Date:08/06/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/06/08/stories/2004060801481900.htm

Back Notebook prices likely to go up

Teena Varkey

According to the retail booksellers in North Mumbai, besides increase in paper price, which has gone up by Rs 2 per kg, other costs in making books have also gone up.

Mumbai , June 7

AS the new academic year is just a week away, notebook prices are set to increase in the city.

According to bookmakers, they are forced to hike the price as input costs have gone up considerably in the recent past.

Notebook prices are expected to go up by Rs 2-Rs 3 depending on their size, (number of pages) and types of book, they said.

According to the retail booksellers in North Mumbai, besides increase in paper price, which has gone up by Rs 2 per kg, other costs in making books have also gone up. With the expected rise in prices of petroleum products, transport cost will also go up. All these will lead to an increase in retail price of books, said Mr Pritesh Metha, of Champion Book Depot.

Navneet Publications Ltd, one of the leading educational book publishers and manufacturers of wide range of books and stationery, has already increased the prices of its books by Re 1. Initially the prices of the books were Rs 17.50 for 200 pages note book, Rs 11.50 for 100 pages note book and Rs 20 for long books.

"Various factors including increase in paper costs have lead to the increase in the prices of the books," said Mr Mahesh Shah, Area Manager Navneet. But does this affect the sales in any way?

"Quality sells itself and our books not only has high brand equity but also posses high quality paper and American binding features which make it unique from others," stated Mr Shah. The company enjoys 55 per cent market share in educational publications in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Other companies, which share the market with Navneet include Satyam, Supreme, Sundaram, Chetan Publications, Jeevandeep, Sheth Publications and Bal Vidya Prakashan.

Though these companies have not yet increased the prices, they may soon follow suit as the season is on, said another retail bookshop owner. The retailers generally buy the books from the wholesalers at a 15 per cent to 20 per cent discount.

As schools are set to reopen, parents are worried about the rising cost of education. There has always been increase in school fees, increase in tuition fees every year and now the burden will be increased by the high costs of books. "Getting our children educated is becoming costlier day by day," said Ms Sheeba Jacob housewife and a mother of two school-going children