The idea to publish a magazine was born within the agency. Our agency is constantly involved in research about India, and we wanted to consolidate and expand on our cultural understanding of India. We were also frustrated by the ever-present “general interest” magazines on Indian newsstands, so we sought to reconcile two things through Motherland magazine – to provide a magazine that distilled the many cultures or subcultures of contemporary India, and to provide a visually and editorially compelling publication.

The name Motherland still evokes nationalistic sentiments in the country, so our cover art works to subvert this idea and further the concept of a magazine that is atypical and does not explore issues discussed in mainstream media. The page borders of the magazine are a design interpretation of Indian currency, which indicates a magazine that explores cultural roots with a contemporary twist. Each issue retains Motherland’s visual language and chosen fonts, but according to the theme, we experiment with different design concepts.

In keeping with Motherland’s atypical character, we stock at major newsstands in major Indian cities as well as key art galleries, fashion boutiques, homeware stores and bookstores around the country. Sales at these atypical outlets have been strong, where we reach an audience interested in contemporary Indian culture. Further, our subscriber base has grown to include not just locals, but also non-resident Indians and international readers in the US and Europe.