The publishing industry has been hit hard by the pandemic…

From closing bookstores, deflating audience sizes to disastrous events that shook the Kolkata Book Market… publishers have come face-to-face with something they have long ignored!

The need for virtual diversification of its already existing audiences. 

As a member of the Federation of Indian Publishers, I have long noticed the reluctance when it comes to early technological adoption. 

Book selling practices have been well entrenched and the unwillingness to change has resulted in an industry that has slowly dwindled into invisibility. 

But, as all things go change is inevitable… and what better time than now?

The current crisis was just enough push to the publishing industry leaders (including me) to stop looking at ‘technological platforms’ sideways, and take a glance at the advantages.

And that’s how we were able to accomplish this together!

Collaborating with my fellow team members at OMLOGIC, we were able to incubate pragatiE successfully in a record 4 months. 

Designed to host virtual events that give users the ‘real experience’, organisers will be able to hold anything from conferences, trade fairs panel discussions to product launches with a ‘wider outreach’ than is possible in physical events. 

I am more than proud to share that our first event is indeed a very important one, a fair  loved and awaited by many- Delhi Book Fair 2020. 

Even amidst the current safety and industry challenges, this technological leap will indeed help many publishers and authors to reach out to book enthusiasts. 

Something that would be of benefit to both!

Keeping this trend of innovation going, I would encourage the whole publishing industry to take advantage of this untapped tool. 

Even when this crisis subsides and we are all able to go back to ‘hosting physical events’, a virtual publishing platform is still better to gather wider audiences and engage with them … something the publishers could use going forward.