IRS 2011, Q4: Meri Saheli, General Knowledge Today and Karmakshetra continue to grow

The Malayalam magazine, Vanitha continues to hold the numero uno position among all magazines in terms of its average issue readership (AIR). The magazine, though, has lost around 2 lakh readers since Q4, 2010 - the biggest loser in the period. The current AIR of the magazine stands at 25.16 lakh.

In the third quarter of 2011, Vanitha garnered 25.9 lakh average issue readers. In Q1, 2011, the magazine lost as many as 62,000 readers over Q4, 2010, to pocket 26.53 lakh readers. While it did try to catch up during the second quarter, the addition was only a mere 18,000 readers. In the third quarter, the loss was exaggerated to 81,000 readers when compared to Q2, 2011. Even in the current quarter, the magazine lost 74,000 average readers per issue.

At No. 2, Pratiyogita Darpan has also lost 24,000 average readers per issue in the current quarter. The Hindi magazine lost 1.29 lakh readers in Q3, 2011 as well. However, Pratiyogita Darpan added as many as 70,000 readers in Q1, 2011 over Q4, 2010, and 1.27 lakh readers in Q2, 2011 over Q1, 2011, which is why the magazine still claims 44,000 more readers than Q4, 2010.

At No. 3, Saras Salil has lost 1.73 lakh readers in Q4, 2011. In Q2, 2011, the Hindi magazine had gained 94,000 readers but lost 2.71 lakh readers since then.

There is a new entrant at No. 4. Samanya Gyan Darpan, a Hindi monthly magazine, has been around for more than two decades but has opted for IRS only in the current quarter. The magazine claims an AIR of 16.78 lakh.

India Today English comes next with AIR of 16.11 lakh - a loss of 25,000 readers. The English weekly had gained 74,000 readers in Q2, 2011 but has lost readers in all other quarters since Q4, 2010. In fact, between Q4, 2010 and Q4, 2011, the English magazine's AIR has dropped by more than 8 per cent.

Meri Saheli, at No. 6, has recorded a marginal growth in AIR by 4,000 readers. The Hindi magazine had lost 33,000 readers in Q1, 2011 but has been gaining steadily since then. The women's magazine has gained 1.13 lakh readers since Q1, 2011.

Shifted one step down to No.7 position is Malayala Manorama, with an AIR of 12.06 lakh readers. The Malayalam weekly has been the second biggest loser in the top 10 list of magazines, consistently registering declines in AIR since Q1, 2011 - a loss of more than 2 lakh readers during the period.

The No. 8 spot is taken up by another Hindi title, Cricket Samrat, registering a gain of 1.70 lakh readers since Q1, 2011. However, the magazine has lost marginal readership in this quarter (a loss of 5,000 readers). It is the second biggest gainer since Q4, 2010 in the top 10 list of magazines - registering an increase of more than one lakh readers during the period. The monthly cricket magazine's AIR was 11.59 lakh in Q3, 2011, recording 23 per cent rise in its AIR during Q2, 2011, after a fall of 6.2 per cent during Q1, 2011.

At the No. 9 position is General Knowledge Today, an English monthly magazine which made its way to the top 10 list of magazines last quarter. The publication, with an AIR of 10.92 lakh, has recorded a growth of 92,000 readers since Q4, 2010.

Karmakshetra, a weekly Bengali magazine, also made its debut in the top 10 list last quarter (Q3, 2011). With an AIR of 10.90 lakh readers, the magazine, which has been on a consistent growth path in the last few quarters, has added 2.15 lakh average readers per issue since Q4, 2010.

(Total readership includes any reader who has read any of the last six issues; whereas average issue readership includes only readers who have read the last issue.)