Bible Society of India

What Bible Society of India does

The Bible Society of India (BSI), founded in 1811 and headquartered in Bangalore, is a non-profit religious organization and one of the oldest and largest of the 150 National Bible Societies under the United Bible Societies fellowship. BSI serves all Indian Churches and Christians by translating, publishing, and distributing the Bible in languages spoken across India, operating 17 auxiliary offices across Indian states, a Translations Centre at Shillong (established 1972), and a Sales Depot at Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The organization's product portfolio includes 86 complete Bibles in 145 varieties, 91 New Testaments, Audio Bibles in 97 languages, Braille Bibles in 23 languages, Sign Language Bible materials, Study Bibles, Children Bibles, and Diglot Bibles — collectively covering 127 active translation projects and targeting 300+ languages to reach India's 1652 languages/dialects.

BSI distributes through its own BibleShopIndia.com e-commerce platform, church denomination partnerships (CSI, IPC, Mar Thoma, STECI), Bible exhibitions, and innovative channels including the Auto Ministry program placing Scripture dispensers in auto-rickshaws. Technology centers on a translation methodology combining biblical studies, linguistics, and anthropology, with 90 completed projects on the Digital Bible Library for digital Scripture distribution. The organization serves special audiences including visually impaired individuals, deaf communities (via Nagaland sign language project), neo-literates, terminally ill, and HIV victims through dedicated Braille, Audio, and Sign Language formats.

Revenue is generated through affordable Bible sales across income levels, donations and contributions solicited from churches, individuals, and families via the Church Public Relations and Resource Mobilisation Department, and special scripture products for vulnerable populations. BSI operates with a triennial governance cycle under a Central Council comprising church denomination representatives, with the current Office Bearers (Triennium 2023-2026) including President Rev. Dr. Leelavathi Vemuri and General Secretary (CEO) Rev. Dr. Kavito G. Zhimo. The organization maintains autonomy within the global UBS fellowship without external investment or ownership stakes.

Name

Bible Society of India

Legal name

The Bible Society of India

Website

https://bsind.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1811

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Bible Society of India is a non-profit religious organization founded in 1811 that translates, publishes, and distributes Bibles in Indian languages through 17 auxiliary offices, serving churches, individual believers, and special needs audiences across India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Religious Organizations (8131), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras) (MPAJAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL)

Keywords

• Bible translation
• Scripture publishing
• Religious content distribution
• Nonprofit ministry
• Bible society operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Bible Sales: Sale of printed Bibles, New Testaments, Portions, New Reader Portions, Selections, and New Reader Selections in various Indian and foreign languages through BibleShopIndia.com and auxiliary offices.
2. Donations and Contributions: Solicitation of contributions, donations, gifts, and legacies from Churches, individuals, families, and others for the Cause of God's Word through Church Public Relations and Resource Mobilisation Department.
3. Special Scripture Products: Sale of Braille Bibles, Audio Bibles, Study Bibles, Children Bibles, Diglot Bibles, and Scripture Selections for special audiences including visually challenged, terminally ill, and HIV victims.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bible Society of India translates, publishes, and distributes Bibles and Scripture portions across 300+ Indian languages in multiple formats including printed, Audio, Braille, and Sign Language. It produces 86 complete Bibles in 145 varieties, 91 New Testaments, Audio Bibles in 97 languages, Braille Bibles in 23 languages, plus Study Bibles, Children Bibles, Diglot Bibles, and Scripture Selections for individual Christians, churches, and special-audience groups such as the visually impaired, deaf, and neo-literates.

Product overview

The Bible Society of India offers a comprehensive Bible publication and distribution ministry spanning both printed and digital formats. The core product portfolio includes full Bible translations (86 Protestant Bibles in 145 varieties), New Testaments (91 languages), Audio Bibles (97 languages in dramatized and single-voice formats), Braille Bibles (23 languages), Study Bibles (12 languages), Children Bibles (35 languages), Diglot Bibles (7 languages), and Sign Language materials. The organization operates BibleShopIndia.com as its e-commerce platform, distributes the BSI Application for digital access, publishes the quarterly Sowing Circle magazine and monthly E-Newsletter, provides PDF downloads, maintains the BSI Archives exhibition, runs Auto Ministry outreach through auto-rickshaw Scripture dispensers, and produces Scripture Selections for healthcare settings. The product ecosystem serves India's diverse linguistic communities with accessible Scripture in formats suitable for various audiences including the visually impaired, hearing impaired, and those with reading difficulties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Printed Bibles Complete printed Bibles in Indian languages, available in 86 Bible versions across 145 varieties for individual Christians and church congregations across India.
• New Testaments Printed New Testament Scripture portions in Indian languages, offered in 91 language editions for individual readers and churches.
• Audio Bibles Audio recordings of the Bible produced in 97 Indian languages, serving visually impaired, neo-literate, and on-the-go audiences.
• Braille Bibles Tactile Braille editions of the Bible produced in 23 Indian languages for the visually impaired community and special schools.
• Study Bibles Annotated Study Bibles with study notes and helps, offered in 12 editions for in-depth personal study and Sunday school use.
• Children Bibles Age-appropriate Children Bibles produced in 35 Indian languages, designed for Sunday schools, family devotionals, and neo-literate children.
• Diglot Bibles Bilingual Diglot Bibles presenting two languages side-by-side, supporting bilingual congregations and language-learning readers.
• Sign Language Bible Sign Language Bible project delivering Scripture in Indian Sign Language for the deaf community and deaf schools across India.
• Scripture Selections and Tracts Short Scripture Selections and tracts in Indian languages, distributed through hospital, prison, traveler, and community outreach programs.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• United Bible Societies (UBS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1811BSI is the largest and one of the oldest of the 150 National Bible Societies in the fellowship of the United Bible Societies. As part of this global network, BSI participates in shared translation initiatives, receives fellowship support, and contributes to the Bible Translation Roadmap goal of 1,200 first Bible translations by 2038.
• Translation Centre ShillongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 1972 as extension of Translations Department, serves as resource center for training, monitoring, and supervising translation projects in North East region including Sikkim.
• American Bible SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship partner in the Bible Society movement. American Bible Society celebrated 210 years of ministry in May 2026, sharing similar mission of making Bible accessible.
• Bible Societies Consortium (UBS Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bible House Kolkata (Calcutta Auxiliary), BFBS (British & Foreign Bible Society), FCBH (Faith Comes By Hearing), and other national Bible societies for translation and distribution support.
• SIL InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization mentioned in Asia Collaboration on Translation (ACT) Gathering, contributing to Bible translation methodology and expertise.
• Wycliffe Global AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Bible translation efforts, participating in Asia Collaboration on Translation gatherings.
• The Seed CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Bible translation ministry, mentioned in translation collaboration initiatives.
• Spoken WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for oral Bible translation and Scripture engagement efforts.
• Bible Society of NigeriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBible Society of Nigeria General Secretary Rev. Samuel Sanusi and colleague Mr. Yemi Olayiwola visited BSI Central Office on March 19, 2025 for fellowship and sharing of ideas and experiences.
• Church Denominations (India)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBSI serves as handmaid of Churches in India including CSI, IPC, Mar Thoma, STECI, and other denominations, distributing Bibles through church networks and participating in annual conventions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SIL International: BSI's stated partner in ACT (Asia Collaboration on Translation) efforts. SIL provides the linguistic research, translation methodology, and language-survey expertise that undergirds many Scripture translation initiatives, making it a methodology peer for BSI's translation work.
• Bible Society of Nigeria: Fellow national Bible society in the UBS fellowship whose senior leadership visited BSI in March 2025 for direct operational exchange. Operates with an extremely similar model in another linguistically diverse African market, making it the most directly comparable peer organization to BSI.
• Faith Comes By Hearing: Named BSI partner under UBS and a global leader in audio Bible production and oral-Scripture engagement. Comparable to BSI's audio Bible portfolio (97 languages), with an overlapping audience of non-readers, neo-literates, and oral learners.
• Wycliffe Global Alliance: Named partner of BSI under the Asia Collaboration on Translation (ACT) framework. Wycliffe specializes in translating Scripture into minority and indigenous languages — directly paralleling BSI's 127 active translation projects and 300-language target in India.
• The Seed Company: BSI's named partner organization accelerating Bible translation globally. Operates a parallel acceleration/translation-resourcing model and competes for the same Scripture-translation talent, donor dollars, and project pipeline as BSI.
• British & Foreign Bible Society: BSI's direct fellowship partner under UBS and the awarding body of the Mary Jones Award given to a BSI leader in 2016. Operates the same translation-publishing-distribution ministry in the UK and globally, with analogous product categories (printed, digital, audio Bibles).

Broad incumbents

• American Bible Society: Flagship U.S. national Bible society celebrating 210+ years of ministry and BSI's stated fellowship partner under the United Bible Societies. Operates a similar translation-publication-distribution model at global scale, making it the closest strategic analog to BSI.
• Gideons International: Large global Scripture-distribution organization distributing Bibles primarily through hotels, schools, and healthcare settings — closely analogous to BSI's hospital-based Scripture Selections and church-network distribution channels.
• Bible League International: Established Scripture-engagement and Bible-translation nonprofit operating in multiple regions with a comparable multi-language publishing and church-partner distribution model to BSI.

Emerging players

• Spoken Worldwide: Named BSI partner focused specifically on oral Bible translation and Scripture engagement among oral-tradition communities. Operates in an adjacent niche (oral-formats) that overlaps with BSI's neo-literate and non-reader audio Bible initiatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bible-society-of-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bible Society of India