 On Saturday the 28th November 2015, Kasturi and Sons have launched the first edition of the Hindu in Mumbai. Already this newspaper is published from 17 major cities across India which makes the Mumbai edition now its 41st. So here's a paper that has traditionally had a strong hold in the southern markets. In Mumbai of course it's going to face some stiff competition to get its share of readers. It goes head to head against the times of India, Hindustan times DNA, the Indian Express, Asian age, even tabloids like Mumbai, Meera and Midday. So how are advertisers looking at this debut given that Mumbai is India's largest advertising market? We've spoken to a cross section and we've read between their lines as well in this which is our top story of the week. The Hindu is India's third largest red English daily and has arguably created a niche for itself as a conservative, intellectual and long format English broadsheet over the past 137 years. But traditionally its strongest markets have been in the southern states where it has a loyal leadership base. While it has a pan-India presence as well, including a Delhi edition, it has chosen to stay away from the more fast-paced Mumbai market. So why did the decision to launch a Mumbai edition come about now? In the early 1950s there was an idea back of the mind idea to start a Mumbai edition but for various historical reasons it couldn't be done, wasn't done at that time or couldn't be done. But I think it's overdue because the times of India is way ahead of the number one player here but the others have entered the market and I think we have something to contribute in terms of trustworthy journalism, relevant journalism and fairly comprehensive coverage and also a forward-looking outlook. So I think we have a place here and it should be surprising if we didn't enter at some point. It's taken a long while but this is a good time to enter because we are now on a growth path. We had a couple of difficult years but we now are clearly on a growth path both in a business sense and also editorially. The Hindu's entry into the Mumbai market this week marks a turning point for print media here but this entry has been fairly discreet. In sharp contrast the last big launch of a English newspaper in Mumbai was the daily news and analysis or DNA which is launched in 2005 amidst much fanfare and an estimated expense of rupees 100 crores. So is Hindu's low-profile advertising enough to really make an impact? Perhaps keeping in line with the Hindu's understated positioning I would think it was a bit understated. I don't think it was as impactful as it could have been particularly because it's a launch that you're doing in a new market. I was particularly disappointed about their out-of-home. Usually out-of-home is a very important medium for the newspaper and while you did one did see some of it it wasn't impactful at all. Digital needs to be used in a big way because today the readers are becoming digital. So I would say I would say it could have been handled much better but then I can understand the tone of the communication because that's a part of the personality of the Hindu. Print advertising in India is a 16,875 crore industry accounting for 34.5% of the total advertising market which stands at 48,976 crores. Mumbai where the Hindu has just set foot is also the largest print advertising market in the country. So how are advertisers and media planners viewing this latest entry? Better late than never is all I'll say. There's a good viewership that the people enjoyed so it's a great product. I still believe it's a great product but the fact that they have come in it's a very good opening. I can only repeat better late than never. There's a core English audience you'll find everywhere whether they're followers of those experience the product in Tamil Nadu or not it works for them. Well I think it's an interesting development that we have the Hindu finally coming into Mumbai. I think it's firstly for advertisers and media planners it's great news wherever there are more options you know more media formats channels available in markets and especially for a market like Mumbai which is obviously a very big market for most media plans it just gives us additional opportunity. The Hindu of course has got an extremely credible lineage and you know we've been waiting for this for years and knowing the times group I'm sure they're going to you know take this in this not just take this in their stride but do whatever it takes to stay number one and it's another fantastic brand so yeah I think all in all it's good news I think it's a win-win for all concerned for advertisers for readers you know and I think the existing brands would also emerge stronger. For the Hindu while entering the Mumbai market is a milestone how does it plan to localize its content to stand out from its competitors and really give its readers a differentiated offer. It'll be very different we'll be special coverage of Mumbai at least eight pages and different because Mumbai has distinctive characteristics not only as a financial capital but you know it's the it's a very it's very cosmopolitan place despite some forces trying to you know impose that narrow agendas here so I think Mumbai has has this this is a great city and it was not for nothing that it was labeled a maximum city so everything is maximum here and I think we we have to we have to devote special attention to it so it'll be different from our Delhi edition it'll be different from our Chennai edition that's our strongest edition but we have something to contribute here. Now the Hindus entry into Mumbai could certainly shake things up for the print media here but its advantage readers they get a wider range of mastheads and content to wake up to each morning but whether or not the Hindus entry into the commercial capital of India pays off for them is a space we'll be watching very closely. We take a short break now on the other side we speak to R.S. Kulsey the executive director of marketing and sales at India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki how's their next sub bet working out we'll ask him to stay with us.