Nishad Deshmukh of Nashik has been selected as the Indian finalist for Indian Young Publishing Entrepreneur 2009 Award of British Council, United Kindom.

The award is part of British Council’s worldwide work in promoting the creative industries, of which publishing is an integral part. The award has an association with Oxford Bookstores, a release here today said. 

“There was no previous history of entrepreneurship in my family but today I can proudly say that there is no handicap associated with being a first generation entrepreneur,” Nishad says about his journey as an entrepreneur.

A graduate from Pune University, Nishad worked in marketing for a few years before he quit to become an entrepreneur. In 2000, Nishad set up a publishing house Career Publications in an office space of less than 80 sq ft in Nashik and without any assistance. Today, they operate with 42 employees and a turn-over of around Rs 60 lakh with head office in the city and branch office at Pune.

The publishing house has published around 45 books, mostly on Pharmacy till date. Alongwith nationwide distribution of these books, in 2008 they exported books to Nigeria and Nepal also. A regular participant at the World Book Fair, the company also participated in the Frankfurt Book Fair, biggest book fair in the world as trade visitors in 2006-07, 2007-08. The company has tie-ups with US publishing houses such as Lexicom and Springer and have rights for the Indian reprint of their publications.

The winner of the Indian award would get an all-expenses paid 10-day trip to the UK in April 2009, to compete for the title of the International Young Publishing Entrepreneur Award 2009, which includes a cash prize of 5000 pounds towards the publishing proposition approved by the panel and a free stall at the London Book Fair 2010, in addition to the opportunity for networking with the UK publishers. 

Nishad will have to compete with contestants from eight countries -Argentina, Columbia, Lebanon, Russia, South Africa, Solvenia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. For becoming the Indian winner, he competed with five others – two from West Bengal, two from Hyderabad and one from New Delhi. 

The presentation for the finals will be held in London, on April 18 and 22. The winner of the awards will be announced on April 22 and the winner will be presented the honour on the same evening.