oes the launch of two men's magazines in the space of one year announce a trend? Maxim became the first international men's magazine to step into India when it tied up with Media Transasia last year. This year, the Living Media Group brought in the US-based Men's Health. What is it with men's magazines?

For years, men's magazines in India flitted in and out of newsstands periodically. There was Gentleman which didn't last long. Another lad's magazine Fantasy couldn't cope with the long haul. Of the four magazines currently in the market, Man's World (the other is Debonair) was launched in 2000. Some would also classify Gladrags as a men's magazine. The longest survivor in a field littered with failed men's magazines is Debonair. The magazine still finds takers with the National Readership Survey (NRS) figures placing its readership at 1.1 lakh. But the magazine is barely visible at all. ... more