Shobhaa De Books, Penguin India?s new imprint, is unlike any other?not just in India, but also in the world. Indian publishing notches up another first as this is the first instance of a publisher tying up with a celebrity for a new imprint. And the man responsible is unsurprisingly privy to what will be the shape of publishing in the near future. As head of one the largest publishing empires of the world, chairman and chief executive of the Penguin Group, John Makinson is one step ahead of what the global publishing industry is seeking to achieve. In India to launch the imprint, Makinson spoke to Suman Tarafdar on the global outlook for a post-Harry Potter publishing scenario, the peculiarities of the Indian market and the changing shape of the book itself. Excepts:

With Shobhaa De Books, Penguin takes another step forward in India. What are the terms of this agreement and what is this step about?

Penguin has been in India for much longer than many other publishers. We have been growing at about 20-25% annually. We have always pushed boundaries, and this is another step in that direction. We are creating a new publishing identity?the first in which a celebrity ties up with a publisher. What we are hoping to do is reach across barriers. Shobhaa De has been a friend for a long time, her association with Penguin has been very successful, and this is a logical step ahead. She is excited about the prospect, which will see her choosing the kind of people she wants. The focus is going to be on personality, lifestyle, business, cinema and commercial fiction. This is the territory currently occupied by newspapers, magazines, etc. We completely judge her instructs. Penguin has a financial arrangement with her, whose details I am not disclosing. However, Penguin will have a small hub in Mumbai to assist her, besides the Delhi office. Also, in this list we are going to be very selective and just may have six books to start with. We want the list to be known for its quality.

What is the growth potential for publishing in India? Do different imprints make greater sense?

Publishers are always looking to find new audiences. I think Indian publishing is underserved, that there is a larger audience in India for English language books than we tap. As book distribution becomes more widespread with the spread of book chains and younger audiences become readers, there is going to be that growth in Indian publishing. The challenge in India is going to be to continue to listen to the reader, understand that there concerns are. They are looking at MTV, are part of online communities.

As for imprints, as a large publisher, it is easier for us to look at the market in a segmented way through imprints.

As a book market, how different is India from other nations?

India is a slightly different market than those in the West. Among the drawbacks is the lack of adequate sales data, to understand consumers and readership. We also have to get smarter as an industry. That may well be easier in the digital scenario. We have to be experimental and innovative. We have to look at whether we can market books differently. India as a market is still not as large as many others, but it has great potential and is the largest of all the emerging markets. India may be an emerging economy, but for publishing, it is already a great book buying nation. What is striking about Indian publishing is its breadth.

Is the advent of the digital age going to adversely affect publishers?

The digital opportunity is not different from other formats in which books appear. We just have to be careful about the indivisibility of physical and digital rights for example, and develop new skills. Over the years, many formats have developed, and we need to be genuinely agnostic about the format in which we reach the consumer. There is a big opportunity in India with the digital format, as we can have new kinds of content. We are watching the iPad and will see where it goes.

Will there be as much space for the print format in the near future, especially given the recession?s impact on the sector?

Globally, the industry had stalled for a bit, hit by the magnitude of the recession. But we as a sector have done reasonably well. Penguin sales did not fall last year. I am not expecting spectacular growth, but as you create new channels, growth will happen.