S Chand: Storehouse of Knowledge

S. Chand and Co. Private Limited have a rare success story of being both a punisher and printer in India. It was founded in 1939 by Late Mr Shyam Lal Gupta in a bylane of the popular Chandni Chowk. It was a part of his nationalistic effort during colonial rule, which aimed at publishing Indian authors and educating the Indian masses. Today, it is still headquartered in New Delhi and is one of the oldest and biggest education and publishing services companies in the nation. In fact, it was also the first Indian company to get the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 2006. Along with having an excellent distribution system throughout India, S. Chand also exports books throughout South Asia, South East Africa, Africa and the Middle East.

S. Chand Memories, Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo

During the time when it was established, publishing was dominated by the British in India, and Indian authors were unable to voice themselves. Books and magazines were imported from England and used to be quite expensive. This gave Shyam Lal Gupta a chance to enter the market, and he took it. He began his business by publishing two books at a much lower cost than previously available books. It was only forward from then on. He established his own printing press in 1960 and slowly kept moving from composition and offset printing to computer plate printing. Soon, he became famous as one of the pioneers of the Indian publishing Industry. Additionally, he was also the President and among the founding members of the Federation of Indian Publishers. In fact, he was also awarded the honourable ‘Padma Shri’ by the Indian Government in 1969. In 1976, S. Chand entered the school textbook market that is dominating even today.

S. Chand is all about education and academics. It publishes and prints books for all grades, boards, and sectors of Indian Education. For an Indian student, S. Chand is like a best friend who is always there for him/her throughout his/her education. It is their Bible, Quran, Geeta and Guru Granth!!

S. Chand Publication is a storehouse of knowledge. It has published over 15,000 titles, sold 50 million copies, and is one of the largest publishers of educational books in India. The company has a wide range of books covering all subjects. And the best part is that these books are available in all major languages and are reasonably priced.

S. Chand's textbooks are used by students and teachers across the country and are known for their quality and accuracy. The company's reference books are used by scholars and researchers alike and are highly admired in the academic community. S. Chand's children's books are popular with both parents and kids and are a great way to encourage a love of reading in young children. Whether you're a student, a teacher, a researcher, or a parent, you're sure to find what you're looking for at S. Chand.

What makes S. Chand so special is that its publications are not just detailed but also easy to comprehend. This makes learning easy for young students. This is why it holds such a special place on their study tables and in their timetables. S. Chand Books come in handy year-round, but even more for the last-minute revision before giving an exam. Their aptness and error-free descriptions make it incredibly simple for young minds to grasp even the most difficult concepts.

Knowledge, indeed, is power. And with S. Chand’s books and references by our side, we have all felt that power as Indian students. They have been an inseparable part of our school lives, no matter which region we lived in or which school we went to. They were not just our favourite companions during the Boards but were also loved by our teachers, who could not stop referring to them. Interestingly, they say that S. Chand makes up 20% of an Indian student’s school bag!! It gives curious minds an opportunity to explore the world in ways they never have before. From ancient texts to cutting-edge science, S. Chand has something for everyone.

2012 was a very important year for S. Chand as it got funding of Rs. 1,700 million from Everstone. Along with this, it also acquired Vikas Publishing House Private Limited and its imprint Madhubun by buying 100% of its stakes. Not only this, the popular magazine Forbes India named it ‘The fastest growing player in the Education sector’ in 2013. In 2014, it acquired a majority stake in New Saraswati House Private Limited. 2015 again proved to be very significant for the company as it received an additional investment of Rs. 600 million from Everstone and Rs. 1100 million from International Finance Corporation. In 2016, it acquired a majority stake in Chhaya Prakashani Private Limited. Another big thing that happened in the year was that the company was transformed into a public limited company and hence, got renamed to ‘ S Chand and Company Limited’. This success is a result of years of dedication in the Indian education industry.

S Chand has a 75-year-old legacy, but its future plans and business ethics are totally 21st century. The S Chand group already had a lot of brands like Vikas, SmartK, Chhaya, Smartivity, Madhubun, Saraswati, Test Coach and IPP, which are among the bestselling and most popular educational print content in India. But to survive the pandemic slurp that occurred in 2020, academic publishers started offering digital courses and solutions as well. It launched Learnflix and Mylestoone, two offerings which acted as catalysts in its growth. It is now moving forward to be a ‘Knowledge Corporation’ with its multiple digital initiatives.

The Green Initiative is also an essential part of the expansion plan of S. Chand. In fact, they have an in-house water treatment plant at their new one. Additionally, they are also planning to switch to solar energy for running air-conditioners.

S. Chand Publishing Logo, Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies