. Finally, the companies got the nod from the I&B Ministry in February this year.

The magazine is being published under a licensing agreement with Time and the Indian editorial team has the freedom to choose the content, Mukerjea said, adding, however, the look and feel of the magazine will not be dissimilar.

"We will give the same look and feel as well as the experience of reading the American edition. Fortune India will follow the flagship magazine's rich tradition of sophisticated and contemporary design, and lavish conceptual images that illuminate the pages with wit and creativity," Mukerjea said.

"We believe that the country is in need for a prestigious and credible business title. Fortune India will fill this gap and offer the reader a smart mix of international content and local insights. The magazine is going to be the single-point for Indian companies and managers to gain insights into the world markets," he concluded. The launch issue is priced at Rs 100 and will have nearly 200 pages. While the editorial offices of the magazine will be in New Delhi, it will be printed in Hyderabad.

Time Inc, a Time Warner Group firm is the largest magazine publisher in the US with 115 titles, and some of its well-known titles include the Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated etc. Fortune has a circulation of over 850,000 in the US and a global readership of nearly 5 million. Fortune publishes English-language editions in Europe and Asia, and local language editions in China, Turkey, South Korea, Indonesia, and Greece.