Penguin Random House India Launches Penguin Pockets Classics at 125 Rupees Each

Penguin Random House India has launched Penguin Pockets, a series of compact literary classics priced at 125 rupees (approximately €1.17) per book, with the first 16 titles due in bookstores and online across India by the end of October 2026. EuropaWire published the announcement on October 29, 2026.

What Penguin Pockets Puts in Readers' Pockets

Penguin Random House designed the editions to fit into a pocket, pairing the small format with the 125-rupee price to lower cost and size barriers for readers in India, which the publisher describes as having one of the world's youngest populations. The opening list spans languages, regions and literary periods.

The Hindi-language selection includes Usne Kaha Tha by Pandit Chandradhar Sharma Guleri, Panch Parmeshwar aur Anye Kahaniyan by Premchand, Niti Shatak by Bhartrihari, Pita Ke Patr by Jawaharlal Nehru and Hind Swaraj by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The international works comprise The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy and Letters from a Father by J. L. Nehru.

Manoj Satti, Senior Vice President, Sales, Product and Marketing at Penguin Random House India, framed the series as an entry point: "With Penguin Pockets, we wanted to create new entry points into reading by removing every barrier between a reader and a great book: the cost, the size, even the intimidation of picking up a book for the first time." Satti added, "These are books you can slip into your pocket, share with a friend, or start collecting one at a time."

Penguin Random House's Wider Publishing Moves

According to akta.pro company records, Penguin Random House Publisher Services announced a multi-year worldwide sales and distribution agreement with Oni Press effective August 1, 2026, extending its reach into comics and graphic novels across global channels. The same records show the publisher launched a Baldur's Gate 3 publishing program in April 2026, including a prequel novel by T. Kingfisher, a themed notebook, a coloring book and a cookbook. In February 2026, Coach collaborated with Penguin Random House on book-shaped keychains called "book charms," featuring readable classics and recent titles, priced at $95.

Earlier Penguin Pockets Coverage and Deluxe Editions

CNBC TV18 reported on October 8, 2026 that Penguin Random House India had launched Penguin Pockets, a series of pocket-sized books priced at ₹125 each, with 16 titles spanning Indian and international literature and availability in bookstores and online by October 2026. Fast Company reported on October 12, 2026 that Penguin Young Readers is releasing deluxe editions of children's books this fall, including a special Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with notes and paper bits; the publisher generated $5.76 billion in revenue last year, and only 37% of 9-year-olds read for pleasure daily.

Penguin Pockets' October 2026 Rollout

The 16 opening Penguin Pockets titles are scheduled to reach bookstores and online retailers across India by the end of October 2026, the timeline the publisher gave at launch.