A WAN-Ifra study tour in advance of the Ifra India conference in September will visit some of the fast-developing country’s most successful newspaper sites. And the tour – titled ‘Success made in India’ – will also deliver a “brief but eclectic” taste of the country. Home to a sixth of the world´s population, it has become a global player in information technology, business process outsourcing, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals, and is the base of some of the biggest media companies. After China, India has the most newspapers titles that rank among the worldwide top 100 paid-for dailies and Indian newspapers have the highest average circulation worldwide. In Mumbai (September 13) the group visits ‘Mid-Day’, an afternoon compact newspaper launched in 1979 with editions in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Pune. The following day includes a visit to the ‘Deccan Herald’, an English-language daily in Karnataka with editions in Bangalore, Hubli, Mysore, Mangalore and Gulbarga. Also included is a visit to Eterno Infotech, a pioneer in mobile media platforms with a focus on enabling Indian languages across variety of handsets. The company is currently focused on its flagship ‘NewsHunt’ mobile newspaper platform, with which it has partnered more than 25 leading Indian newspapers. In Jaipur (September 15) there is time to visit the Ifra India conference, where sessions specifically address the challenges and opportunities for South Asian news publishers. The parallel events are the Newsroom Summit – being held for the first time in India – and ever-popular Printing Summit, to discuss contemporary production practices. In Delhi (September 17) visits include Hindi newspaper ‘Dainik Jagran’, claimed to be the 17th most widely read newspaper in the world. The brainchild of the freedom fighter Puranchandra Gupta, it was launched in Jhansi in 1942, and in 1947 shifted its headquarters to Kanpur, where it launched a second edition. More than 55.7 million people read ‘Dainik Jagran’ making it the largest read daily of India, with 37 editions across 11 states. The programme concludes with an optional sightseeing tour to Taj Mahal, 200 km away in Agra. WAN-Ifra says delegates will learn about the latest developments in the Indian media and IT industry, and experience refreshing approaches to multimedia journalism, product development, mobile initiatives, attracting young and new readers, creating new revenue streams and increasing print and digital advertising revenues. They will also be able to explore potential working partnerships, outsourcing and offshoring with successful Indian media and IT partners.