Chennai, Nov 24: The Cambridge University Press (CUP)
plans to introduce its dictionary on mobile phones in India
and is looking for a service provider, CUP chief executive,
Stephen R Bourne, said.
CUP had already tied up with a Chinese telecom company
last year to provide Cambridge learners dictionary in China.
"Many software and cellular service providers are on the look
out for a quality content like dictionary," he told reporters
here last night.
He said CUP wanted a similar tie-up with an Indian service
provider to provide dictionary on mobile phone. "We expect to
join hands with some Indian company soon", he said.
Speaking after opening the CUP's Centre housing three
departments - the CUP, Cambridge International Examinations
and Cambridge English for speakers of other languages, he said
it will serve as an institution that provides better service
for the academic and language purpose of the dwellers of the
metropolis.
Earlier CUP and Cambridge assessment board operated
seperately in most parts of the world, but now it has been
brought together at the Centre here and this model would be
replicated elsewhere, he said.
Bourne said "better brand recognition" existed in India.
"We want to deliver high quality products at a cheaper cost in
India. The country is also one of the strategic countries for
CUP after the USA and China", he said.
"We are looking at low cost editions here. We need to sell
books at a cheaper cost here than in the west. The target in
India for the next five years is to increase our business by
three times and get closer to the people in the electronic
age," he said.
To a question on photocopying of books, he said CUP was
working with the Publishers Association of India to curb the
menace. The issue came up only when the books became
expensive.
He said the CUP's typesetting was being done at its
offices in Bangalore, New Delhi, Pune and Pondicherry. CUP
planned to expand its operations to other centres in India,
including in the areas of printing, typesetting and other
operations.
CUP published about 2.5 lakh titles per annum, with
20,000 authors across the world, including 700 Indian authors.
Bureau Report
