The Independent’s move affirms the global confidence in the fast-track Indian economy. It is also one of the rare countries where print is on the rise, thus making it a new avenue for customers and revenue.

But why tie-up with the publishers of Dainik Jagran?. With  20 million readers, it may be  the largest paper in the country’s main language, Hindi, but this massive reach  has little relevance to the Independent’s  top-end aim. Still, it is a sensible move to ride piggy-back;  MTV came to India aboard  the state-controlled Doordarshan, and Disney on the  Zee TV network.  Both were totally incongruous vehicles but they served the strategic purpose. Moreover, there’s no conflict of interest for  the owners of Dainik Jagran to promote the Independent which there would be if it had teamed up with the more like-minded English-language giants,  Times of India, Hindustan Times and  Hindu.  

Concern will grow only if the Government revises its cap on FDI in news media, and  foreign newspapers such as the Independent nurture bigger Indian ambitions.         

Cheers to Bachi Karkaria, Consultant Editor at the Times of India and WEF board member for the commentary.