NEW DELHI, August 8: India Today (Hindi) has registered a whopping 80 per cent plus growth to overtake Saras Salil as the most read magazine (urban plus rural) in the country. The magazine grew from 59,00,000 in 2003 to 1,07,17,000 in 2005. The outranked magazine too grew — but much lesser in comparison — from 93,85,000 to 1,05,61,000 during the same period.
India Today (English) is the only English magazine in the top ten at number three registering an increase in readership from 41,94,000 to 62,95,000. The most dramatic jump has come in the form of fourth-placed Kungumum, which grew by around 600 per cent — from 7,65,000 to 5,600,000. It was placed 81st in 2003. Kumudam has moved up — though not as dramatically — from fifteenth to fifth, with its readership increasing to 46,75,000 from 28,87,000.
At number six is Sarita (up from eleventh), which saw an increase in readership from 34,23,000 to 41,91,000. Grihashobha (Hindi), has lost readership (from 5,414,000 to 4,121,000) is at number seven. Swati SVP comes next (up from nineteenth) with an increase in readership from 24,67,000 to 39,53,000.
Two Malayalam publications — Vanitha and Malayala Manorama — complete the top ten list. Ironically, both have seen a decline in rankings (from third to ninth for Vanitha, and fifth to tenth for Malayala Manorama) as well as a drastic decline in readership figures (from 55,14,000 to 38,32,000 for Vanitha and 54,06,000 to 29,47,000 for Malayala Manorama).
The urban market has been more topsy turvy. India Today (Hindi) has once again climbed up a notch to emerge as number one. In this segment it has grown by a quarter, indicating that the bulk of its growth has happened in the rural market — in fact, more than 200 per cent. Its English cousin has climbed up from the third slot to number two registering a modest growth. Kungumum has skyrocketed from 63rd to third.
The number one in 2003 — Grihasobha (Hindi) — has seen a substantial decline in readership as well as a dip in rankings — down to fourth. Kumudam has jumped from the eleventh spot to be number five. Saras Salil, Sarita, Meri Saheli, Outlook and Ananda Vikatan are the others in the top ten — in that order. Saras Salil (from fifth to sixth) and Meri Saheli (fourth to eighth) have climbed down the ladder, while Outlook (from twentieth to ninth) and Ananda Vikatan (from twenty-third to tenth) are the other new entrants in the urban top ten.
