The Hindu Business Line : Harvard Business School Press to sharpen focus on India

HARVARD Business School Press is considering translating a recently launched book in one or more Indian languages, in what could be its first such attempt here, as it seeks to sharpen its focus on India.

The Boston-based unit, part of the Harvard University's publishing arm, has had talks with its printing and distribution partner in India, Tata-McGraw Hill, regarding translating Blue Ocean Strategy, a book written by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne about making "competition irrelevant." A final decision hasn't been taken.

Mr Mark Bloomfield, Associate Publisher (Sales & Marketing), who recently visited major Indian cities to assess the market, said Blue Ocean Strategy has had an initial print run of 1.4 lakh in English, with a proposal to translate it in 29 languages (that doesn't include the Indian ones).

He told Business Line that although the Indian market might not be currently as big as, say, the US, "there is a big opportunity for books on business and management." A rise in the number of students opting for management studies and the growth in the IT sector, among other factors, have "increased the appetite for business ideas that have practical application," presenting publishers such as Harvard Business School Press with a potentially big market.

But, Mr Bloomfield said, the priority would be to increase the visibility of his products, the strategy for which will be worked out shortly.

Data from Tata-McGraw Hill puts the number of dealers of Harvard Business School Press' books at 51, with South India alone having 23. Apart from these, the books are also distributed to chain stores such as Crossword and Landmark.

The organisation, he said, is also trying to get well-known authors to participate in promotional events in India. For instance, Prof Vijay Govindarajan, an expert in strategy, is expected to play an active role in promoting his upcoming book 10 Rules For Strategic Innovators.

Mr Bloomfiled said his organisation's long-standing association with Tata-McGraw Hill will continue.

Harvard Business School Press is just one of the business units of the Harvard Business School Publishing, with Harvard Business Review, units for e-learning and conferences, to name a few, comprising the rest.

Harvard Business School Publishing, started in 1994 as a wholly-owned not-for-profit arm of Harvard University, has the Dean of Harvard Business School as its sole shareholder.

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