Gita Press Aims to Bridge Price Gap for Overseas Readers, Seeks Partners for Fair Distribution

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Gita Press, a century-old publisher of Hindu religious texts, is working to make its books more accessible to readers abroad, where they are often sold at inflated prices. The publisher has identified a significant price gap between the Indian market and international sales, with some books costing up to 50 times more overseas. The disparity is largely driven by limited supply, high shipping costs, and the absence of a structured distribution system. Sellers often stock small quantities and apply steep markups, especially on heavier volumes. To address this issue, Gita Press is exploring a new approach, partnering with local operators who can hold inventory in key overseas markets and distribute books through online platforms and community networks. The publisher's goal is to reduce extreme price disparities and make its books more affordable for readers abroad. They are seeking collaborators with experience in cross-border e-commerce, book distribution, and warehousing to help build fair and reliable distribution models. The initiative has drawn interest from individuals and organizations in several countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Gita Press has a long history of making Hindu religious texts accessible to common people, producing and selling hundreds of millions of copies in over a dozen Indian languages. The publisher was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2021 for its massive contribution to promoting Gandhian ideals. As it seeks to expand overseas, Gita Press is looking at decentralized, country-specific arrangements, including partnerships with temples, cultural centers, and libraries. The publisher's secretary, Neel Ratan, emphasizes the importance of pricing control in expanding its overseas readership, particularly among younger readers and families of the Indian diaspora. He notes that high prices limit access and narrow the audience to a small, affluent segment. Gita Press aims to make its books available at reasonable prices, essential for growing its readership rather than shrinking it. The publisher is inviting people with experience in e-commerce, logistics, and book distribution to help shape market-specific models and join their initiative to make Hindu religious texts more accessible to readers abroad.