Chicago: In a major development in the education publishing industry, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. announced today (26 October 2016) that it has reached an agreement with Mumbai-based Navneet Education, Ltd. under which Navneet will acquire Britannica’s Indian curriculum business.
As per the agreement, Navneet— a premier publisher of educational, general interest and children’s books and a manufacturer of scholastic paper stationery—will market Britannica’s existing India-specific curriculum titles, such as Know for Sure and Science Spark, while developing new titles under Britannica’s editorial guidance and supervision. The current Britannica business unit will become an independent company within Navneet and will realize synergies with Navneet’s larger Indian group. It will receive significant resources, both companies said, and will benefit from its parent company’s knowledge of the Indian publishing market.
As per the statement issued by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc based in Chicago, the move will give Britannica a strong partner in India and enable the company to concentrate on directly providing Indian educators with its award-winning digital education solutions, such as Britannica School, LaunchPacks: Social Studies and Britannica Image Quest, said Jorge Cauz, president of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
“India has always been an important place for Britannica. Under this new strategy we will focus our attention on serving the regional teaching and learning needs with our outstanding supplemental digital solutions, which have been successful around the world,” said Cauz. “It is our intent to work closely with Navneet to find ways in which we all can benefit from our common determination to serve the students and teachers of India.”
Cauz also praised Navneet for its commitment to continue Britannica’s tradition of editorial excellence. “We look forward to a fruitful collaboration and possible partnerships in this area and beyond.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. is a global leader in education publishing whose products are available in many media, including online and mobile devices. A leader in digital publishing since the early 1980s, the company markets a variety of curriculum products for schools, language-study courses, online learning services, encyclopedias and other reference works and language products through its Merriam-Webster subsidiary. The company is headquartered in Chicago.
