Delhi's newspaper depots are the Costcos of the news business

During our first week in Delhi, the Times of India arranged for us to see the inner workings of the real newspaper business—getting the paper to its readers. We awoke at 4:30 a.m. and jumped in the car to go see one of the many Newspaper Depots in Delhi. These places are like the Costo of the newspaper business… everything is sold in bulk at warehouse prices. We hit Connought Place where all the various paper companies (not just Times Group properties) sell their product wholesale to the city’s paper vendors. Nearly 300 vendors show up in the early hours to purchase around 400-500 individual newspapers which they then sell to the folks in their districts. Vendors from every paper sell their  printed goods, the newspaper men do the purchasing and then the paper boys, usually in their 20’s, head out on scooters or bicycles piled precariously high with their bundles to distribute to readers. All around us, men were sorting and counting papers, and small pots of chai tea were on the boil. It was still fairly dark when we left.

Comments

[Reuben Fawcett]

[this is good] It agree, rather useful idea