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Chandamama has big plans for tech-savvy kids

In 2007, Chandamama, a children's magazine that has been a part of the lives of an entire generation, completed 60 years.

Chandamama was started by legendary filmmakers B. Nagi Reddi and his friend Chakrapani, the former as the publisher and the latter the editor.

In 1998, Viswanatha Reddy who had taken over from his father, had to stop publication of Chandamama due to labour problems. At that time, it was selling more than half a million copies in 13 languages every month. In 1999, Morgan Stanley picked up a stake in the magazine and re-launched it. Till 1998, Chandamama belonged to the Reddy family alone but after Morgan Stanley bought a stake, the family had only 40 per cent equity in the magazine.

In 2007, Geodesic Information Systems Ltd acquired a 94 per cent stake for Rs 10.2 crore (Rs 102 million) in Chandamama.

L Subramanyan aka Subu joined the group as the CEO in August 2007.

In this interview, the new CEO talks about his plans for Chandamama.

When you were offered the post of Chandamama as the CEO, what came to your mind?

As a Delhi kid, I grew up reading Chandamama. It has had a strong influence on many people like me.

So, when I was offered the job at Chandamama, my first reaction was, wow!

But when I told my children about Chandamama, they asked, 'what's that'? They didn't know about Chandamama. I then felt a magazine of this genre should be there for today's children.

Text: Shobha Warrier

Sixtieth anniversary issue in Marathi.

Photograph: Sreeram Selvaraj

Also read: 60 years of Chandamama

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