What Udayavani does

Udayavani is a leading Kannada-language daily newspaper founded in 1970 and operated by Manipal Digital Network Limited, a subsidiary of Manipal Media Network Ltd., headquartered in Manipal, Karnataka, India. The company publishes six regional print editions — Manipal, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburgi, Davanagere, and Mumbai — covering local, regional, national, and international news for Kannada-speaking readers across Karnataka and the wider Kannada diaspora. Its digital footprint extends the print product via a main website (udayavani.com), a dedicated e-paper platform (epaper.udayavani.com), and native Android and iOS mobile applications, with e-paper subscriptions and payment processing handled through a core partnership with the Readwhere distribution platform.

The product portfolio has been deliberately broadened beyond the core newspaper to include UV English (an English-language portal), UV Fusion (a youth-targeted edition), an NRI Edition for the Kannada-speaking diaspora, a monthly E-Book magazine, the Navarathri special Nava Roopa, special supplements, a daily horoscope service, and a UV Podcast. This ecosystem allows Udayavani to monetize across print circulation, digital subscriptions (tiered into single-edition and all-editions bundles billed monthly to annually), display advertising on website and apps, and international USD-priced e-paper access via Readwhere.

Udayavani employs between 11 and 50 people, is privately held, and reports no external funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes in the source material. The company's competitive position rests on its 55-year Kannada journalism heritage, deep multi-district regional distribution network, and trademarked brand portfolio held by its parent group. It faces structural pressures common to regional print media — declining print circulation, digital ad-share competition from national players, and limited scale (sub-50 headcount) — partially offset by diversified sub-brands and a digital subscription moat via its Readwhere integration.

Name

Udayavani

Legal name

Manipal Digital Network Limited

Website

https://udayavani.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Udayavani is a 1970-founded Kannada-language daily newspaper published by Manipal Digital Network Ltd., operating six regional print editions across Karnataka and Mumbai, plus digital e-paper, mobile apps, and sub-brands (UV English, UV Fusion, NRI Edition) for Kannada readers and the global Kannada-speaking diaspora.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Kannada daily newspaper
• Regional news media
• E-paper subscription
• Multi-edition journalism
• Digital news platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Manipal

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Paid e-paper subscriptions through Readwhere platform with tiered pricing for single edition or all editions, billed monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually
2. Print Newspaper Sales: Physical newspaper distribution across Karnataka through multiple regional editions
3. Digital Advertising: Display advertising on website and mobile applications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Udayavani is a leading Kannada-language daily newspaper published by Manipal Digital Network Limited, offering print and digital editions across multiple regional editions (Manipal, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburgi, Davanagere, and Mumbai). The product portfolio includes the print newspaper, a digital e-paper platform, mobile applications for Android and iOS, and specialized sub-brands such as UV English, UV Fusion (youth edition), NRI Edition, E-Book digital magazine, Nava Roopa festival special, and supplementary editions.

Product overview

Udayavani is a leading Kannada-language daily newspaper operated by Manipal Digital Network Limited, offering a multi-platform news media portfolio. The core offering consists of the print newspaper with regional editions (Manipal, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburgi, Davanagere, Mumbai) and the digital E-Paper platform. Supporting products include UV English (English-language version), UV Fusion (youth edition), NRI Edition (diaspora-focused), the E-Book magazine, Nava Roopa (Navarathri special), and Special Supplements. Digital access is enabled through mobile apps (Android/iOS), a dedicated podcast, and daily horoscope services. The e-paper operates on a subscription model with tiered pricing per regional edition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UV Fusion: Youth edition of the newspaper
• NRI Edition
• E-Book
• Nava Roopa

Products and services

• Udayavani (ಉದಯವಾಣಿ) Kannada Daily Newspaper
• Udayavani E-Paper
• UV English
• Udayavani E-Book
• UV Fusion
• Udayavani NRI Edition
• Nava Roopa
• Udayavani Special Supplements
• Udayavani Mobile App (Android and iOS)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ReadwherecoreTechnology or IntegrationReadwhere platform serves as the e-paper subscription and distribution infrastructure for Udayavani. The platform handles subscription management, payment processing, and digital content delivery for all e-paper editions including Manipal, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburgi, Davanagere, and Mumbai editions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prajavani: Prajavani is one of the largest-circulation Kannada daily newspapers in Karnataka, competing head-to-head with Udayavani for the same reader base, advertisers, and regional editions. It is the most direct comparable in language, geography, and product mix.
• Vijaya Karnataka: Vijaya Karnataka is another major Kannada-language daily published by the Dainik Bhaskar group, directly competing with Udayavani across print and digital editions in Karnataka. Its scale and parent-group resources make it the closest large competitor.
• Kannada Prabha: Kannada Prabha is an established Kannada daily newspaper operating across Karnataka, directly competing with Udayavani for Kannada readers and regional advertising revenue in the same geography.
• Sanjevani: Sanjevani is a Kannada-language daily newspaper focused on Karnataka, providing overlapping print and digital news coverage that competes with Udayavani's regional editions for readers and advertisers.

Broad incumbents

• Deccan Herald: Deccan Herald is the English-language daily published by The Printers (Mysore) group, which also publishes Prajavani. It is a broad incumbent in Karnataka news, competing with UV English and English-language web audiences that Udayavani also targets.
• Dainik Bhaskar Group: Dainik Bhaskar is India's largest newspaper group and publishes Vijaya Karnataka in Kannada. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Udayavani in Karnataka advertising, digital subscriptions, and multi-platform news distribution.

Regional players

• Eenadu: Eenadu is the leading Telugu-language daily newspaper from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is a regional-language newspaper with a comparable regional daily-plus-digital operating model to Udayavani's Kannada footprint.
• Lokmat: Lokmat is the largest-read Marathi-language daily newspaper, serving Maharashtra. As Udayavani extends to a Mumbai edition, Lokmat is a comparable regional-language daily-plus-digital publisher competing in the same city.
• Mathrubhumi: Mathrubhumi is a leading Malayalam-language daily from Kerala with a comparable regional newspaper-plus-digital model and NRI-focused editions that parallel Udayavani's NRI Edition strategy.
• Anandabazar Patrika: Anandabazar Patrika is the largest Bengali-language daily from West Bengal, operating a multi-edition regional newspaper plus digital platform that mirrors Udayavani's print-plus-digital regional publisher model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/udayavani_web
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/udayavani-kannada-daily

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Udayavani