The Indian Newspaper Society

What The Indian Newspaper Society does

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1939 that functions as the central representative body for the newspaper publishing industry in India. Headquartered at I.N.S. Buildings on Rafi Marg, New Delhi, INS represents the business interests of its member publications before legislatures, governments, courts, municipal bodies, and commercial organizations, and provides a permanent secretariat for the constant interchange of information and views among members. Its core offerings include an Agency Accreditation program that validates advertising agencies for work with newspaper publishers, Publication Guidelines and circulars governing member and agency conduct, and a Circular Distribution Service that relays regulatory advisories from bodies such as the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI), Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

INS operates a horizontal, membership-based model funded by subscriptions and contributions collected from member publications, with no commercial product pricing or external equity involvement. It maintains cooperative ties with sister industry bodies including the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), and Media Research User Council (MRUC), and provides arbitration services for disputes between members. The society is governed by an Executives Committee and supported by regional and sub-committees covering major Indian publishing markets, and recently published its Annual Report for fiscal year 2024-25.

The organization is staffed by 13 employees and runs a modest secretariat. There is no technology product surface, no proprietary software platform, and no disclosed AI/ML, data, or API capabilities. INS does not engage in acquisitions, fundraising, or external capital activities, consistent with its structure as a society under Indian law rather than a commercial corporation.

Name

The Indian Newspaper Society

Legal name

The Indian Newspaper Society

Website

https://indiannewspapersociety.in

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1939, headquartered in New Delhi, that represents the business interests of Indian newspaper publishers before government and industry bodies and offers agency accreditation and regulatory liaison services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJADAA

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYMPAAADAE

Public Affairs & Government Relations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications Agencies

Keywords

• Trade association services
• Newspaper industry representation
• Agency accreditation services
• Industry advocacy services
• Member association services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Core offering

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) is a non-profit trade association that acts as the central organization of the press in India. It promotes and safeguards the business interests of newspaper publishers through industry representation, agency accreditation, publication guidelines, regulatory circular distribution, and arbitration services for disputes among members.

Product overview

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) is a trade association for the print media industry in India, not a technology product company. Its core offerings include agency accreditation services for advertising agencies, publication guidelines and circulars, regulatory notification distribution, and annual reporting. The society connects member publications with government regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• INS Agency Accreditation Services
• INS Circular Distribution Service
• INS Publication Guidelines
• INS Arbitration Services
• INS Industry Representation and Advocacy
• INS Annual Report

Segments1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Advertising Standards Council of IndiaminorOthersListed as a sister concern of INS, indicating a cooperative relationship between the two industry bodies.
• Audit Bureau of CirculationscoreOthersKey industry partner for circulation verification and media auditing, critical for newspaper publishers' credibility and advertising rates.
• Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)minorOthersListed as a sister concern, representing advertising agencies that work with newspaper publications.
• Media Research User Council (MRUC)minorOthersListed as a sister concern dealing with media research and audience measurement.
• Press Registrar General of India (PRGI)coreOthersGovernment regulatory body for print media registration and standards. INS maintains a facilitation desk at INS Building for PRGI-related services.
• Central Bureau of Communication (CBC)coreOthersGovernment bureau handling advertising and communication standards. Issues advisories and rate renewals that affect newspaper publications.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• FIPP (International Federation of Periodical Publishers): Global trade body for magazine and periodical publishers, providing industry intelligence, events, and advocacy. Comparable to INS as a collective voice for publishers on business and policy issues, though with a periodical rather than newspaper focus.
• WAN-IFRA: World Association of News Publishers, a global trade body for the news publishing industry, with a strong presence in South Asia. Comparable in that it represents newspaper publishers' commercial and editorial interests to governments and the broader ecosystem.
• News Publishers Association (UK): UK trade body for national and regional news publishers, focused on commercial representation, policy advocacy, and industry research. Directly comparable to INS's role for Indian newspaper publishers.
• News/Media Alliance: US newspaper and digital media trade association representing publishers on policy, IP, and business issues. Closest functional analogue to INS as a national newspaper trade body, though operating in a different (and more digitally transitioned) market.

Regional players

• Press Council of India: Statutory body overseeing press ethics in India. Operates in the same Indian press ecosystem and is co-located in regulatory influence, but addresses editorial/ethical standards rather than the commercial and business-interest remit of INS.
• Philippine Press Institute: Philippine newspaper industry body that trains and supports community journalists and publishers. Comparable as a national trade body serving newspaper publishers in a South/Southeast Asian market, but smaller and more training-focused than INS.
• Australian Press Council: Australian body covering press standards. More standards-oriented than INS, but operates in the same APAC press ecosystem and addresses comparable industry representation challenges.

Emerging players

• Association of Online Publishers (UK): UK trade body for digital content publishers, focused on commercial issues and policy advocacy. Comparable in function to INS but represents the digital publishing segment that INS's membership base is increasingly competing with rather than encompassing.

Others

• Media Research Users Council (MRUC): Indian body governing the Indian Readership Survey (IRS). Sister concern of INS and key infrastructure player in the print advertising value chain that INS member publishers depend on.
• Audit Bureau of Circulations (India): Indian circulation auditing body and listed sister concern of INS. Comparable as a closely linked industry infrastructure provider that underpins newspaper ad rates and publisher credibility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-indian-newspaper-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

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 The Indian Newspaper Society