13th Edition of B2B Forum CEO Speak.
Jagran correspondent, New Delhi. The 13th edition of CEO Speak, the premier B2B forum organized by the National Book Trust (NBT), India on the occasion of New Delhi World Book Fair 2026, concluded today at Hotel Ashok. At this high-level forum, leaders from the Indian and global publishing world had in-depth discussions on the topic ‘Understanding the Future of Publishing’. The forum is known for dialogue, collaboration and strategic planning in the publishing industry, with a focus on issues such as AI, digital transformation and sustainable development.
In the inaugural session, NBT Chairman Prof. Milind Sudhakar Marathe highlighted the strength of the publishing sector, which accounts for over 12 lakh jobs, 9,000 publishers and 21,000 retailers. They discussed the transformative effects of AI, augmented reality (AR) and machine learning in editorial, production and distribution. Shri Anandrao V. Patil, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education, highlighted the need for dialogue between policy-makers and publishers, and also highlighted initiatives like National Digital Library, DIKSHA and e-Pathshala. Representatives of guest country Qatar and focus country Spain also participated on the occasion.
Ms Asma Al-Kuwari (Qatar) spoke on children's literature and the challenges of international distribution, while Mr José Manuel Anta (Spain) highlighted his country's strong infrastructure of 3,000 publishers, 60,000 printed and 27,000 digital books. Spain's translation grant system and cultural dissemination were also highlighted. In the second session, a panel of international experts discussed topics such as digital transformation, responsible AI use, the role of translation, print-on-demand, strengthening regional markets and copyright protection.
NBT Director Yuvraj Malik, citing India's $12 billion publishing industry (68% education-focused, 45% based on regional languages), highlighted translation grants and the “Three Tees” (Translate, Transform, Transfer) programs as important. Overall, CEO Speak 2026 proved publishing to be a strong pillar of cultural expression, education and economic growth. The Forum is playing an important role in shaping the reading culture globally and providing guidance to the industry in times of change.
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