Pune Aims To Become Global Capital Of Books
Pune Aims To Become Global Capital Of Books
Pune | December 14, 2025: With the Pune Book Festival receiving an overwhelming response year after year, Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil announced that efforts are underway to establish Pune as the global capital of books, with plans to organise the festival as a World Book Festival from next year.
Patil was speaking at the inauguration of the third Pune Book Festival, organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) at Fergusson College, where the festival is being held from December 13 to 21. The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, Savitribai Phule Pune University Vice-Chancellor Dr Suresh Gosavi, 99th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan president and author Vishwas Patil, NBT Chairman Milind Marathe, Pune Book Festival chief organiser Rajesh Pandey, Deccan Education Society President Pramod Rawat, members of the organising committee, academicians, students and citizens.
Highlighting the festival’s growing popularity, Minister Patil said book sales worth ₹11 crore were recorded during the first edition, while the second edition saw sales touch ₹40 crore, reflecting a strong reading culture. He added that the Pune Book Festival has participated in global book-related initiatives this year, which are currently being evaluated by UNESCO. He said that if Pune earns recognition as a global book capital, next year’s festival will attract publishers and authors from across the world, and urged citizens to participate in large numbers.
Emphasising the enduring relevance of printed books even in the digital age, Patil appealed to readers to take pride in the Marathi language, spoken by nearly 120 million people, and to support Marathi literature, theatre, cinema and music.
Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol said the Pune Book Festival has evolved beyond a book-buying event into a true celebration of Indian thought, dialogue and culture. He noted that record book sales, intellectual discussions and multiple global records over the past two years have given the festival a distinct identity. He added that the availability of books in multiple Indian and international languages reflects Pune’s stature as a centre of literature, art and culture.
Mohol said the festival has strengthened reading habits across age groups, promoted classical Marathi alongside other Indian languages, and provided a platform for emerging writers. He expressed confidence that the festival would help Pune earn the status of a book capital and that next year’s edition would be organised on the lines of the International Book Fair in Delhi.
Author Vishwas Patil said the Pune Book Festival now stands alongside major book festivals held in Delhi and Kolkata, and congratulated the organisers for hosting such a grand literary event that could help Pune gain recognition as a book capital.
NBT Chairman Milind Marathe said the festival features over 750 book stalls, with writers and artists participating in the accompanying Pune Literature Festival. He added that similar festivals have already been organised in Nagpur, and plans are underway to host one in Goa, as part of a broader movement to promote reading culture.
Chief organiser Rajesh Pandey said the enthusiastic response has turned the festival into a people’s celebration. He announced that the Pune Literature Festival will begin from December 16, featuring participation from over 150 renowned personalities.
During the event, the novel ‘Lust for Mumbai’ authored by Vishwas Patil was unveiled. Following the ceremony, dignitaries visited various stalls at the festival and interacted with publishers to learn more about the diverse range of books on display.
