Thursday

India’s Magazine Boom

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It seems as if everything going on in India lately has had to do more and more with western culture some way or another. What had started off with just fashion, shows, movies and music now continues with India’s magazine boom. Mainstream articles such as Vogue, GQ and others are taking over India’s market. It seems like everyone in India wants to get in touch with the latest American fashion and trends. According to Vivek Couto, executive director of Hong Kong-based research firm Media Partners Asia, “[India] is a fast growing economy and with consumption so robust and with incomes rising, it’s a fertile ground for the print media,” (Source: India Magazine Industry Thriving, Big Players Moving In).

As western culture rapidly spreads through India through many aspects, magazines serve as a large influence for modern Indian culture. The supposed American culture portrayed in magazines is what Indians are trying to depict in their culture. But American culture is not what it seems like in magazines and movies; every girl is not flawless and skinny, everyone doesn’t have an endless wallet for shopping, and no one has a perfect life. With this skewed perception of American culture, many Indians seem to have an idealized dream of American life. But in pursuit of trying to balance two cultures together, it seems as the western culture holds a stronger appeal to modern Indian society.

As the racks of Indian magazines slowly fill up with more and more Indian magazines, it leaves some thinking; where does that leave Indian culture? With any hope, the young generation of India will be able to balance the customs of these two very different cultures. The essence of this culture change is that it is the latest vogue and seems to be the latest trend as it seems to be glamorous and alluring. So next time you visit India, or any surrounding country, be sure to snag an international copy of Vogue, just to brag about your international goods.