‘The Future Of Regional Print Is Very Bright'

LOKMAT IS ALL set to celebrate 100 years of its existence on 15 December. The group is also planning to announce its Delhi edition to mark the occasion. Looking back at the successful journey of the group Vijay Darda, Chairman, Lokmat Group, spoke to Naziya Alvi Rahman about the trends that are shaping the regional language press in India, competition with digital, the future of print and more. Edited excerpts:

- Naziya Alvi Rahman

Q: How would you describe this marathon run for a pure play regional player? 

How have you ensured brand relevancy, brand recall and growth all this while? To survive 100 years is a big thing for anyone whether it is an organisation or a person. We are very excited about it. Now, coming to your question, the key to our success is the fact that we always took a stand for people. We raised their issues and gave them a voice.

It is very important to understand the inception of the brand ‘Lokmat’. My father Late Jawahar Lal Darda started the paper as part of the Independence movement. The word Lokmat came from the speeches of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak who during one of his visits to Yavatmal had repeatedly used the word. So, with that kind of legacy, we are now entering 100 years of being the voice of people. We believe in people’s movement.