Print newspapers reach roughly half of Indian consumers daily

While digital news has captured much of consumers’ attention, print news remains a high-reach channel, according to data from WARC’s latest Spotlight India. 

Approximately half of Indian consumers across urban contexts (45% overall) still read printed copies of newspapers most days.

Why print matters

The prevailing narrative around print as an advertising medium is that it is on the decline. Indeed, WARC Media recently reported that global publishing print revenue halved from $75.9bn in 2016 to $37.3bn in 2022. With major newsbrands looking to diversify away from print advertising, the higher-than-average consumption of print content in India highlights its continuing relevance and influence in the country.

Key stats

• Print consumption in India has stabilised and is forecasted to plateau at an average of 56 minutes per day.
• The top reasons cited for consuming print newspapers are: the detailed coverage of various topics (62%), not being blocked by unnecessary advertising (47%), and newspapers being a trusted source (40%).
• One in five (21%) Indian consumers typically discover new brands and products through ads in magazines or newspapers.

Go deeper

This edition of the WARC Spotlight India series focuses on how the print medium continues to be influential in the country and why it is still relevant for stakeholders. See all articles in this India Spotlight here.

As part of the Spotlight series, the consumer sentiment report analyses consumer data from ongoing surveys of Indian internet users, provided by GWI, and is supported by knowledge and opinion from industry experts.