With the Indian publishing industry standing poised at significant crossroads towards the path of growth, the NDWBF offers exhibitors a unique opportunity for business with this growing book industry. It is also an ideal venue for promoting titles, co-publication arrangements, and trade. 

Besides the many literary and publishing conferences and programmes that are organised during the Fair, it also opens up a gateway to the publishing and intellectual world of South Asia. The Fair attracts participation from major publishing houses across the globe. In 2021, the Fair was organised virtually and the platform had more than 2.8 million hits, visitors from 70 countries across the world, 150 Indian exhibitors, and about 15 foreign exhibitors.

The theme for NDWBF 2023 is Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, which is an initiative of the government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of the country’s independence. There will be many literary and cultural activities around the theme during the fair days.

A number of activities promoting children’s literature and reading habits, such as skits, dramas, street plays, musical presentations, storytelling sessions, workshops, panel discussions, etc will be organised in the Children’s Pavilion. Conducted by renowned writers and illustrators as also professionals from the education and publishing fields, these activities will see participation by teachers and children from government and private schools/non-governmental organisations as well as those associated with the children’s literature or reading promotional activities.

To mark the celebrations of India@75 and pay tribute to heroes of India’s freedom struggle, the ministry of education launched a scheme called YUVA-Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors with the objective of training young and budding authors. The 75 young writers thus chosen through an All-India Contest and mentored by established authors, will have their books ready for launch at the Fair. These authors will interact with booklovers, visitors, and other panelists in the specially-designed YUVA corner.

New Delhi Rights Table, one of the exciting features of NDWBF, will take place on 27 and 28 February 2023. The New Delhi Rights Table offers B2B match making sessions among publishers in a refreshingly new business ambience. The unique format of this event enables exhibitors to book their own Rights Table, meet each other, present their products and ideas, and also finalise their interests and agreements for transfer of translation and other rights of books available in English, Hindi and other Indian languages.