Day 2 of BluOne Ink presents Jaipur BookMark 2026, South Asia’s premier publishing conclave, continued its 13th edition with a rich programme of conversations, examining the shifting landscapes of publishing, bookselling, and readership in India and beyond. Running parallel to the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur, Jaipur BookMark 2026 again affirmed its role as a vital meeting ground for the global publishing community.
(L-R) Swati Vashishtha – Jagdeep Singh
The day opened with Futurescape: Spotting Trends in the Publishing Industry, where Emma House and Samir Patil were in conversation with Meru Gokhale. The discussion explored the growing use of AI in research and writing, while noting its limited application in marketing, and considered the economics of publishing in an age of technological transition. Drawing on international markets and experiences from Amar Chitra Katha, the session also explored digital transformation, e-books, audiobooks, and emerging AI tools used throughout the publishing process.
(L-R) Stephen Alter – Prajwal Parajuly
The focus then shifted to discussions on the latest avenues of consuming literature – podcasts and audiobooks. Hindi Literary Podcasts: Sahitya Ke Naye Khojdeep, featuring Anjum Sharma, Anurag Minus Verma and Arti Jain, in conversation with Jai Prakash Pandey, explored the growing space of Hindi literary podcasts and their relationship with digital media. With reflections on why podcasts matter as an accessible and intimate medium for storytelling, particularly in the Hindi language, the panel discussed how local Indian artisans and younger creators are increasingly engaging with the medium, while examining the boundaries and challenges that continue to limit its wider reach. Listen In: The Evolving Story of the Audiobook, on the other hand, explored the rapid growth and changing contours of the audiobook ecosystem in India, examining how listening habits vary across languages, genres and markets. They reflected on the Marathi audiobook landscape and storytelling being central to audio formats. The conversation also touched on the use of artificial intelligence in audiobooks and debated whether audio should be commissioned independently or adapted from existing print formats.
Emerging Markets for Indian Publishing focused on language, translation and the economics of taking Indian books overseas, while addressing structural barriers in international markets. The conversation also took a turn towards translation, questioning the limits of artificial intelligence and reaffirming translation as a creative act, emphasising its enduring cultural and literary power.
(L-R) Tasneem Khan – Nand Bhardwaj
Also featured was the First Edition launch of Veena Rao’s Jaipur Calling: A Peek Into the Pink City. She spoke fondly of her first encounters with Jaipur and her journey towards creating an illustrated and interactive book that introduces the city to young readers through an engaging and accessible lens. Speaking about storytelling for children, Rao discussed the challenges and satisfactions of capturing the city’s many cultural nuances while emphasising responsibility in children’s publishing. The Scent of Books: Stories about Bookstores emphasised the enduring cultural significance of bookstores with insights from industry stalwarts who run legacy bookstores. The panellists reflected on how physical bookstores continue to thrive as vibrant cultural spaces and places where readers first discover books, return to them repeatedly, and remain connected to the tactile, sensory joy of reading in an increasingly digital world.
A key highlight of the day was the Children’s Publishing Roundtable: Nurturing New Readers, presented by Amazon. Himanshu Giri, Neeraj Jain, Prajwal Parajuly, Richa Jha, Saanya Kanwar, Sohini Mitra, Tina Narang, and Ujan Datta came together in conversation with Smit Zaveri to examine how children’s publishing can respond to the changing needs of young readers today. The discussion explored questions of agency, engagement and how publishers determine age groups for children’s books and reinforced their playful, imaginative nature, while calling for wider reach and stronger connections with new readers.
The much-anticipated Day 3 will feature sessions on Live Lines: India-UK Publishing Fellows Connect with Harriet Hirshman and Ruby Hembrom in conversation with Hema Singh Rance; Optimism in the Times of Change: Mapping the Future for Big Publishers with Ananth Padmanabhan in conversation with Shreya Punj; and Northern Lights: Children’s Literature from Norway with Oliver Møystad in conversation with Truda Spruyt. As Jaipur BookMark 2026 progresses, the conclave continues to serve as a critical platform for dialogue across languages, regions, and markets, bringing together diverse voices to reflect on the present realities and future possibilities of publishing in India and the wider South Asian region.
