Take gorgeous men, women home

New Delhi: Over the years, lots of magazines have been launched in the country or have come into India for the first time.

Everybody is crying over the fact that the print media is slowly dying out, but if that's the case, how does one explain the spate of rich, glossy fashion magazines coming to India?

Superb printing quality, raunchy topics, bold colour spreads - all make for a great recipe for success.

What's leaving everyone stumped, especially the Doubting Joneses, is the popularity of these foreign magazines.

They are giving our very own desi magazines, a run for their money.

GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Maxim and F1 Racing are very popular with Indian magazine lovers. These foreign magazines are striking it rich in the Indian market.

The most popular magazines are GQ, which deals in men’s lifestyle and fashion, Harper’s Bazaar, which offers ideas in fashion and beauty, and it discusses subjects of relevance to modern women whereas sports enthusiasts read F1 Racing.

Though the readership of these magazines is limited to an extent, it is increasing gradually.

The growth in the readership of these magazines can be attributed to the fact that the Indian retail market had just seen a sudden influx of foreign brands, which are very well illustrated in these international magazines.

Magazines like Elle and Cosmopolitan are now passé, as they are too easily available and magazines like Vogue, Tatler and Harper’s Bazaar are gradually taking their place - all of which deals in lifestyle and fashion.

Business, automobile and electronics related foreign magazines are also a hit in the Indian market.

But the only thing, which may prove a roadblock for these international magazines, is their newsstand price, which varies from Rs 250 to Rs 1,195.

Procuring these magazines is not that difficult, as they are easily available in bookshops like Crosswords and Oxford etc.

The important thing is to look for the international editions of the magazines available in India - like Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping etc.

Though it is accepted that the magazines’ look and quality is very attractive but is it justified to pay such prices for just quality and look?

Well, the reader is the last word on this matter and if she's okay with the material, then the price is just superfluous.

After all, good things in life don't always come cheap!