Patrika launches its second edition in Chhattisgarh

Days after the Raipur launch, Patrika launches another edition from the state

Patrika Group is aggressively expanding its footprint. After its recent launch in Chhattisgarh with the Raipur edition, it has launched its second edition from the state -- this time from Bhilai. This will be Patrika's 28th edition in the country.

Patrika's first edition in the state was launched from Raipur on September 19; and the second edition from Bhilai comes within a week of that launch. The Bhilai edition has an initial print run of 80,000 copies.

Stating the reason behind launching a separate edition from Bhilai, when Raipur is just 25 km away, Arvind Kalia, national marketing head, Patrika Group, says, "Bhilai is the industrial backbone of the state's economy and is an important market for advertisers, both locally as well as nationally. In fact, the city is synonymous with growth and would act as a strong centre for Patrika in its forthcoming strategies for the state." Thus, the Bhilai edition will provide a local connect that the Raipur edition cannot.

B R Singh, senior general manager - circulation, Patrika Group, says, "Patrika decided to launch the Bhilai edition after its launch in Raipur, after witnessing the overwhelming response it received there. Our entry in Bhilai was a well-planned decision."

The new edition has a cover price of Rs 1.50 on weekdays and Rs 2 on Sundays. The Bhilai edition will also have a daily city magazine and weekly supplements, including Just Durg Bhilai, Patrika Nano, Bollywood, Pariwar and Hum Tum. Weekly supplements with the Raipur edition include Patrika Nano, Just Raipur, Bollywood, Pariwar and Hum Tum.

The group has launched a focused campaign, which involves OOH and print communication, to promote the daily. The communication attempts to position Patrika as the newspaper committed to its readers.

For the record, Rajastha Patrika has 12 editions within of Rajasthan and five editions in the non-Hindi speaking states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Patrika, which was renamed when it entered Madhya Pradesh, has six editions from the state, namely Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Jabalpur and Gwalior.