Mint, the new business newspaper published by HT Media Ltd in association with the Wall Street Journal debuts in New Delhi and Mumbai on February 1.
Published in English and with an initial circulation of around 80,000 copies, Mint would be delivering global and regional business and economic news to Indian readers Monday-Saturday each week. Every weekday, Mint will also carry four pages of branded international business news and analysis from the Wall Street Journal, drawing on its network of more than 1,900 news staff worldwide. The Wall Street Journal name also features in Mint's banner as the Indian newspaper's exclusive partner. One-fifth of the content would be sourced from the Journal.
Mint is the fifth player in the business dailies segment after the Economic Times, Business Standard, Financial Express and Hindu Businessline. The newspaper's online edition, livemint.com, also went live, with both the print and online editions offering advertisers new integrated advertising opportunities.
"We're delighted to be partnering with HT Media on the launch of Mint because of its rich publishing heritage and its clear belief in the value and importance of objective journalism," said L Gordon Crovitz, executive vice president, Dow Jones & Company and publisher, the Wall Street Journal. "We're also excited that the Journal is offering Indian business readers, through the pages of Mint's print and online editions, access to the incomparable global business information that readers across the globe have come to expect."
Designed by well-known newspaper designer Mario Garcia (who was also responsible for the redesigns of the Wall Street Journal's US and international editions) and edited by former Wall Street Journal deputy managing editor and European editor Raju Narisetti, Mint is published in a compact format designed to give readers a more convenient way to access the daily business news that matters most to them.
"The idea behind the launch of Mint is that a print newspaper should provide readers with an early morning briefing that includes not only the most vital news, but also analysis, commentary and opinion that only a newspaper edited for a special business audience can provide," said Narisetti. "The Wall Street Journal is the perfect partner for this unique offering because of its unmatched journalism and insights into global businesses, markets and economies and its unrivaled journalistic standards worldwide."
"This partnership also serves advertisers, both inside and outside India, who want to be associated —through HT Media's newspaper —with the Journal's vital news, analysis and commentary every business day," said Crovitz.
'Lounge', the newspaper's magazine-style weekend edition, will launch as a standalone offering on February 3, with features and columns on health, personal wealth, culture and leisure and lifestyle pursuits.
The launch of Mint and its association with the Wall Street Journal is being supported by a US$2.5 million advertising campaign which includes print, TV, outdoor and online. After New Delhi and Mumbai, HT Media proposes to take Mint to cities like Kolkata and Chandigarh later this year.
Founded in 1924 when its flagship newspaper the Hindustan Times was inaugurated, HT Media is one of India's largest media companies. With a combined daily circulation of 2.25 million copies and a readership base of 13.23 million readers, Hindustan Times (English) and Hindustan (Hindi) enjoy strong brand recognition. HT Media operates 15 printing facilities across India with an installed capacity of 1.5 million copies per hour.
