How to Register For Newspaper Business in India

Published on: February 16, 2017

India’s Newspaper Industry has been rising since so many years and this is why a lot of motivated individuals tend to indulge in these kind of businesses be it newspaper, magazine etc.

In India, as per a report, there are more than 82,000 newspapers in publication. And now this number seems to grow year by year. Publishing Industry has always been a lucrative option for a number of aspiring beings across India.

The Press and Books Registration Act of 1867 regulates the publication of books, newspapers, and magazines in India.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting controls the office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India and it is also responsible for framing rules under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. So anybody willing to start a Newspaper or Magazine, Journals etc. will have to seek prior approval of RNI.

While establishing a newspaper business in India, one must keep in mind numerous other rules and regulations.

The image below depicts a series of steps you need to undergo before starting the print newspaper business in India.

The publisher of the newspaper needs to perform title verification. In this process, the respective person must submit an application for title verification to the concerned District Magistrate. The application should indicate the name, language, periodicity, owner name, and place of publication of the proposed newspaper.

From 1st March, 2015 the office of Registration of Newspapers in India has also provided the facility of filing online application for title verification.

Online Application for title verification is very simple, easy and hassle free process. In case of offline filing of application the District Magistrate after ensuring the credentials of the applicant, will forward the application to the RNI, who in turn checks the availability of the title and if found verifies it.

RNI informs the DM and publisher, the availability of the title by issuing a letter of title verification.

After this, the publisher can file a declaration with the District Magistrate in the prescribed format and start publishing the newspaper.

You can submit the application for registration to the RNI along with an attested copy of the declaration.

Additionally, attach a copy of title verification, first issue of the newspaper and a ‘No Foreign Tie up’ affidavit duly attested by a Notary.

The newspaper should contain volume number, issue number, title prominently displayed on the cover page. All pages, date line and page number on all pages should be there. Also, an imprint line containing the name of printer, publisher, owner and editor, address of the place of publication and name and address of the printing press. should be present

Submit the list of documents to RN

Apart from the documents mentioned above, we also require the following KYC documents:

Certificate of Incorporation, Memorandum/Articles of the Company.
In case of Proprietorship, registration certificate issued under Shops and Establishment Act and in case of Partnership, Partnership Deed.
PAN of the organization.
List of Promoters/Directors/Partners
Board resolution in case of Company.
ID and Address proof of Partners/Directors/Proprietor

If you need any clarification or further details on any of the above documents you can contact Starters’ CFO.

After Registration Requirements

Whenever the newspaper is printed, someone needs to deliver a copy to the RNI.

The first issue after the last day of February should contain the Form No. IV duly.

You should fill in (Statement regarding ownership and other particulars of the newspaper).

It is also mandatory to submit an annual statement in form II, on or before the last day of May every year.

For daily newspapers, you may also submit an additional form called AR-R.

How to obtain Magazine Registration

Before commencing the publication business, you must adhere to several norms prescribed by the Government of India. Below, we outline some of these norms.

Approach the Regional Magistrate court and prepare the application in the format as prescribed
Obtain R. Dis Number (Diary Number) allotted by the magistrate court
Apply to Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI), Delhi office for name availability through the magistrate court. (It would take about 90 days of time for the RNI, Delhi office to approve the name as proposed.)
Once the Delhi office approves the name, proceed to request a hearing date from the magistrate court (the court can allocate a date anytime between 1 to 4 months from the request date).
The magistrate requires the Printer, Publisher, and Editor to appear and take an oath. During their appearance, they must provide the following documents: * Each of them must complete a declaration copy and produce three copies. * They must also present their address and ID proofs. * The Printer must submit a copy of the Printing Press License.
After this is done, there will be an approval to this effect from the Magistrate court. Then, the magazine can be published. The copies of the magazines have to be submitted to the RNI, Regional office for the final approval. They will then evaluate whether the magazine meets the criteria specified in the declaration.
Following this, the RNI Certificate will be issued.
Both the R. Dis Number (Diary Number) and RNI Number have to be mentioned on each copy of the magazine.