The lockdown has changed people’s lifestyles overnight as they learn to re-wire themselves and their lifestyles; adapt to working from home through video conferencing; video classes for students; watching movies on OTT platforms and listening to audiobooks are a few of the changes that most are getting used to.

Unavailability of new printed books have increased the popularity of audiobooks by approximately 400% in India, according to Power Publishers.

Authors are going live on Facebook and reading out their stories.

Educational institutes have already started converting their printed books and ebooks into audiobooks.

Listening to books are in.

Galpowala, a Bangaluru based startup has come up with an entire range of Bengali language audiobooks, from renaissance age Bengali classics to contemporary literature by contemporary Bengali authors.

Says Nidhi Sengupta, founder of Galpowala, “We promise interruption-free listening pleasure. All our audiobooks are ad-free to ensure interruption free audiobook experience. At less then rupees five a day Bengali readers from any part of the world can access fresh and classic Bengali literature through audiobooks of different genres and era. We are adding new content every week.”

Kolkata-based Power Publishers & Motion Pictures has been one of the leading companies offering Bengali language audiobooks.

Said Pinaki Ghosh, founder of Power Publishers & Motion Pictures, and himself an author and script-writer, “We are creating Bengali audiobooks since 2017 and have developed the expertise on how to handle it. We start from the selection of manuscript, coordination with authors to procure audio rights to voiceover artist selection, recording, proof-listening and quality check, audio postproduction, and cover design; usually, we handle all these processes."

"We recently collaborated with Galpowala, as it is an Indian company, founded by a Bengali, as opposed to other audiobook companies that come from other countries without local knowledge. That is where our mentalities matched and we decided to combine our strength to offer Bengali readers a new way to enjoy their favourite authors,” said Ghosh.

According to Power Publishers, audiobooks have considerably revived an interest in Bengali books among the young people and the current lockdown situation has further boosted demand.