EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Force is a 68-page niche monthly magazine on national security with a focus in five areas: the defence forces, their professional, operational and personnel needs; procurements by imports and indigenisation; nuclear weapons, delivery systems and non-proliferation regimes; revolution in military affairs; terrorism and counter-terrorism.

It will differ from other magazines of its kinds in two respects. The first is in the concept itself. Force will be an interesting 70-30 per cent mix of focussed articles, and a wide sweep of such subjects as international relations, politics, regional and caste differences, communalism and poverty. Unlike other magazines on defence and security in India, Force will not be a mere collection of opinionated articles. It will be lively, real and reader-friendly with human interest stories pertaining to the defence forces. In short, the magazine will have no competitor in the market.

The balance of 70-30 will be maintained religiously in every issue. Our endeavour would be to reach out to as large a readership in the niche segment as possible, both in India and abroad. We will also attempt to generate interest about national security issues amongst general readers.


BUSINESS PROFILE

Magazine Description (Force)

This is a niche monthly magazine devoted mainly to issues pertaining to national security. However, here the concept goes much beyond the usual gambit of defence and security as we believe that national security includes a wider range of issues, both external and internal. We also believe that security is not only about war but also peace. The magazine would deal with a range of subjects which affect the secure and the cohesive fabric of the region and not just India as we don’t live in isolation and our immediate environment would have a bearing on our policies.

Hence, though Indian security concerns would be the primary objective of the magazine, the scope would be South Asia. And the contents would be a wide sweep of such subjects as international relations, politics, regional and caste differences, religious fanaticism, communalism, poverty and science and technology. Yet, it would be a niche magazine because the focus would remain national security and articles related to defence, the defence forces, warfare and paramilitary forces would constitute the bulk.

This would be the first of its kind magazine on national security because it would attempt to bring the security issues out of the boring realm of academics to the world of ordinary people. The magazine would demystify the crucial national security issues for even those who have just a passing interest in the subject. But this in no way would compromise the contents. Attempts at simplification should not be confused with trivialization. The magazine would address the most serious national security concerns in a slightly informal and less sermonizing tone.

Mission Statement

The mission of Force would be to help bridge the gap between defence forces and both discerning and simply interested readers. This would be accomplished by keeping the focus in five areas: the defence forces, their professional, operational and personnel needs; procurements by imports and indigenisation; nuclear weapons, delivery systems and non-proliferation regimes; revolution in military affairs; terrorism and counter-terrorism.

Why this Magazine?

The reason is simple. We have a plethora of newsmagazines and a handful of defence journals but none deal with national security very comprehensively. There is a vacuum here. We believe that there is a space for an interestingly-packaged monthly magazine which will have informative value and will also be extremely readable. Most magazines on this subject today are just a collection of opinionated articles by retired defence personnel and analysts. There is no focus, no objective and no purpose behind these journals which masquerade as magazines. They are extremely boring to read and look drab. And there are hardly any photographs in them. By appearance itself they look like industrial journals.

This magazine would not only look like a monthly magazine but read like one too.