Alive

About Alive

Overview

Alive is an English-language general-interest magazine published from New Delhi by Delhi Press. It covers politics, economy, lifestyle, business, fiction, travel and entertainment, and is aimed at seasoned, discerning readers. The magazine's history traces back to 1940, when it was launched as The Caravan, Delhi Press's first magazine; it was renamed and remoulded as Alive in 1988. The title continues to be published by Delhi Press alongside a relaunched version of The Caravan, giving the group two English titles with a shared lineage but distinct editorial identities.

Origins as The Caravan

Delhi Press was established by Vishva Nath in 1939, and its first magazine, The Caravan, appeared the following year in 1940. The Caravan was an English-language literary and general magazine and became one of the publishing house's defining titles. It was followed by the Hindi flagship Sarita in 1945. For nearly five decades The Caravan remained in publication under its original name, building a reputation among senior intellectuals and leaders of the country.

The 1988 renaming

In 1988, The Caravan was renamed and remoulded into a different magazine called Alive. Explaining the change, Anant Nath, director of Delhi Press, said the magazine had been remoulded from a literary magazine into a general-interest magazine because the editor at the time felt that was the need of the hour. By 1988 The Caravan was already a 38-year-old publication, and it was felt that a new direction and life should be given to the magazine — hence the new name, signalling a fresh start. In its new form as Alive, it became a general-interest title covering politics, economy, lifestyle, business, fiction, travel and entertainment, rather than a literary one. The transformation preserved the magazine's institutional continuity — the same publishing house, the same lineage — while repositioning it for a readership seeking breadth rather than literary depth.

Editorial character

Delhi Press describes Alive as an English magazine for go-ahead men and as a popular socio-political journal packed with thought-provoking and in-depth articles, features, photo features, essays and short stories. The magazine covers varied topics ranging from politics, economy, lifestyle, business and fiction to travel and entertainment. Its articles are focused on discerning minds, and the magazine provides readers with a platform to share their views and win prizes. A special attraction noted in its digital editions is an exhaustive review of current, much-talked-about books, a regular feature of the title.

Readership

Alive draws its core readership from among seasoned readers and is described as an informative, inspiring and incisive publication that helps its readers lead a better life. Its positioning as a general-interest magazine for experienced, mature readers distinguishes it from the literary focus of its predecessor and from the lifestyle titles elsewhere in the Delhi Press portfolio, such as Woman's Era. The magazine also gives readers a platform to share their own views in print and win prizes, fostering an interactive relationship with its audience that goes beyond passive readership.

The Caravan's return

In December 2008, Delhi Press relaunched The Caravan as a separate literary magazine, priced at 35 rupees and published fortnightly, covering politics, culture, arts and literature. The relaunch was led by editor-in-chief Paresh Nath, managing editor Anant Nath and consulting editor Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. At the time of the relaunch, the company said that even twenty years after The Caravan had ceased to exist under its original name, the name continued to enjoy deep respect and popularity. Alive continues to be published alongside the relaunched Caravan, and the two titles are both listed in the Delhi Press portfolio.

Publication details

Alive is published by Delhi Press Patra Prakashan. Digital editions of the magazine are distributed through e-magazine platforms including Readwhere, where 47 issues are listed — including the May 2015, September 2015 and February 2016 issues — with the print edition priced at 30 rupees per issue and subscription options of 81 rupees for three months, 144 rupees for six months and 252 rupees for twelve months. The publisher's official magazine listing describes Alive as a bi-monthly English magazine, while digital edition listings have shown monthly issues; readers should consult the publisher for current frequency and subscription terms.

Delhi Press

Delhi Press is one of India's largest magazine publishing houses, publishing magazines in nine languages. Founded in 1939, it has grown from its first English magazine into a diversified publishing group with titles including Sarita, Saras Salil, Grihshobha, Woman's Era, Champak, Mukta, Satyakatha, Manohar Kahaniyan and The Caravan. The group reported a combined readership of more than 3.3 crore across its titles. Its corporate office is in central Delhi, with regional offices in state capitals across India.

Access

Alive is available through newsstand distribution and Delhi Press subscription channels. Digital editions are available on e-magazine platforms for download and offline reading on mobile devices and tablets, and information about the magazine and the publisher's other titles is available on the Delhi Press website at delhipress.in. As one of the group's long-running English titles, with a lineage stretching back to the 1940 Caravan, Alive occupies a distinctive place in the Delhi Press portfolio alongside its Hindi mass-market stablemates such as Sarita, Saras Salil and Grihshobha.

Delhi Press: the publishing house

Delhi Press was established by Vishva Nath in 1939, and The Caravan — the title that would become Alive — was its first magazine, appearing in 1940. The Hindi flagship Sarita followed in 1945. Nath built the business on low-priced magazines aimed at the masses, a formula that produced enduring titles including Sarita, Saras Salil, Woman's Era, Champak and Grihshobha. The company is now one of India's largest magazine publishing houses, publishing magazines in nine languages with a combined readership reported at more than 3.3 crore. Its corporate office is in central Delhi, supported by regional offices in state capitals. The group's magazine brands span Woman's Era, Alive, Satyakatha, Champak, Farm n Food, Grihshobha, Mukta, Saras Salil, Sarita, Suman Saurabh, Manohar Kahaniyan, The Caravan, Butti and Motoring World, among others — a portfolio that covers women, children, farmers, motorists and general readers in multiple languages.

The Caravan's return: two titles today

On 2 December 2008, Delhi Press relaunched The Caravan as a separate fortnightly literary magazine priced at 35 rupees, covering politics, culture, arts and literature, with a starting print run of 17,000 copies distributed across the major metros. The relaunch team comprised editor-in-chief Paresh Nath, managing editor Anant Nath and consulting editor Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. The company explained that even twenty years after The Caravan had ceased to exist under its original name, the name continued to enjoy deep respect and popularity among senior intellectuals and leaders of the country, and that the new magazine's in-depth narrative journalism made it a natural continuation of the older title.

Alive, meanwhile, continues as the general-interest magazine into which the original Caravan was remoulded in 1988. The publisher describes it as a bi-monthly English magazine for go-ahead men, packed with thought-provoking articles, features, photo features, essays and short stories. Both titles are published by Delhi Press today and are listed side by side in the group's portfolio, serving complementary readerships: The Caravan as a literary journal of long-form political and cultural writing, and Alive as a wide-ranging general-interest magazine for seasoned readers.