Outsourced DTP services come India calling

The next time on your visit abroad you read a high-quality printed document or see a well-designed illustration in an international publication, chances are that it would have been designed here in India.

Desktop publishing (DTP) is the new entry in the fray to join the outsourcing industry. DTP services basically involve the use of a computer and a page layout software that allows to create publication documents for large-scale and small-scale publishing.

"The scientific, technical and mathematical (STM) publication market is valued at about $1.2 billion worldwide, and the turnover in India is approximately Rs 1000 crore. The future prospects of this industry is good, as it is growing at an annual growth rate of about 30%, Soumitra Das of Thomson Digital said.

"Graphic design, text layout for magazines, journals and books, cover design, data conversion and typesetting, are some of the latest desktop publishing services currently being outsourced to India, owing to the powerful software programs, skilled labor and English language competency in India," Anju Ecavade of Macmillan India said.

Indian DTP companies have continuously been making efforts in keeping themselves abreast of the latest developments in technologies related to the field of publishing, thereby enhancing the reliability of foreign investors in India, Ecavade adds.