The onslaught of digital penetration and offerings has had damaging effects on some businesses and industries worldwide. The newspaper industry hasn’t been spared.

In the United States of America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand major newspapers and newspaper groups are under pressure.

Countries like India, the contrary is happening.

Keeping the 1.25 billion Indian population informed are 82,000 newspapers – printed in English, Hindi and in other languages.

How do they do it? I was fortunate to meet with the owner and editor of India’s most read newspaper.

Sanjay Gupta is one of the big names in the Indian media.

His Hindi language newspaper, Dainik Jagran has a daily circulation of over 5 million. The paper is published from 72 locations in India. It has a high per copy readership.

Dainik Jagran was declared by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) as the most read daily newspaper in the world. A survey by BBC-Reuters found Dainik Jagran as the most credible newspaper source in India.

Ajit Ninan, chief cartoonist with The Times of India group, and Fiji Sun Editorial Manager Soko Vakacegu during the recent visit to India. Photo: Rosi Doviverata.

The company,  Jagran Prakashan Limited  also owns “Mid-Day,” an English tabloid published from Mumbai and various other newspaper titles and FM radio stations based in cities across India.

Fiji Sun Editorial Manager Soko Vakacegu, Sanjay Gupta, owner of Dainik Jagran newspaper, and Fiji Sun Managing Editor Digital Rosi Doviverata at the Dainik Jagran office based at the Indian and Eastern Newspaper Society Building in New Delhi.

For the future, Mr Gupta is optimistic about India’s newspaper industry.

He shares his thoughts about why Indian newspapers will survive.

•  “India’s digital penetration is increasing but publishers are smart as people are still not consuming so much of data.

And those consuming it, it’s not necessarily that they are consuming it for news. News is just one offering.

• “Indians have a good amount of time in the morning to read their newspaper – we have at least 30 minutes.

“The lifestyle of Indians is such that you don’t start your work until 8.30am or 9am and newspapers are available by 6am/6.30am.

“During the course of the day we also have a lot of time to pick the newspaper and read it again and again.”

• “Door to door delivery remains one of the primary reasons why the newspaper business is doing well. Also we like to keep page one busy.”

• “To get a regional flavour of the city news, there is no other option then to pick up the newspaper.”

• “Television news which is the other source of news in India cannot cater for regional and city aspirations. They are all national channels. In addition, it is difficult to distribute set up boxes.”

Indian newspapers also have an eye on the future. They are developing business models that cater for a mix of online and newspaper news consumption.

In short, this is what Mr Gupta says has worked in India:

• Make the cost of buying the newspaper cheaper
• Reject low paying advertisements
• Door to door delivery