India Today published since 1975, now in its middle ages, has acquired a reputation and respectability in India that is unmatched (Comparable to the image of ’’Times’’ and ’’AsiaWeek’’ internationally). The magazine has endured even when notables like ’’The Illustrated Weekly of India’’ had to bite the dust with the changing tastes of the readers. The highlights of the magazine (still applicable) were topical, well researched and illustrated by good photographs. During the Seventies & Eighties, when TV and the electronic media were hardly existing, IT provided a snapshot of the nation’s chief events very effectively.
As a news / current events magazine, it is still holding the fort, aided by sister editions in other Indian languages. Another chief merit in this publication is objectivity in the articles.
However, there is still room for improvement in various fronts. They need to resist succumbing to the pressures of increased readership by resorting to cheap gimmicks. A case to point out is the recent study of cancer in Indian women. While the article was topical, the cover page and illustrations were generally not in line with the image of a respectable periodical (to put it mildly).
On the whole I find the magazine still relevant.