Beyond the Playbook offers a compelling and actionable take on purpose-driven, adaptive leadership in a changing world

New Delhi, 17 April 2025: Penguin Random House India is delighted to announce the acquisition of Beyond the Playbook, the much-anticipated debut by Roopa Kudva—acclaimed business leader, strategic thinker, and champion of inclusive development. Beyond the Playbook will be published under the Penguin Business imprint and is slated for release in October 2025.

As AI reshapes industries, hybrid teams redefine collaboration, and generational shifts transform workplace values, Beyond the Playbook arrives as a timely and essential read for forward-thinking professionals seeking to lead with purpose, adaptability, and integrity. The book explores the new essentials of leadership: empathy, agility, ethical decision-making, and stakeholder awareness.

Roopa brings a rare combination of experiences to this book—having evaluated a wide spectrum of Indian and global organisations, led a large company through transformation, invested in some of India’s most innovative start-ups, and served on several prestigious boards.

Speaking about the book, author Roopa Kudva says,  ‘Leadership is not formulaic – it goes beyond playbooks or checklists. This book blends strategic insights, real-world case studies from India and around the world, my personal stories and practical actions that readers can immediately apply. Whether in a corporate setup or in a startup, it helps leaders craft a leadership approach and style that is uniquely theirs, rooted in their own journey, the choices they make and the values they stand by.’

Radhika Marwah, Executive Editor at PRH India, adds, ‘The strength of this book lies in its universal relevance—for corporate leaders, emerging leaders  or  entrepreneurs scaling start-ups. Roopa masterfully balances the essential hard skills of leadership—like decision-making, performance management, and stakeholder alignment—with the often overlooked but equally vital soft skills. From leading with emotional intelligence to managing multigenerational teams, integrating AI, and building culture in hybrid environments, this book is both timely and timeless.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher and Senior Vice-President, Adult Publishing Division, PRH India, says, ‘I am delighted to welcome Roopa Kudva to Penguin Random House India with her debut book Beyond the Playbook. As our workplace and office culture continues to change rapidly, Roopa’s book will help us navigate through these dynamic times. Beyond the Playbook will be an excellent guide for business leaders to think out of the box and lead with empathy and example.’

With the next decade poised to witness a generational shift in leadership—with millennials and Gen Z stepping into key roles—Roopa Kudva’s debut sets a new standard for what leadership literature can and should be: inclusive, actionable, and deeply human.

About the Author

Roopa is a distinguished business leader, early-stage investor, and board director with nearly four decades of experience in the financial and investment sectors. Known for transformative leadership and commitment to social impact, she has built a career marked by innovation and advocacy for inclusive development.

As the former Managing Director and CEO of CRISIL, Roopa transformed India’s premier credit rating agency into a global analytical powerhouse, growing market capitalization four-fold and tripling revenues.

Later, Roopa led Omidyar Network India as Managing Partner, making investments using technology to build sustainable, impactful solutions for inclusive growth and create opportunities for India’s “Next Half Billion”,

Roopa’s experience includes serving on several prestigious boards, including Infosys, Nestlé India, Tata AIA Life Insurance Company and The Global Impact Investing Network. She has also been a member of key committees of The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Her accolades include CNBC-TV 18’s ‘Outstanding Woman Business Leader of the Year’ award and appearances in the “most powerful women” lists of Business Today (six consecutive years) and Fortune India (seven years). She is a Distinguished Alumna of IIM Ahmedabad.

Roopa brings a rare blend of business acumen, impact and inclusion orientation, and personal leadership experience to her writing.

Penguin Random House India is pleased to announce a strategic distribution partnership with Hubhawks’ division – Nu Voice Press.

Nu Voice Press, a platform dedicated to discovering and publishing powerful debut voices in literature. This collaboration will see Penguin take on the exclusive distribution of all Nu Voice Press titles across physical and online retail platforms in the Indian subcontinent. This partnership officially comes into effect from April 11, 2025, with the first batch of titles slated for distribution under the new arrangement already in the pipeline.

This partnership is in line with Penguin’s continued commitment to nurturing new talent and creating accessible avenues for emerging authors to connect with wider readerships. With Nu Voice Press’ focus on debut voices and fresh storytelling, this alliance promises to diversify Penguin’s publishing repertoire and deepen its engagement with a growing base of readers seeking original and compelling narratives.

Commenting on the partnership, Vijesh Kumar, VP- Product – Local and International Penguin Random House India, said, ‘We are always looking for meaningful ways to strengthen our support for new voices, and this partnership with Nu Voice Press is a natural step forward. It widens the scope for debut authors to reach audiences across the country while giving readers more choices and perspectives. The partnership is also expected to contribute positively to Penguin’s top-line revenue, reinforcing our leading position in the publishing landscape while opening up new segments for growth.’

Commenting on the collaboration, Kevin Missal, National Bestselling Author and CEO, Nu Voice Press said, ‘At Nu Voice Press, we believe in empowering debut authors and this partnership with Penguin Random House India further strengthens our mission to champion fresh voices. Penguin’s incredible reach and credibility in the publishing world make them the ideal partner as we work to bring diverse, untold stories to a wider audience. Together, we aim to build a platform where new narratives can thrive, voices can be heard, and meaningful stories can find their readers. This collaboration opens exciting possibilities to spotlight new voices and share them with readers across the country and beyond.’

Penguin Random House India is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Mahesh Rao’s Half Light, a deeply atmospheric and tender novel that navigates the tensions of concealed desire and the longing for freedom. Slated for release in October 2025 under the Hamish Hamilton imprint, Half Light is an exquisite story of love, secrecy, and reckoning.

Set between the misty mountains of Darjeeling and the towering skyline of Mumbai, Half Light follows the lives of Neville and Pavan—two men whose fates become intertwined when they share an illicit connection in a secluded, crumbling hotel. For Neville, a free-spirited young man, such encounters are thrilling and fleeting, but for Pavan, a reserved hotel worker, the consequences of discovery are far more profound. Their lives cross paths again years later, in a vastly different setting, as the ghosts of their past threaten to emerge. Against the shifting socio-political landscape of India—on the cusp of decriminalizing homosexuality—the novel captures the nuances of longing, repression, and the quiet hope for a future beyond concealment.

Sharing his thoughts on the book, author Mahesh Rao remarks, ‘I am absolutely delighted to be returning to Penguin with Half Light. I’m so grateful to Manasi Subramaniam for embracing the novel with so much enthusiasm and sensitivity, and I’m sure that she and her team will see it out into the world with the greatest of care. This is a novel all about lives kept out of the light — a repression that has profound sexual, social, legal and political implications —and I can’t wait for it to have its own moment of illumination.’

Manasi Subramaniam, Editor-in-Chief and Vice-President, Hamish Hamilton, Allen Lane, Viking, Penguin and Penguin Classics, PRH India, adds, ‘In Half Light, Mahesh Rao pulls you into a world where the spaces between people are as charged as the moments of contact. This is a novel about secrets that refuse to stay buried, about desire in its many forms—dangerous, liberating and ultimately redemptive. It’s a rare thing to find a book that is so elegantly written yet so full of raw, lived emotion. I’m beyond excited for readers to experience it.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher and Senior VP, Adult Publishing Group, PRH India, says, ‘Half Light is Mahesh Rao’s third novel in which he explores the emotions of love, desire, and the consequences of our actions. Beautifully written with unforgettable characters, it is a must-read for everyone.’

A story of longing, resilience, and the quiet pursuit of freedom, this book is a must-read for anyone who has ever searched for light in the shadows.

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About the Author

Mahesh Rao’s short fiction has been shortlisted for various awards, including the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. His debut novel, ‘The Smoke Is Rising’, won the Tata First Book Award for fiction and was shortlisted for the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize and the Crossword Prize. ‘One Point Two Billion’, his collection of short stories, was published in 2015, and in 2018, ‘Polite Society’, his Delhi-set reimagining of Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’, both to critical acclaim.

Kuku FM, India’s leading storytelling platform and Penguin Random House India (PRHI), India’s leading publishing house, have teamed up to launch 15 exclusive Hindi audiobooks adapted and produced by Kuku FM from Penguin’s bestselling collections. 

This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Kuku FM and Penguin in expanding and diversifying their storytelling library. It brings immersive listening options to meet the ever-growing demand for audio streaming and access to bestselling books in newer formats. 

The exclusive list of adapted audiobooks features renowned luminaries and experts such as Gaur Gopal Das-renowned Monk and spiritual Guru, Devdutt Pattanaik-acclaimed writer & mythologist, Harish Bhat-Former Advisor & Director at Tata Group, Indira Nooyi-Former CEO of PepsiCo, Raghuram Rajan-Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Neena Gupta-acclaimed Bollywood actress to name a few. 

“Our customers have higher expectations from us every day, and at Kuku FM, we love rising to that challenge. They know what they want and need plenty of choices. We aim to bring the best books to them in their language and give them a unique yet engaging listening experience,” said Lal Chand Bisu, CEO and Co-founder of Kuku FM. “We are excited to partner with an iconic publisher like Penguin to not only expand our library but also ensure that we’re opening up a whole new world of entertainment and knowledge for every Indian in more accessible formats.”

Vijesh Kumar, Vice President- Product – Local and International,  PRH India, says, “At Penguin, we are committed to making books more accessible and inclusive, ensuring they reach readers in the formats they love. Our exclusive partnership with Kuku FM marks an exciting milestone as we bring some of our most celebrated titles to Hindi audiobooks for the first time. With storytelling evolving beyond the page, audiobooks offer a dynamic and immersive way to experience books—welcoming both avid readers and new audiences alike. We’re thrilled to expand our Indian language publishing efforts and look forward to seeing these stories resonate with a wider audience”

“The collaboration is a critical extension of Kuku FM’s highly curated portfolio of stories and we are excited to expand this universe further with Penguin Random House India who are known to have some of the most storied authors and books in their library”, said Prerna Vohra, Head of Content Acquisition at Kuku FM. 

Adding to this, Vidhi Nangia, Manager- Audio, PRH India, says, “Audiobooks are seeing tremendous growth globally, and India is no exception, with the market expected to grow over 30% annually. Recognizing this shift in how audiences engage with literature, Penguin is thrilled to partner with Kuku FM to introduce 15 Hindi audiobooks by beloved authors such as Harish Bhat, Ankur Warikoo, and Indira Nooyi. Kuku FM’s commitment to exceptional curation and production ensures that our cherished works are presented with the utmost quality. This collaboration marks the beginning of a promising journey to make our stories accessible to an even broader audience.”

The new Hindi audiobooks will be available for purchase on the Kuku FM Android app from April 2025 onward, starting from Rs 175. This offers listeners an affordable way to experience literary classics and contemporary bestsellers in audio format and aligns with PRHI’s vision to democratize access to books in emerging new formats. 

This collaboration is expected to significantly impact India’s rapidly growing audio streaming market. With the OTT audio market projected to reach $1.8 billion by 2025 (IMARC Group, 2023) and the number of OTT audio streaming users expected to surpass 100 million, Kuku FM is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth. The partnership with Penguin Random House India not only enhances Kuku FM’s content offerings but also demonstrates the platform’s and PRHI’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of Indian listeners, particularly in regional languages.

The List Of Titles Are:

About Kuku FM

Founded in 2018, KUKU FM is India’s leading storytelling platform, home to the country’s largest digital library of audio stories, short courses, and now, vertical microdramas. With a mission to deliver high-quality, personalized stories across genres from entertainment across multiple formats and languages, KUKU continues to push boundaries and redefine India’s entertainment industry.

Penguin Random House India is proud to announce that internationally renowned and Booker Prize-winner Salman Rushdie is coming up with a new book, his first new fiction since Victory City. The Eleventh Hour is a moving, masterful collection of stories that transport us around the world from Bombay neighbourhoods to elite English universities. The book is slated for a global release on 4 November 2025 and will be published under the Hamish Hamilton imprint in India. All rights were acquired from Andrew Wylie at The Wylie Agency.

Two quarrelsome old men in Chennai experience private tragedy against the backdrop of national calamity. Revisiting the Bombay neighbourhood of Midnight’s Children, a magical musician is unhappily married to a multibillionaire. In an English college, an undead academic can’t rest until he exacts vengeance upon his former tormentor.

Following Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, Salman Rushdie’s new fiction moves between the places he has grown up in, inhabited, explored, and left. In doing so, he asks fundamental questions we all one day face. How does one deal with, accommodate, or rail against entering the eleventh hour, the final stage of your life? How can you bid farewell to the places you have made home?

Salman Rushdie says, ‘The three novellas in this volume, all written in the last twelve months, explore themes and places that have been much on my mind – mortality, Bombay, farewells, England (especially Cambridge), anger, peace, America. And Goya and Kafka and Bosch as well. I’m happy that the stories, very different from one another in setting, story and technique, nevertheless manage to be in conversation with one another, and with the two stories that serve as prologue and epilogue to this threesome. I have come to think of the quintet as a single work, and I hope readers may see and enjoy it in the same way.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher & SVP- Adult Publishing Group, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘The Eleventh Hour by Salman Rushdie is his latest fiction after the global bestseller Knife. The stories and the settings in the book take us back to the themes and places that have shaped Rushdie’s writing and continue to be relevant today. I am delighted to publish The Eleventh Hour in India, and hope it is loved by readers in the subcontinent.’

About the author

Salman Rushdie is the author of sixteen novels, including Midnight’s Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker), The Satanic Verses, and Quichotte (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize). A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature and was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen’s last Birthday Honours list in 2022.

Penguin Random House India is delighted to announce the acquisition of Murarirao Ghorpade by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta and Indrajeet Ghorpade. The book, scheduled for release in June 2025 under the Ebury Press imprint, unearths the untold story of a forgotten Maratha warrior whose courage and conviction shaped history.

Murarirao Ghorpade traces the life of a fierce soldier born in 1704, who played a crucial role in the Maratha campaigns of the Deccan. Navigating the turbulence of succession wars, political betrayals, and shifting alliances, Murarirao stood firm in his commitment to Hindavi Swaraj, forging his own path amidst the dominance of the Nawabs, the Nizam, and the British. He is remembered not only for his military brilliance—saving Robert Clive from a pivotal defeat—but also for his tumultuous personal life, including his legendary romance with the Nizam’s daughter, Saheba.

Reflecting on her journey uncovering this lost history, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta shares, ‘Till I spoke to the locals living around the Gooty Fort in present day Anantapur district, I hadn’t taken Murarirao Ghorpade’s story seriously, despite much persuasion and seven cartons of material judiciously preserved by my co-author Indrajeet Ghorpade. What followed over the course of four years was a ravenous expedition! From the secrets preserved in Thanjavur’s royal palace, the Persian archives of the Salar Jung Museum to the once-missing idol of Kolhapur’s Mahalakshmi temple, connectors to Murarirao Ghorpade were suddenly everywhere. A flawed protagonist, a fierce warrior and a believer in Hindavi Swaraj, he stood at the crossroads of British and French dominion over India in the 18th century, casting an unwitting vote. In the annals of Maratha history, what’s unique is that Murarirao’s story faces South; even though much of documented Maratha history faces north. This is an untold story,’

Deepthi Talwar, Executive Editor, Ebury Press, Penguin Random House India, adds, ‘Murarirao Ghorpade was a valiant soldier, committed to the Marathas and to Hindavi Swaraj. Unfortunately, his story remains largely unknown. We’re therefore delighted to be a part of this record of his bravery and his statesmanship, written by his descendant, Indrajeet Ghorpade, and Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta.’

Milee Ashwarya, Publisher, Adult Publishing Division, Penguin Random House India, says, ‘In her new book, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, brings to light the extraordinary story of Murarirao Ghorpade, a true warrior whose legacy has long been overshadowed by history. This book is a tribute to his courage, leadership, and unyielding spirit—a forgotten hero who deserves his place in the chronicles of India’s past. I hope readers are both inspired and moved by this remarkable account.’

With a compelling blend of history, politics, war, and intrigue, this book brings to light a remarkable figure whose legacy has long been overlooked. Murarirao Ghorpade is a tribute to an unsung hero who defied the odds and fought until his last breath.

Penguin is honoured to announce the publication of Letters from Gaza, an intimate collection of personal writings that bears witness to one of the most devastating humanitarian crises of our time.

This one-of-a-kind compilation comprises real-time reflections that uniquely capture the voice of people living through the conflict as a vital record of resilience in the face of adversity.

Compiled by acclaimed Gaza-based writers Mahmoud Alshaer and Mohammed Zaqzooq, this book is an unflinching account of war told through the words of those living it—offering a deeply personal, urgent, and essential perspective that gets often lost in global headlines. Letters from Gaza is scheduled for release in April 2025 under the Penguin Select imprint.

In the face of unimaginable destruction and displacement, a group of individuals in Gaza turned to the written word as their only means of preserving their experiences, fears, dreams and hopes. This book has been their voice while shrouded in silence. Letters from Gaza is a collection of personal reflections told through —poetry, prose, reflections, and personal narratives, bringing the reader closer to understanding an unimaginable reality. Through these writings, the book provides an intimate look into what it means to survive under siege, to make impossible choices, to protect loved ones in the face of constant danger, and to hold onto dignity when everything else is taken away.

Sarah Zia, Senior Editor, Penguin Select, shares her journey with the book, ‘Working on Letters from Gaza has been a lesson in humanity. These narratives offer more than just a glimpse into extraordinary circumstances—they provide us with an opportunity to connect with the quiet strength that resides in everyday resilience. It is vital that we give these voices the space they deserve, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the raw, heartfelt truths of these experiences. I am truly honoured to help share these intimate reflections with a global audience, as they remind us that even in the harshest moments, our shared humanity endures.’

Manoj Satti, SVP, Sales and Product and Division Head – Penguin Select, says, ‘Letters from Gaza stands as a testament to the irreplaceable role of storytelling in capturing the truth of human experience. With this publication, Penguin reaffirms its commitment to amplifying vital voices and bringing urgent, necessary stories to a global audience. Letters from Gaza is a book that demands to be read, shared, and remembered—a powerful reminder of the enduring strength of the written word in the face of devastation. As publishers, we are privileged to bring these deeply important narratives to readers across the world, ensuring that stories of survival, courage, and hope are never lost to silence.’