HarperCollins India announces Year of Reading for Pleasure 2026

PRNewswire
New Delhi [India], January 15: HarperCollins Publishers India today announced the launch of Read for Pleasure, a year-long, nationwide campaign that champions reading as a daily habit rooted in joy, curiosity, and personal enrichment. The initiative is inspired by HarperCollins Publishers UK's campaign, which encouraged everyday reading habits amongst its employees.
Marking the beginning of HarperCollins India's Year of Reading, the campaign reflects the publisher's long-term commitment to nurturing readers across ages and communities, and to re-centering reading as a vital part of everyday life.
Timed with the start of the new year, when people reflect on personal goals and resolutions, Read for Pleasure invites readers across the country to make a simple yet meaningful commitment: 30 minutes of reading every day. At its heart, the campaign is built on the belief that reading is not merely an academic skill, but a lifelong habit that strengthens imagination, empathy, emotional well-being, and critical thinking.
Designed to be inclusive and accessible, Read for Pleasure welcomes children, young adults, and adult readers alike. The campaign encourages everyone to commit to 30 minutes of reading every day, reinforcing reading in any language they prefer as a simple, accessible habit that fits into real lives. This could include:
- Reading to children, elders, or those who cannot read
- Reading along with others
- And finally, reading for themselves
Over the course of the year, the campaign will roll out through a blend of on-ground and digital initiatives, creating multiple touchpoints for audiences to rediscover the joy of reading in everyday life. Key elements include collaborations with bookstores and retailers, as well as monthly reading sessions with book clubs.
Schools will be encouraged to help lay the foundation for lifelong reading habits by inviting students to pledge to read for 30 minutes every day for pleasure. Additionally, HarperCollins will partner with charitable organizations to improve access to books for children in underserved communities.
Within the organization, HarperCollins India will introduce a monthly Read for Pleasure Hour to encourage employees to read in any language of their choice. Employees' children will also be invited to participate by bringing their own books or choosing from those available in the office.
To expand the movement further, HarperCollins India aims to engage corporates by encouraging the creation of reading clubs for employees and by supporting existing clubs with curated reading lists and resources.
Authors and regional language publishers will also be invited to join the campaign by sharing book recommendations with their social media audiences, helping to build a larger community of readers.
Speaking about the campaign, Anantha Padmanabhan, CEO - HarperCollins Publishers India, says, "As a publisher of books across entertainment and education we know the immeasurable benefits of reading as a habit. India has the most number of young people in the world, and especially those undergoing primary education, and it is very important for this group to cultivate reading as a habit as they navigate a complex world. I'm delighted to be launching this campaign in India encouraging everyone in the value chain to the join the movement, embrace books and make India read more!"
Akriti Tyagi, Director - Marketing and Corporate Communications, HarperCollins Publishers India, adds, "For a country as young, curious, and dynamic as India, reading cannot remain confined to classrooms or examinations, it has to live in homes, communities, and everyday life. At HarperCollins India, we believe reading should feel welcoming, personal, and accessible, not intimidating. Read for Pleasure is designed for everyone: children discovering stories for the first time, adults returning to books after long gaps, and families or communities reading together. As publishers, our role goes beyond bringing books to market; it is about sustaining the culture of reading itself. By encouraging a simple habit, 30 minutes of reading a day, we are investing in imagination, empathy, and lifelong learning, and quietly building a nation of readers, one joyful reading moment at a time."
Through Read for Pleasure, HarperCollins India aims to spark a nationwide conversation around reading as a daily, enriching practice, one that belongs to everyone, everywhere.
About HarperCollins Publishers India
At HarperCollins Publishers India, we believe in telling the best stories and ensuring they reach the widest readership. We publish around 250 new books every year across 10 imprints, adding to a diverse catalogue of more than 3,000 titles in print and digital formats, with an array of genres and voices that ensure there is a book for every reader. Our authors have won some of the most prestigious literary awards, and we are proud to publish many acclaimed writers, alongside new and emerging voices shaping contemporary literature. We are also the publishers of The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, winner of the Booker Prize 2008, and Girl in White Cotton by Avni Doshi, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2020, and HarperCollins India itself has been awarded "Publisher of the Year" several times. In addition, we represent some of the finest global publishers such as Harvard University Press, Lonely Planet, Oneworld, Nosy Crow, Usborne, and National Geographic Children, bringing Indian readers access to world-class books and ideas. We are also proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work for two consecutive years, a recognition of our culture, people, and values that make HarperCollins India a truly inspiring workplace.
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