Infomedia Press Ltd

Infomedia Press Limited was initially incorporated as a Commercial Printing Press in 1862 under the name of 'Tata Press', and later was renamed Tata Donnelley Limited. The Company was taken over by the Tata Publicity Corporation Limited and, in 1931, it became a division of Tata Sons. As a result, the Company signed a MoU with R R Donnelly & Sons, the world's largest printing company, to expand its business in the Indian sub-continent. Thereafter, the name of the Company was changed to Tata Infomedia Limited on October 4, 2000, again it changed to Infomedia India Limited on January 30, 2004 and to Infomedia 18 Limited on 16 September, 2008 and was subsequently changed to Infomedia Press Limited on July 5, 2012. During the earlier periods, the Company discontinued its business of printing operations and the management is in the process of valuating various options, including starting a new line of business. As a part of the Tata Group and the largest commercial printer in India, the Company became a leader in every area of commercial printing. It printed several of India's top-circulation magazines and is also one of the country's leading book printers. It also has a range of personal stationery including greeting cards, diaries, calendars marketed under the Touchstone brand. It is among the few printing houses which offer clients a range of services ranging from design to dispatch. The Company has an in-house print promotion agency known as Design Shop (India). Tata Infomedia entered the information service business in 1991 with the publication of the business directory (popularly known as Yellow Pages) for Bombay. Since then, it has built a leadership position in this field and has broadened its canvas of operations to include other cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Madras, Ahmedabad, Pune and Calcutta. It has also launched a specialised directory for exporters. Its database services division provides creative direct marketing solutions to its client in addition to its own innovative mailer campaigns. The company's special internet publication division growing with the launch of AvMax, India's first Audio-Video magazine. During the year-2000, company also launched the Better Photography Black Book, top class photograph by Indian photographers & is also planning further title launches. Yellow Line, the Company's call centre for yellow pages has now started in Mumbai and Delhi with a soft launch in April 2001. During year 2002, the first issues of the Tata Press Yellow Pages for Ludhiana and Indore were released. The Company published 'KHANA PINA', its restaurant guide for the cities of Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. In January 2002, it held first Audio Video Show, AVExpo, in Mumbai. Chennai's first Photo Imaging Fair was held in March 2002. The New Division of Company, CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT, launched its first motion picture, 'AETBAAR', during 2003. Thereafter, it expanded operations to 4 more editions - Jaipur, Lucknow, Surat and Kochi, which helped achieve the milestone target. It strengthened selling operations by opening new offices at Nashik and Nagpur in 2005-06. It had acquired two legal entities, M/s Cepha Imaging Private Limited and M/s Keyword Group Limited in the Publishing Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) space in December 2005. A joint venture company, M/s Reed Infomedia India Private Limited incorporated in 2005. In 2009-10, the Company got merged with I-Ven Interactive Limited through the Scheme of Arrangement, which implemented with effect from 25th August 2009. Accordingly from the said Effective Date, I-Ven Interactive Limited cease to exist. In 2011-12, a Scheme of Arrangement between the Company, Network18 Media & Investments Ltd and their respective shareholders and creditors was made effective from June 1, 2012. Pursuant to the Scheme, the Demerged Undertaking' inter alia comprising of the Business Directories business, the New Media business and the Publishing business of the Company was demerged into Network18 with effect from April 1, 2010. The Printing Press business was present with the Company. Further, Network18 had issued and allotted 36,79,356 equity shares to the shareholders of the Company at par on a proportionate basis in the ratio of 7:50 i.e., seven fully paid-up equity shares of Rs 5/- each of Network18 were issued for every fifty fully paid-up equity shares of Rs 10/- each of the Company. In 2014-15, Independent Media Trust (IMT), of which Reliance Industries Limited is the sole beneficiary, acquired the control of the Company. In terms of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulation 2011, the open offer made by IMT for acquisition has been completed. Management of Company was taken over Reliance Industries Limited effective from July 7, 2014. Since the Company ceased its printing operations in 2012-13, due to commercial unviability, and as such it had no business operations in 2022-23. The management is in the process of evaluating various options, including starting a new line of business.