NielsenIQ BookData and Indian Authors Forum Announce the Launch of The Bestseller Awards – India Edition

NielsenIQ BookData, a global leader in book-industry data and market intelligence, and the Indian Authors Forum (IAF), a professional community and national think tank dedicated to advancing authorship and the creative economy, have announced the launch of The Bestseller Awards – India Edition, marking the arrival in India of NielsenIQ BookData’s internationally established bestseller recognition initiative.

The inaugural ceremony will take place on 17 January 2027 in New Delhi, on the sidelines of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2027, bringing together celebrated authors, publishers, booksellers, literary professionals and stakeholders from across India’s publishing and creative industries.

Building on the international legacy of NielsenIQ BookData’s Bestseller Awards in the United Kingdom, its expansion to Italy, and its involvement in South Africa’s book awards, the Indian edition aims to create a new platform to recognise commercial success, celebrate authorship, and strengthen the connection between books and their readers.

Where Bestseller Data Meets the Voice of Readers

Unlike conventional literary awards that rely primarily on submissions and jury deliberations, The Bestseller Awards – India Edition will adopt a distinctive two-stage approach that combines measurable market performance with reader participation.

NielsenIQ BookScan sales data will determine which eligible titles make the shortlist, while readers will vote to select the final winners.

This approach places two key indicators at the heart of the recognition process: books’ commercial success, as measured by sales, and readers’ preferences for the books they engage with.

The initiative is intended to complement, not replace, established literary awards by recognising another dimension of an author’s achievement: the ability to connect with readers and sustain demand for their work.

Bringing an International Recognition Platform to India

NielsenIQ BookData has long recognised bestselling authors and titles through its annual Bestseller Awards in the United Kingdom, where sales milestones determine recognition.

The initiative expanded to Italy in 2026, with the first Italian award presentations scheduled for 2027. NielsenIQ BookData has also supported South Africa’s book awards, with sales data informing bestseller shortlists and booksellers making final selections.

The Indian edition will build on this international experience while developing a recognition framework tailored to the country’s publishing landscape, reading preferences and linguistic diversity.

Vikrant Mathur, Executive Director, NielsenIQ BookData, India & GCC, said:

“India is one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse publishing markets, with an extraordinary range of authors, genres and reading communities. Through NielsenIQ BookScan, we have long worked to provide greater visibility and reliable market intelligence to the Indian book industry.

The Bestseller Awards mark an exciting next step in that journey. Having successfully established this recognition platform internationally, we are delighted to collaborate with the Indian Authors Forum to bring it to India. By combining verified book sales with reader voting, we aim to create an awards platform that is credible, transparent and meaningful to authors, publishers and, most importantly, readers.”

Celebrating Indian Authors and the Power of Readership

The inaugural edition will recognise eligible books by Indian authors published in English and Hindi, with categories covering adult fiction, adult non-fiction, children’s fiction and debut authors.

Specialised recognition will include literary and contemporary fiction, crime and thrillers, romance and sagas, and self-improvement and career and success, alongside dedicated Hindi fiction and non-fiction categories.

A special Hall of Fame will also recognise authors who have demonstrated exceptional and consistent bestseller success over several years.

Pranav Gupta, Co-Founder and Director, Indian Authors Forum, said:

“India has an extraordinary wealth of literary talent, but recognition of authors must evolve alongside the changing realities of publishing and readership. Every successful book represents not only the author’s creativity and dedication but also the trust and appreciation of readers who have embraced it.

The Bestseller Awards – India Edition is our endeavour to give that relationship the recognition it deserves. What makes this initiative particularly meaningful is its simplicity and credibility: sales will determine who enters the competition, and readers will decide who ultimately wins.

Through the Indian Authors Forum, we aim to build something far more enduring than an annual awards ceremony. We want to create a national platform that celebrates authors, strengthens discoverability, recognises commercial achievement, and gives Indian writing greater visibility, both within the country and internationally.”

A Transparent and Reader-Centric Selection Process

For the inaugural edition, eligible titles must have been published between 1 March 2016 and 30 September 2026. Sales performance will be assessed from 1 March 2025 to 30 September 2026.

Based on NielsenIQ BookScan sales volumes and the defined eligibility criteria, we will shortlist leading titles across the respective genres and categories.

Readers will then be invited to vote for their preferred shortlisted titles. Reader voting will determine the final winners in the competitive categories, without a literary jury.

The awards are expected to raise awareness of commercially successful writing, encourage book discovery and provide opportunities for new and established authors to reach wider audiences.

Ankit Sahni, Co-Founder and Director, Indian Authors Forum, said:

“Authors are at the heart of our knowledge and creative economy. Yet discussions of their contributions often focus on literary output, insufficiently recognising the readership, commercial value and cultural influence their work generates.

The Indian Authors Forum was conceived as a professional community and national think tank, placing authors and their interests at the centre of conversations on publishing, intellectual property, technology and creative expression.

Our partnership with NielsenIQ BookData reflects that vision. By building the awards around measurable performance, clear eligibility criteria and meaningful reader participation, we hope to establish a credible institution that authors and the wider publishing community can trust and take pride in for years to come.”

Towards a Lasting Institution for Indian Authorship

Beyond the inaugural ceremony, NielsenIQ BookData and the Indian Authors Forum envisage the awards as an ongoing platform to celebrate publishing achievements, enhance book discovery, encourage reading, and draw greater attention to the evolving relationship between authors and their audiences.

A dedicated awards website is planned to provide information on categories, eligibility, methodology, shortlisted titles, reader voting and event announcements.

Further details on the official venue, shortlists, voting schedule, event programme and participation will be announced in due course.

The inaugural Bestseller Awards – India Edition will take place on 17 January 2027 in New Delhi.