pecial-interest magazines seem to be coming into their own in India. And within this arena, auto magazines are becoming increasingly attractive given the boom that India is witnessing in the automobile sector. Joining the race is UK�s Top Gear, launched last month by Worldwide Media Ltd, a joint venture between Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL), publisher of The Times of India, and BBC Worldwide.

Why did Worldwide Media launch another auto magazine in a market which already has so many like Autocar India, Overdrive, The Auto Magazine and Car India? "Though there are no figures to indicate the market size or readership, we see potential in this segment," says Devashish Sarkar, chief executive officer, Worldwide Media Ltd. "The industry is slightly underdeveloped in terms of both content and distribution. We decided to launch it after talks with the parent company and a dipstick research with potential advertisers," he adds.... more