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Prabhat Khabar goes all-colour in Ranchi; Jamshedpur to follow soon
The Hindi daily plans to make its Jamshedpur and Dhanbad editions all-coloured and will soon launch Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur editions
Prabhat Khabar has introduced an all-colour edition in Ranchi from August 14. The Hindi daily also plans to upgrade its other editions in Jharkhand.
KK Goenka, managing director, Prabhat Khabar, says, "We are the first movers in this space. No one else has upgraded their printing facilities to accommodate all-colour editions. The print scenario in Jharkhand is intensifying and we welcome the competitors in the market. We are taking various measures to ensure our position in the state." Prabhat Khabar has completed 26 years of its existence.
"Our circulation in Ranchi is now 1.55 lakh copies - a significant jump from the earlier circulation. Our going all-colour in Ranchi will help us retain this number," says Goenka.
The daily has not changed its ad rates and according to company officials, it commands Rs 400 per sq. cm for ads in its Ranchi edition and Rs 800 per sq. cm for its Jharkhand edition.
According to industry experts, other players in the state are also expected to upgrade their printing facilities sooner or later. "Dainik Bhaskar is entering the market and it is known for its aggressive strategies - no one can afford to not lie low," affirms a senior industry observer.
Talking about the new competition, he says, "We are confident that we will not only face this new competition but our maximum growth and development will take place in this phase and the era of Prabhat Khabar's history. Prabhat Khabar is like a son of the soil and development of Jharkhand will always be its first priority - which can never be true for an outside publication. We were with the readers of Jharkhand in the past, we are with them in the present and we will continue to be with them in future, too."
The daily plans to upgrade its Jamshedpur printing facility to all-colour within two months and the Dhanbad edition will follow subsequently.
It has expansion plans for Bihar and within the coming few months, it will launch Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur editions, in addition to the existing Patna edition, which will be upgraded with modern printing facilities.
The company has spent about Rs 7 crore to upgrade the Ranchi printing facility. With the new machinery, Prabhat Khabar has the capability of printing 24 coloured pages and is producing 18-20 pages on an average. Earlier, the daily had 12 coloured pages and the remaining pages were black and white.