TOI to launch two more editions from MP

The group is slated to launch editions from Bhopal and Jabalpur in the third week of September.

Expanding its presence further in Madhya Pradesh (MP), The Times of India is all set to launch two more editions from the state in the third week of September. The group is expected to launch two editions - Bhopal and Jabalpur in quick succession.

According to sources close to the development, the TOI's original plan was to launch its first edition in the state from Bhopal, but the plan was altered and in June, the Indore edition was launched first.

The BCCL (Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd) group has tied up with Nai Dunia, to use the latter's printing facility in the state. The group will launch the Bhopal edition with an initial print run of 20,000 copies, and 10,000 copies from Jabalpur.

With the Bhopal edition, the TOI will be able to serve eight districts around the city including Sagar, Harda, Vidisha, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Betul, Chhindwara, Ashok Nagar. The Jabalpur edition will give them access to Rewa, Satna and Narsinghpur.

Talking about the response the TOI's Indore edition has managed to garner, sources say, "Initially, it was started with 10,000 copies and within a month's time, the print run has doubled up and today they are printing 21,000 copies of the Indore edition."

The group is expected to launch a 20-page main edition, similar to the Indore edition, and a weekly pullout titled Jabalpur Plus for Jabalpur city, and Bhopal Plus for the Bhopal city. Apart from this, the regular weekly supplements of the TOI, which are distributed elsewhere such as Education Times, Ascent, and others, will be made available in both cities.