Newspapers are an important source of information and general knowledge. They provide news about a country’s economic condition, sports, games, trade and commerce and entertainment.
By starting a newspaper business, you can help to spread interesting and relevant information to the citizens of India. However, you need to get RNI Registration to start such a business.
In this article, we will discuss RNI and its benefits.
Newspaper Industry in India
The Indian print media industry is projected to experience robust growth in 2024, as reported by the Economic Times, as the advertising revenues are expected to return to the pre-pandemic levels. In India, the print media remains resilient, and industry experts predict rapid growth considering the credibility and effectiveness of print advertising for brand recognition.
Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI)
The publishing industry is growing at a rapid rate in India. The publication of books, newspapers and magazines is governed and regulated by the colonial era act known as Press and Books Registration Act, 1867. This act was enacted with an aim to regulate the Printing Presses and newspapers with severe penalties including imprisonment in case of non-compliances with its provisions.
The Registrar of Newspapers of India (RNI) functions under this act, which is amended from time to time. RNI keeps records and maintains all newspaper registrations. It is also the concerned authority for issuing the certificate of RNI. The RNI is controlled by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which is responsible for framing rules under the Press and Registration of Books Act. So, any individual who is interested in starting a newspaper, magazine or a journal have to mandatorily seek RNI’s approval.
Who requires RNI Registration?
RNI Registration is required for any Indian or foreigner who is interested in setting up a business in India which is related to newspapers, magazines, journals and the like. The RNI registration can be applied through the official RNI website. This registration is mandatory for all the publication companies. The following publications need online RNI registration.
- Magazine: Any magazine which is published in India, regardless of the language it is published in, requires RNI registration.
- Editorial: Any editorial form requires an RNI registration number.
- Indian Newspaper: To start a business of Indian newspapers which are published in English, Hindi or any other regional languages, RNI registration is mandatory.
- Foreign Newspaper: Foreign newspapers in India also require to be registered with the Registrar of Newspapers of India.
What are RNI Registration’s Benefits for Print Media?
There are several benefits of obtaining RNI registration for your newspaper business. We have explained them below:
- RNI Registration guarantees the newspaper business’s adherence to the regulatory regulations and bestows legal recognition upon the journals and publications. Due to this, the RNI registration helps in creating credibility and increases the confidence of marketers and readers.
- Publishers who are registered by RNI are eligible for participating in numerous government initiatives, awards and benefits related to the print media sector. Subsidies, grants and financial assistance initiatives might be provided to the publishers who are eligible.
- By registering with RNI, the newspaper publishers can safeguard their intellectual property rights (IPR). It supports legal claims and serves as a really important evidence when it comes to copyright infringement cases.
- By getting RNI registration, the newspapers can get paid for advertising various companies. Most public and private advertisers would prefer to have their ads appeared in newspapers and magazines that are RNI-registered.
- Getting RNI registration builds credibility and increases the chances of landing advertising deals which can generate good income for the publishers.
When can RNI Registration not be taken?
The Registration for RNI cannot be taken in the following circumstances/situations:
- The same title or a well-known foreign title of a newspaper in any language which is similar to your language may not be confirmed unless a valid license agreement with the foreign title owner is presented to the RNI.
- RNI registers only the newspapers and periodicals as defined under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. Applications for Title Verification will not be entertained from the following categories of applicants:
- News Agencies
- Feature Agencies
- News Websites
- News Channels
- Electronic versions of publications, including Title options using words such as dot com, dot in, e-, blog, portal, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Yahoo, Google, Wikipedia, Wikileaks and so on.
- Titles which are alike to a current existing title will also not be permitted. If there is any doubt concerning the similarity’s analysis, the choice of the Press Registrar will be the ultimate decision.
- If any title makes use of any sort of word which is absurd or meaningless or refers to any public offense in any way, the title will not be recognized.
- RNI will not be responsible for the rejection of title due to spelling errors on the part of the applicant while filing the application.
- RNI registration is not provided for title options with a pronoun name (name of a particular person/name of applicant) as a part of it.
- Generic or single words like Manthan, Chronology, Darpan, Success, Inspire, Rahasya, Herald, Katha, Khulasa, Batkahi, Crossroads, Nukkand, etc are not eligible for RNI registration since these words are not eligible for title verification.
- Even after the Title is verified, it can be canceled before registration if the content of the publication doesn’t fall under the category ‘news and comment on public news’ or if the content of the publication doesn’t match the nature of content mentioned while applying for the Title.
What are the Responsibilities of RNI?
The registrar of newspapers in India has the following responsibilities:
- RNI issues a certificate to individuals who want to start a newspaper or magazine business.
- The registrar of newspapers of India checks the yearly reports of the newspaper publishers to cross check whether they are in compliance with the provisions of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.
- RNI tells the local leaders regarding the availability of newspaper names for publishers to use when they declare their newspapers. Hence, RNI serves as an Informing Authority in this sense.
- RNI registration ensures that the newspapers are published in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.
- RNI is responsible for verifying the number of copies a newspaper claims to circulate in its yearly reports.
What is the Process for RNI Registration?
We have explained RNI Registration’s process for you in a simple and easy way below:
- Submission of the RNI application: First and foremost, an application must be submitted to the RNI. The application must provide detailed information about the newspaper.
- Title Options: The applicant must give at least 5 titles for their newspaper and explain the reason behind choosing them.
- Checking the Title’s eligibility: The applicant must make sure that the words in the title are in accordance with the eligibility requirements.
- Verification by the District Magistrate (DM): The application’s verification is done by the DM, and thereafter, forwarded to the RNI.
- Declaration Validation: The applicant must verify all the necessary details using Form-I. If applicable, the applicant may have to submit different declarations.
- First Issue Release: The newspaper’s first issue has to be published within a given time period according to the publication frequency.
- Issuance of RNI Certificate: Once the application has been verified, the RNI grants a Certificate of Registration or RNI Certificate as proof of compliance.
Conclusion
The newspaper industry is one of the major industries in India. As per Statista’s report, in the year of 2023, the newspaper revenue across India amounted to over 253 billion rupees. A newspaper has many purposes to serve, from providing the latest news to general knowledge.
If you want to start a newspaper business in India, you need to obtain Newspaper Registration. Registrationwala has helped many clients in obtaining RNI registration and would love to assist you in obtaining this registration if you’re interested in starting a newspaper business.
