OUP celebrates 100 years in India

Oxford University Press (OUP) celebrated 100 years in India at an event in New Delhi on Wednesday, with the Indian Prime Minister, Oxford University’s Vice-Chancellor and OUP’s Chief Executive present.

From its original office in Bombay (now Mumbai), which opened in 1912, OUP India has grown significantly over the last century, and continues to play an important role in furthering the University’s mission. 

Today there are more than 600 OUP employees in India, producing schools resources, higher education texts, dictionaries, and a range of academic works. Through its network of four regional offices and 15 showrooms OUP India publishes more than 450 titles per year in many languages, reaching 10 million students and producing some of the country’s most respected scholarly titles.

Recent years have seen particularly rapid growth at OUP India, in line with the booming Indian economy. The branch has invested in a range of digital as well as print resources, and further growth is predicted for the future. As well as a growing print list, it plans to offer educational services and online assessment tools, and its academic books will soon be available on online platforms and as e-books.

This year will see the branch publish a series of special titles to commemorate its centenary. This includes new editions of enduring works, Oxford India Perennials, a centenary edition of one of the oldest and most successful school courses, New Oxford Modern English (NOME), and the new English-English-Bengali Dictionary.

At the centenary celebrations Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh unveiled Hundred Years of Oxford University Press India, an outline of the Press’s history in the country. Professor Andrew Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, and Nigel Portwood, Chief Executive of Oxford University Press, were also present.

Dr Singh, an Oxford alumnus, said: 'I commend the work done by Oxford University Press India in spreading the light of knowledge in our country. For a century, [it] has made vigorous and varied contributions to our intellectual life and provided a window to the entire range of intellectual opinion in India.'

As well as celebrating OUP India’s centenary, Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor is in India to cement links with the country, to see some of the scientific collaborations Oxford University has with Indian institutions, to tell talented Indian students what Oxford has to offer, to attend the Saïd Business Schools’ annual Oxford-India Business Forum, and to engage with and celebrate Oxford's alumni in India.