Obituary: Atul Maheswari of Amar Ujala is no more

Atul Maheswari, chairperson and managing director, Amar Ujala Group of Publications, died on January 3 following a prolonged stomach related ailment. He was aged 55 years and was under treatment at a hospital in Gurgaon.

Maheswari is survived by his wife, Snehlata and two children, Tanmay and Aditi.

During his 37 years in the media industry, Atul Maheswari was responsible for taking the group to new heights.

Armed with a post graduate degree in political science, Maheswari ventured into the field of journalism under the guidance of his father. After learning the nuances of the print industry in Bareilly, he moved to Meerut in 1986 and was responsible for setting up the city edition there.

Apart from extending the footprints of the Hindi daily in Uttar Pradesh, he also spearheaded the launch of Amar Ujala in many other states.

Today, Amar Ujala has 18 editions across seven states of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttranchal, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana. It is the No. 4 daily of the country as per IRS 2010, Q3.

Paresh Nath, president, editor and publisher of Delhi Press, recalls Maheswari as a down-to-earth man. "Atul was a great friend of mine and I'll always miss him. He had a deep knowledge about the Indian media industry. We have worked together for Indian Newspaper Society and MRUC. He was always up to date with the latest trends in the industry and was buzzing with new ideas. He dealt with all the problems, internal and external both, very efficiently and that's the reason why he was such a successful man."

Sunil Mutreja, president, Amar Ujala, fondly remembers Maheswari as an honest, humble and concerned human being. "He would listen to everyone's problem and address them personally. He was a visionary who understood the business of media thoroughly. His biggest contribution to the media industry was that he never compromised the editorial quality for monetary gains."

He further adds, that Maheswari was always was true to the profession of journalism and was never lured by money. "He showed everyone that without comprising you can become profitable. I'll always miss him."

Maheswari's contribution in increasing the number of editions to more than 18 is considered a landmark achievement by any Indian media group.

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