Industry & Economy
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Newspapers & Publishing
Allow publication of foreign dailies in India: FT
Our Bureau
New Delhi
,
March 24
FOREIGN media companies are asking the Indian Government to liberalise its policies for the media sector. The NewsCorp chief, Mr Rupert Murdoch, on Wednesday sought an increase in foreign investment norms for the sector, while on Thursday, the Financial Times Publishing Group CEO, Mr Olivier Fleurot, asked the Government to permit publication of foreign newspapers in India.
"We would like the Financial Times to be at the door of Indian readers every morning, instead of flying them down from Dubai. We would like to invest in Financial Times in India," he said at a seminar on `Future of Newspapers in the world' organised by CII.
The Government on Thursday said it is looking at the possibility of allowing foreign newspapers to be printed in India. The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Jaipal Reddy, said, "There have been requests to permit publication of facsimile editions here. We are taking a look at that."
He said the Government has always permitted sale of foreign newspapers in India, but added that there is a dichotomy between allowing foreign newspapers to be sold here and not permitting them to be printed here. "We are looking at this dichotomy. Our mind is not closed on publication of foreign newspapers," Mr Reddy said.
Mr Fleurot said the company is looking at various possibilities in India but added that there are no immediate plans to pick up stake in any other paper. Currently, it holds equity in Business Standard.
He said India and China were favourable markets for the media sectors "as the newspaper circulation has gone down in all other markets, except India and China."
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