Inaugural awards ceremony to be held on 17 January 2027 in New Delhi, celebrating India’s bestselling authors through verified sales data and the voice of readers
New Delhi, Nov 06: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*. The inaugural ceremony will take place on January 17, 2027, in New Delhi, on the sidelines of the New Delhi World Book Fair 2027.
The initiative brings NielsenIQ BookData’s internationally established bestseller recognition platform to India, creating a new national platform to celebrate bestselling authors, recognise commercial success and strengthen the relationship between books and readers.
Unlike conventional literary awards, the initiative will follow a two-stage selection process combining market performance and reader participation. NielsenIQ BookScan sales data will determine the shortlisted titles, while readers will vote to select the final winners, ensuring a transparent and reader-centric recognition process.
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. The Bestseller Awards mark an exciting next step in our journey. 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.”
The inaugural edition will recognise eligible books by Indian authors published in English and Hindi, covering adult fiction, adult non-fiction, children’s fiction and debut authors. Specialised categories will include literary and contemporary fiction, crime and thrillers, romance and sagas, self-improvement, career and success, alongside dedicated Hindi fiction and non-fiction categories. A special *Hall of Fame* will honour authors with exceptional and consistent bestseller success over several years.
For the inaugural awards, eligible titles must have been published between March 1, 2016, and September 30, 2026. Sales performance will be assessed for the period March 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. Shortlisting will be based on NielsenIQ BookScan sales volumes and defined eligibility criteria, followed by public voting to determine winners, without a literary jury.
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. 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. We aim to build a national platform that celebrates authors, strengthens discoverability and gives Indian writing greater visibility, both within the country and internationally.”
The awards build on NielsenIQ BookData’s experience with its annual Bestseller Awards in the United Kingdom, its expansion into Italy in 2026, and its involvement in South Africa’s book awards.
Beyond the inaugural ceremony, the partners envisage the awards as an enduring platform to encourage reading, enhance book discovery and recognise authorship and publishing achievements. A dedicated website will provide details of categories, eligibility, shortlisted titles, voting and event announcements.
Further information regarding the venue, shortlist, voting schedule and event programme will be announced in due course.