High prices abroad spur Gita Press overhaul

NEW DELHI: A copy of the Ram-charitmanas or Bhagyad Gita from Gita Press, Gorakhpur, that sells fora few hundred rupees in India can cost several thousand abroad —a price gap that has prompted the storied publishing firm to rethink howits books reach readers outside the country in an effort tomake them accessible.

- Vrinda Tulsian

The century-old publisher of Hindu religious texts says its titles are routinely sold in markets such as the US, the UK, and Canada at prices far above the printed Indian price, largely through third-party sellers on online platforms. While demand for the books among the Indian diaspora has risen, availability remains uneven and pricing, largely unregulated.

“If you look at online listings overseas, a book that costs around ₹400 here is often sold for ₹3,000 to ₹10,000," said Neel Ratan, secretary of Gita Press. “People end up paying these prices because they don't know what the original price is, or because the book is simply notavailable otherwise.”

Ratan said the problem is partly driven by limited supply and high shipping costs, but also by the absence of any structured distribution system abroad. Sellers, he said, often stock small quantities and apply steep markups, especially on heavier volumes such as illustrated editions of the Gita or the Ramayana.

The publisher faced similar complaints in India until a few years ago, particularly in online sales, where books were either unavailable or sold above the printed price. To address this, Gita Press began supplying bulk quantities of popular titles to large e-commerce warehouses while continuing central dispatch for its wider catalogue.

“Once supply improved, pricing issues started to correct themselves,” Ratan said. “When books are available consistently, there is much less room for overpricing.”