Gita Press, the world-renowned publisher of Hindu religious texts, is celebrating the allocation of 10 acres of land in Sector-27 of the Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority (GIDA). This significant allotment was made on GIDA’s Foundation Day and is a long-awaited move aimed at boosting the supply of religious literature and addressing existing logistical hurdles.
Gorakhpur
— The Uttar Pradesh Index (@theupindex) November 29, 2025
Gita Press has been allotted 10 acres land in Sector-28, GIDA
World’s largest publisher of religious books, Gita Press will invest ₹81 crores here for a new printing facility creating 300+ new jobs. pic.twitter.com/FEYK84ev9V
According to the Manager of Gita Press, Lal Mani Tiwari, the press has been struggling with limited space for years. “We are extremely happy since we heard about the 10-acre land allotment in GIDA,” he said. Currently, we have about 1.45 lakh square feet of land, which is fully utilised. We couldn’t increase our resources due to a lack of space, which prevented us from meeting the production demands.”
Mr Tiwari expressed high hopes that the new land will allow them to significantly scale up production. The press has been working over capacity, but still falls short of meeting the massive demand for its books.
81 crore investment to create 300 Jobs
The expansion is not just about books; it’s a major economic boost for the region. Gita Press plans to invest ₹81 crore in this new facility, which is expected to generate around 300 new employment opportunities. This move directly addresses the growing demand for religious literature, a problem the press has been struggling with for years.
The demand for sacred texts like the Gita and Ram Charit Manas is so high that Gita Press is unable to supply even its own 20 branches across the country.
“We are currently publishing about 3 crore books annually, but the demand is much higher,” said Dr Lal Mani Tiwari. “The high demand creates immense pressure on our operations. This new land will allow us to increase production and allocate books according to the actual demand, relieving this pressure.”
Planning for the Next 100 Years
While the press has four years to begin operations at the new site, they are planning to start production much sooner. The immediate steps involve registering the land, building a boundary wall, and then planning the installation of new machinery.
Mr Tiwari stated that this expansion is about more than just current demands. “We want to prepare for the growing demand over the next 100 years,” he emphasised, ensuring that the supply keeps pace with the increasing readership.
A workplace of Devotion and Tradition
When one thinks of Gorakhpur, two names come to mind: the Gorakhnath Temple and Gita Press. Located about 5 km from the railway station, the entire press campus is described as a temple-like office where routine work feels like a devotional act.
The press maintains a strict environment: employees remove their footwear during the final binding process as a sign of respect for the texts and the readers’ faith. The facility also features an impressive Art Gallery, which was inaugurated by India’s first President, Dr Rajendra Prasad.
Books published in 15 languages
Gita Press currently publishes 1,848 different types of books in 15 languages. They produce about 70,000 books daily, though the market demand is closer to 1 lakh books per day.
Production Manager Ashutosh Upadhyay noted that the press prints about 500 tons of paper monthly, using offset technology with machinery imported from Japan, Germany, and Italy.
In a unique display of commitment to their faith, the press’s workers manually apply the covers to the books. This is because the glue used in automated cover-binding machines often contains animal fat, and Gita Press strictly avoids its use to maintain the sanctity of the religious texts.
Promotes digital accessibility
Till date, Gita Press has published over 100 crore books in total, including about 18.75 crore Gitas and over 13.25 crore Ramcharit Manas and Tulsidas literature.
In an effort to promote accessibility, the Gita Press website offers free access to about 500 books, with plans to make all publications available for free eventually. Additionally, the ‘Gita Seva’ app provides readers with free access to several books and religious scriptures in multiple languages.
