When considering what monetising digital content will look like for news media companies in India in the next five years, Akila Urankar said she doesn’t know if India will behave like the rest of the world.

“Our revenue patterns have kind of mirrored the global markets, with a lag,” Urankar, president of Business Standard Limited, said at the INMA South Asia Media Festival. “Increasingly across the world you’ll find that consumers are paying for content.”

Because of this, she is optimistic that the scenario in India will be better.

“A lot of it also depends on how my peers in the industry are willing to take that plunge and start charging the consumer for it,” she said. “I’m personally quite optimistic that we will not see adversity.”

The transition might be a gradual process, Urankar added, but she believes if news media serves quality content, people will pay for it.

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