In a world that is constantly asking us to move faster, HarperCollins Publishers India is asking India to pause—just for half an hour a day—and read.

Today, the publisher announced the launch of Read for Pleasure, a year-long, nationwide initiative that encourages people across the country to rediscover reading as a daily source of joy, curiosity, and quiet reflection. The idea is simple and intentionally gentle: 30 minutes of reading every day, in any language, in any form, and in whatever way fits naturally into everyday life.

The campaign marks the beginning of HarperCollins India’s Year of Reading and builds on the publisher’s long-standing belief that reading is not something we outgrow after school, nor should it be limited to classrooms, examinations, or productivity goals. Inspired by a similar initiative at HarperCollins Publishers UK, Read for Pleasure brings that spirit into the Indian context—one shaped by multiple languages, shared reading traditions, and stories passed from one generation to the next.

Timed with the start of the new year, when people often reflect on the habits they want to build or return to, the campaign invites readers to make a small but meaningful commitment to themselves. At its heart is the idea that reading is not just an academic skill, but a lifelong companion—one that strengthens imagination, empathy, emotional well-being, and the ability to think deeply in an increasingly distracted world.

Reading, in All the Ways That Matter

Read for Pleasure is designed to be open, inclusive, and pressure-free. There are no reading targets, no prescribed book lists, and no rules about how or what to read. Participants are encouraged to read in any language they feel most at home in, and in ways that reflect real lives. This might mean reading to children at bedtime, sharing stories with elders, reading aloud to someone who cannot read, reading alongside friends, or simply carving out a few quiet minutes to read for oneself.

Over the course of the year, the campaign will take shape through a mix of on-ground and digital activities, creating spaces for people to reconnect with books and with one another. These include collaborations with bookstores and retailers, monthly reading sessions with book clubs, and community-led moments that celebrate the shared pleasure of stories.

Nurturing Readers from the Start

Schools will play an important role in the campaign, with students encouraged to pledge to read for pleasure for 30 minutes every day—helping to plant the seeds of a lifelong reading habit. HarperCollins India will also work with charitable organisations to improve access to books for children in underserved communities, reinforcing the belief that the joy of reading should never be out of reach.

Within HarperCollins India itself, the campaign will come alive through a monthly Read for Pleasure Hour, where employees are encouraged to read in any language of their choice. Employees’ children will also be invited to join in, bringing their own books or choosing from those available in the office, turning reading into a shared, family-friendly experience.

The initiative will extend beyond homes and schools into workplaces as well. HarperCollins India plans to engage corporates by encouraging the formation of reading clubs and by supporting existing ones with curated reading lists and resources.

Authors and regional language publishers will be invited to take part by sharing book recommendations with their audiences on social media, helping to grow a wider, more connected community of readers across the country.

A Shared Responsibility to Keep Reading Alive

Speaking about the campaign, Anantha Padmanabhan, CEO, HarperCollins Publishers India, said that the benefits of reading extend far beyond bookshelves.

“As publishers working across entertainment and education, we see every day how powerful reading can be as a habit. India has the largest population of young people in the world, many of them in their formative years, and it’s crucial that reading becomes part of how they understand and engage with a complex world. This campaign is an invitation to everyone—publishers, educators, parents, and readers—to come together and make reading a natural part of daily life.”

Akriti Tyagi, Director – Marketing and Corporate Communications, emphasised the need to bring reading back into everyday spaces.

“In a country as young and dynamic as India, reading cannot remain confined to classrooms or examinations. It has to live in homes, communities, and daily routines. At HarperCollins India, we believe reading should feel welcoming and personal, never intimidating. Read for Pleasure is for children discovering stories for the first time, for adults returning to books after long breaks, and for families and communities reading together. By encouraging a simple habit—30 minutes a day—we are investing in imagination, empathy, and lifelong learning, and quietly building a nation of readers, one joyful reading moment at a time.”

Through Read for Pleasure, HarperCollins India hopes to spark a nationwide conversation about reading—not as a task to be completed, but as a daily pleasure worth returning to, again and again.