IndiaOn

Vogue Hits Indian Newsstands

Condé Nast’s fashion bible Vogue is about to hit India. The first issue of the Indian version of the magazine is slated to make its debut on Sept. 22. Like Vogue in the U.S., Vogue India will include high-end features on global fashion and beauty trends, but its editors say it will also seek to celebrate the Indian woman and the richness of traditional Indian fashion.

All the same, Vogue is a latecomer—other international women’s magazines have been in circulation on the subcontinent for a decade. Although Marie Claire only entered India in the summer of 2006, Cosmopolitan’s Indian edition launched in 1997, and Elle’s in 1996. Condé Nast’s top India executive is confident the privately held American company will be able to close the gap. “We’ve been studying the Indian market for over a year,” says Alex Kuruvilla, chief executive of Condé Nast India. “Our timing couldn’t be better.”

That’s because Vogue’s arrival comes at a time when the Indian print media are entering a new era, one in which they are set to capitalize on a booming economy producing new wealth and changing attitudes and tastes. While magazine publishers in the U.S. struggle as advertisers move to the Internet, PC ownership and broadband use remain low in India. That’s one reason many ad executives believe India’s print industry is at the beginning of an ad boom, particularly in the luxury retail segment.

More Competition on the Way

According to Indian management consulting firm KSA Technopak’s 2006 study on luxury trends in India, the country has more than 1 million households with an annual income of at least $100,000. Catering to these well-heeled consumers is what’s fueling the creation of new magazines in niche areas that run the gamut from fashion to music. Titles such as Men’s Health, Maxim, and Golf Digest kicked off their Indian editions last year; Rolling Stone is also looking to launch an Indian edition very soon, as is Harper’s Bazaar.

The editor of one of Vogue’s biggest local rivals says she’s not spooked by the arrival of the Americans. Anuradha Mahindra, founder and editor-in-chief of Verve, India’s first high-end fashion magazine, says the industry has grown up a lot since she launched her magazine a decade ago. Back then, Mahindra was behind just about every aspect of its launch, from styling photo shoots to the magazine’s layout. “The model on the cover of our third issue was even wearing my earrings,” she recalls. Now Verve has a staff of close to 30 employees, compared to 4 when it first started, and is the vehicle of choice, Mahindra says, when personalities such as actress Elizabeth Hurley or Queen Rania of Jordan wish to address an Indian audience. “These women select Verve as their first choice for speaking about their lives and their achievements,” she says.

Print Ads Flourishing

After the launch of Vogue, Condé Nast’s plans to launch other Indian titles, including local versions of Vanity Fair, GQ, and Glamour. “We have done a year of research, talked to over a million consumers, and really done thorough research on the Indian market,” says Kuruvilla, who headed up MTV Networks India for six years before joining Condé Nast. “The Indian economy is only set for further growth and the luxury advertiser is only just entering India, so our timing couldn’t be better.”

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