Mehra himself comes from a diverse background. Hailing from a family of textile manufacturers, who pioneered silk screen printing in India, he started his educational journey with the completion of a BSc. In Textile Technology from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, following this up with an MBA from Columbia University.

On his return to India in the 1980s, Mehra helped to set up India’s first commercial fruit dehydration and preservation unit, later becoming involved in technical writing – before making a formal foray into the publishing industry with Sage.

Alongside his CEO-duties, Mehra has taught a postgraduate course on ‘Managing a Publishing Enterprise’ at Ambedkar University, Delhi. He has also self-published a novel – ‘Seven Shades of Grey’, written in 1999.
 

1. One thing you brought back from studying abroad?
   
   Discipline. To stick to one thing and understand where it is going, and the discipline to walk away from it when it doesn’t work. I learned how to go back to the basics, and know when to cut my losses.
    
2. Advice for students considering a career in publishing?
   
   The original home grown publishing houses started with owning printing presses. The multinational companies didn't come in to publish initially. India was viewed as an incremental sales destination.
   
   Founded in 1981, SAGE India continues to be an independent international publisher of books, journals, and electronic media in the social sciences. SAGE believes in the widest possible dissemination of content. Innovative ideas and approaches consistently distinguish SAGES's publishing across all of our programmes.  
   
   Publishing is an evolving business, I wouldn’t say it’s a tough business – but it is where the software industry was in the early 1990s. There are no formal courses in publishing available in universities.
   
   For students who want to get into the business: don’t treat this as your last option. Don’t say “if I don’t get into medicine or engineering then I’ll get into publishing” – just don’t do it if that is the case. Pursue publishing only if you have the desire to make a difference. Academic publishing is different from Fiction publishing however, as a profession it requires dedication and commitment, as it is time-consuming work. 
   
   With the best practices coming to India, the learning curve of individuals is getting shorter, making it more interesting as a career option.  
    
3. The glamour behind the publishing industry?
   
   Publishing brings a lot of respect. There is an aura around books that people still respect. The published product has its own way of adding to the intellectual capital of an individual as no other activity can. Even a published article is viewed with respect and a published book adds a lot of prestige. 
   
   In India we’ve never had the image of publishing executives having two martinis and a cigar for lunch – which has brought the industry down in the west. In India we have continued to be frugal and careful to make glamour not a part of the work we do.
    
4. The one book you treasure?
   
   The Sai Satcharitra. It kept me going through very tough times in the U.S. in the 80s. Today I value a book called "What to Ask the Man in the Mirror". 
    
5. What is the one thing you don’t travel without?
   
   My mobile phone with my Indian number active – just to be connected to home.

Tags: Vivek Mehra Sage Publications India, Columbia University MBA, Publishing career, FIT New York