Hawkers in Patna

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After our articles on newspaper distribution in Noida and Chandigarh, we had a look at the ancient north Indian city of Patna in Bihar. Patna is 1025 kilometres east of Delhi with a population of 36 lakhs and a circulation of more than 3 lakh newspapers daily in Hindi, English and Urdu. These are distributed by four sole agencies or main distributors; 21 agents or sub-distributors; 5000 delivery men in two tiers -- 2000 who call themselves hawkers and 3000 younger staff called beat boys who perform the last mile delivery function. Approximately 3,000 bicycles are used for distributing papers every day.

Patna like much of the country is under construction -- roads, bridges and buildings including new newspaper plants. At the top of the distribution pyramid are four sole agents -- Aazad News Agency, Nirmal Kumar Singh, Vinod Kumar Singh and Eastern News Agency. They get an average of 5 per cent of the newsstand price of the dailies most of which are priced at Rs 4.

Then come the 21 mini agents who get 3 per cent of the cover price. They in turn rely on 2000 hawkers to deliver the paper and in turn the hawkers rely on 3000 beat boys who are really the bulk of the home delivery carriers. The hawkers vary in age from 45 to 65 and get 30 per cent of the dailies’ cover price. The beat boys tend to be younger (from 20 to 30) and they receive a monthly salary and not a commission. Newspapers have a higher cover price in Patna than in other bigger cities or in Noida and Chandigarh.

Of the seven newspaper distribution centres, Patna Junction covers approximately 80 per cent of the newspaper market. The other six distribution centres -- Gandhi Maidan, Pashchim Darwaza, Chowk, Phulwari Sharif, Khagol and Danapur Cant cover the remaining 20 per cent of the daily circulation. The piggyback pamphlet and flyer insertion and distribution system is similar to the other cities we have seen so far. The cost is Rs 10 to 15 for one hundred pieces varied by the size of the pamphlet.

More than 3 lakh (3,00,000) newspapers are distributed everyday in Patna in Hindi, Urdu and English. Ananda Bazar Patrika in Bengali sells 1,250 daily. Malayala Manorama also sells 50 to 100 copies daily. Our ground level report indicates that highest growth is in Hindi followed by English and that Urdu circulation is further declining.

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