IPG and PRH India Announce Joint Distribution Agreement

August 5, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2020
Contact: Alisse Goldsmith-Wissman | Publicity Manager
312.337.0747 | [email protected]

CHICAGO, IL —  Independent Publishers Group (IPG) is pleased to announce a global collaboration with Penguin Random House India and Southeast Asia (PRHI) for joint distribution of titles in both India and North America.

“This partnership with Penguin Random House India is very exciting for our company and aligns with our continued expansion and global reach,” said Joe Matthews, CEO of IPG.

On the international distribution side, PRHI will exclusively sell and distribute titles published by over 100 IPG distributed publishers in the Indian subcontinent, effective immediately. PHRI will be IPG’s partner for representation to bookstores, schools, libraries, and online booksellers to the southeast Asian market.   With PRHI’s representation, IPG joins several leading Indian and global publishers in their distribution arm.

“The team at PRHI will enable us to provide our publishers access to all channels within India utilizing their market intelligence and knowledge,” added Scott Hatfill, director of international sales for IPG. “We are extremely pleased to be working with PRHI and to announce such a key partnership during these unprecedented times.”

Additionally, Penguin Random House India and Southeast Asia join their sister houses (Penguin Random House UK, Australia, New Zealand, and China) with North American distribution through IPG’s Trafalgar Square Publishing (TSP) program. Under this contract, TSP will manage the sale and distribution of all the titles of Penguin Random House and Southeast Asia that enjoy world rights in the US and its territories, Canada, the UK and the European Union.

“TSP is thrilled to be working with Penguin Random House India and Southeast Asia to make their books available to readers in North America, the UK, and Europe,” said Brooke O’Donnell, managing director for TSP. “We feel privileged to be adding these two new divisions to our prestigious portfolio of Penguin Random House publishers we already represent, including Penguin Random House UK, Australia, New Zealand, and China.”  

PRHI is the largest English language trade publisher in the subcontinent, publishing over 250 new titles every year and with an active backlist of over 3000 titles. With a strong fiction and non-fiction list, it publishes across every segment including biography, travel, business, politics, history, religion and philosophy, lifestyle, cookery, health and fitness, sports and leisure, visual books and children’s books, the latter of which are published by the children’s division of the publishing house.

PRHI’s illustrious list includes Booker Prize-winning novels and winners of virtually every major literary prize, including the Nobel Prize, the Magsaysay Award, the Jnanpith Award, the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Several of PRHI’s authors are also recipients of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s highest civilian honours.

“Partnering with one of the largest book distributors in the world will open up the Indian subcontinent market to a wide array of books and writings,” said Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO of Penguin Random House India and Southeast Asia. “Our partnership with IPG ties in well with our aim to ensure our readers have a great range and quality of written work to choose from. Simultaneously, our arrangement with Trafalgar Square Publishing will widen the readership of our titles originating from the India and SEA markets. We have published remarkable books and they will be a valuable addition to any book lovers’ reading lists. These partnerships present the opportunity for books to transcend borders, and for us to explore new sales channels, understand new markets and gain valuable insights about consumers.”

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About Independent Publishers Group (IPG):
Founded in 1971, IPG was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. Today, IPG’s wide reach into the book market includes distribution of both print and e-books from a wide array of publishers, digital printing and traditional publishing. With consistent growth year over year, IPG’s success has come from supporting and encouraging the growth of its publishing partners in the United States and worldwide. IPG was acquired by Chicago Review Press in 1987, and this acquisition formed the parent company Chicago Review Press, Inc., which now owns Chicago-based indie publishers Chicago Review Press and Triumph Books. In the fall of 2006, Chicago Review Press, Inc. bought Trafalgar Square Publishing, Inc., the leading US distributor of UK and Australian publishers. Trafalgar Square Publishing distributes for clients such as Penguin Random House UK, Penguin Random House Australia, Pan Macmillan UK, Collins UK, and Head of Zeus.