eNews
Pustaka launches India’s first language eBook portal
BENGALURU: Pustaka Digital Media today launches India’s first ebook selling and lending portal in vernacular languages -www.pustaka.co.in. Initially www.pustaka.co.in will have 150 plus titles from the eminent authors of Tamil, Kananda and Telugu languages. The company plans to launch digitization model for all Indian language books by the end of 2020 based on the response from both reader and author community.
Book lending library is a gift for book lovers and avid readers. With the new language eBook portal, Pustaka is introducing the traditional book subscription model on eBook platform. www.pustaka.co.in will address the need of the growing e-reader community of India and abroad who wants to read and cherish various literature of their own language. While bridging this gap, this new concept of eBook lending service opens a new stream of revenue for the authors in addition to current conventional revenue model.
Commenting on this development, Nivetha, Founder & CEO, Pustaka Digital Media said, “www.pustaka.co.in will provide a whole new experience to the Indian language book readers with rich mobile content. We often complain that the young generation do not read native language books. Unfortunately, most of the native language books are not available as eBooks and they slowly migrate to English. Pustaka’s goal is to bridge this gap by publishing regional language books as eBooks. By the end of 2020, we plan to have few lakhs eBooks from all Indian languages on the platform of Pustaka”.
Initially, the readers will be able the access the works of the eminent authors including Indira Soundarrajan, Pattukottai Prabhakar, Yandamoori Veerendranath, Neela Padmanabhan, Devibala, Rajesh Kumar, K.T.Gatti, Balabhadrapatruni Ramani and many more authors. The company is in the process of digitization various works of other prominent authors which will be available in a month’s time.
”Pustaka’s goal is to connect authors and readers of regional language books using technology. The new age readers are techno savvy and reads on the go. This trend has been driving the eBook market. Along with the English language books, Indian readers want to read their native language books of their favourite authors. Our plan is to target the readers of all age groups across India and other parts of world who desires to read their own language books”, said, Padmanaban, Director of Pustaka Digital Media.
Few best seller books which will be available for the readers on Pustaka’s platform includes Tulasi, Tulasidala, Pallikonda Puram, Aindhu Vazhi Moondru Vaasal, Khajuraho etc.
Delighted by this initiative Mr. Indira Soundarrajan (One of the prominent author in Tamil), said, “Nowadays, the way people read is changed and I feel it is necessary to adapt to that change. I would like to congratulate the team of Pustaka Digital Media for this great initiative. This will be able to bond the new age readers with our rich Indian literature and culture.”.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
