While Business Today continues to be the No 1 business magazine in the country with a circulation figure of 1.25 lakh (ABC, January-June 2003), Businessworld seems to be playing catch up. The magazine claims it has substantially increased its lead in the top eight metros over Business Today and Business India. It is also the fastest growing business magazine in the country for the period January to June 2003, say company sources citing figures released by Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). The overall circulation figures of the three magazines are: Businessworld - 1.21 lakh, Business Today 1.25 lakh and Business India 75,673.

Businessworld has grown by 9.5 per cent (from 1.10 lakh copies to 1.21 lakh copies) in the period January-June 2003, ahead of the market growth rate of 3.4 per cent. In the same period, Business India fell by 4.2 per cent (79,054 to 75,673) while Business Today grew by 2.9 per cent (1.21 lakh to 1.25 lakh). In the last six months, Businessworld has narrowed the gap with Business Today to 4,099 copies, while increasing the lead in the Top 8 metros to 11,806 copies.

The total circulation of Businessworld in the Top 8 metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune) stands at 89,604 ahead of Business Today's 77,798 and Business India's 50,710. The eight metros contribute 74 per cent to the total sales of Businessworld, 62 per cent to that of Business Today and 67 per cent to Business India.

"The momentum is with Businessworld today," observes Ravinder Dang, chief marketing manager, Businessworld.