It is my privilege to welcome you all to the 32nd Annual General
Meeting. We are in an era of profound transformation. The rapid rise of e-commerce has
reshaped consumer behaviour, pushing businesses to rethink traditional models and optimise
supply chains, logistics, and customer engagement.
India?s publishing industry, the world?s third-largest and
among the fastest-growing globally, is being transformed by the digital and e-commerce
revolution.
Pioneering the digital revolution is Repro?s deep-tech platform,
offering readers millions of titles, cost efficiently, in time, at their fingertips.
For decades, readers have faced limited choice when it comes to
accessing the best and latest books at the lowest prices. Long lead times, high shipping
and logistics costs, warehousing expenses, inventory mismanagement, and frequent
obsolescence have all added to delays and inflated costs. These are some challenges faced
by the publishing industry. Anticipating the evolving needs of the market, Repro has
innovated a disruptive technology-driven solution to transform publishing.
The Repro platform addresses these long-standing inefficiencies by
leveraging cutting-edge systems. At its core, the model focuses on acquiring and making
millions of titles available to readers, on the most popular global e-commerce platforms.
Readers can now access any book they want, whenever they want, and have it delivered to
their doorstep in quick time. Moving from a first produce then sell model, to a first
sell and then produce model, Repro thus produces each book only after it has been
ordered online.
Content ingestion and integration
Simply put, thanks to the trust and strong publisher relationships
Repro has built over decades, it has acquired a catalogue of millions of titles.
After ingestion on to the Repro platform and integration on
global e-commerce demand-generators, Repro makes millions of titles discoverable
to readers across the globe. This allows the Indian reader to have a vast choice of
international titles; while also giving Indian titles global readership. The Onyx driven
meta-data also makes it possible for titles to be curated and made available to various
platform based on their market segment.
Today, we have already acquired titles that contribute to over 55% GMV
(Gross Merchandise Value) of Repro?s Targetted Addressable Market. With over one
million direct titles in our own repository and another eight million available
through our Ingram partnership readers get an unparalleled choice. Our content
repository of titles that we make available to readers include all the key segments like
Academic, Self-
Help, Fiction, Influencer and Youtuber books and international authors
- across languages.
The model also makes expensive and inaccessible global titles, more
affordable and available to Indian readers. - giving international publishers an effective
import substitution solution.
Enhancing the quality of revenue
Over the last few years, Repro has strategically focused on its
disruptive digital business and deep-tech platform that delivers higher margins and
stronger cash flows . I?m pleased to share that this business in just the last
three years has grown 2.5X times and now contributes over 70% of our turnover. It will
continue to play an increasingly significant role in our overall turnover.
Moving forward, content monetisation will remain the key driver of
growth, powered by technology, talent, and innovative ways of connecting books to readers.
The focussed strategy for monetising content includes the following
three main pillars:
A)An AI and ML meta-driven predictive Deep-Tech Platform Programme
We have developed proprietary, in-house technologies that provide
patentable tools across the entire value chain. From content ingestion to content
integration on e-commerce platforms to dynamic meta-data for ease of cataloguing and
discoverability, the Repro deep-tech platform offers predictability across
geographies.
B) The right talent to power the future
Repro?s success has been made possible by assembling a team that
combines deep technological expertise and experience with a strong understanding of the
publishing industry. Our talent pool - hired from top institutions like the IIT?s -
spans a wide range of expertise from software development, AI, and data analytics
to content management, supply chain and logistics optimisation, e-commerce integration,
and customer experience. This unique blend of technical, creative, and operational
skills enables Repro to deliver seamless, end-to-end solutions that serve the entire
publishing ecosystem efficiently and effectively.
C) Innovations across the entire value chain
Innovation has always been central to our journey. To monetise our
extensive digital content library, we constantly innovate to deliver titles to readers
worldwide in the fastest possible time. Some of our pioneering innovations have brought
about a paradigm change in the publishing industry. While strengthening existing online
channels like Amazon where we remain a Preferred Support Partner (PSP) and
Flipkart, we have also partnered with Amazon UAE, Noon Dubai, and other leaders in various
western markets.
Our innovative Global Distribution Program (GDP), in partnership with
Ingram, brings publishers? entire catalogues to the global stage. Leveraging the
world?s largest content aggregator and distributor, over 6 million titles reach over
45,000 international channels, in key markets.
As a pioneering initiative, we launched India?s first B2B portal
to digitise
100% of publisher catalogues through automated ingestion. This creates
a monetisable, highly discoverable content catalogue across online channels. By using AI
and ML enriched metadata, we deliver a wider, more curated, and customised selection of
books to readers. This also enables titles to be curated and made available to various
platform based on their market segment.
We are setting up asset light micro print-on-demand facilities
(micro pods) that are data backed and enable stock replication of fast selling titles
in strategic locations close to the customer.
Data driven technology powers our model end-to-end from
content ingestion, automated listing, pricing, and order processing, all coordinated
through the Repro Control Tower. Seamless integration of
ERP, WMS, MSP, and timely reporting ensures efficiency. Our Warehouse
Integrated Model (WIM) offers publishers a complete solution from printing to
warehousing to distribution maximising catalogue monetisation, sales, and margins.
Another example of our innovations is the setting up of our own B2C
channel - Bookscape. Bookscape is a cutting-edge digital platform that connects
publishers, authors, and readers in a vibrant, piracy-free ecosystem. Hosting over 4
million titles it offers curated discovery, international reach, and immersive content to
its growing base of 3.4 lakh readers. Powered by Print-on-Demand technology, a robust
supply chain, and an agile, discovery-led user experience, Bookscape blends commerce,
storytelling, and community through podcasts, videos, author interviews, and influencer
collaborations redefining how books are discovered and delivered.
Looking to the future
Today, Repro stands as a testament to the power of talent and
technology in driving sustainable growth. Our integrated solutions are transforming us
into a high-margin, scalable, distribution-led, data-driven business.
With clear strategies, strong infrastructure, and continued investment
in people and technology, Repro is well-positioned to meet the publishing industry?s
evolving needs while creating long-term value for stakeholders.
As we look to the year ahead, I do so with optimism. Thank you
our shareholders, partners, and employees for your trust and support. Together, we
are building a future of opportunity, innovation, and excellence.
Thank you. |
Vinod Vohra, |
Chairman |