How Limca Book of Records has stood testimony to Indians’ achievements for 30 years

Since its launch in 1990, Limca Book of Records has been the second book of records in the world after the Guinness Book of World Records. The annual reference book published in India documents records held by Indians across education, literature, agriculture, medical science, business, sports, nature, adventure, radio and cinema. Limca Book of Records is an extension of the brand Limca.

Limca Book of Records is all set to launch its 30^th edition, which coincides with Limca commemorating 50 years since its inception in 1971. This year’s Limca Book of Records is a joint edition of the years 2020-2022, which celebrates stellar victories and accomplishments in human endeavour, structures, education, defense, government, science and technology, adventure, business, cinema, the natural world, literature, and the arts. Along with celebrating the record holders, this year’s edition comes as a tribute to all caregivers, warriors, and individuals who have come to the rescue of humanity during these unprecedented times.

In an exclusive conversation with Adgully, Arnab Roy, Vice President, Marketing, Coca-Cola India and SouthWest Asia, speaks about the journey of Limca Book of Records, the marketing strategy and how they have been continuously bringing  fascinating new records on an annual basis for Limca Book of Records. 

Since 1990, Limca Book of Records has been a great reference book for records held by Indians. What is unique and new about the 30th edition?

Limca Book of Records is an extension of the brand Limca. Launched in India in 1990, it is the second book of records in the world after the Guinness Book of World Records. From then on, there has been no looking back. This 30th edition of LBR coincides with the brand commemorating 50 years since its inception in 1971.

Since the inception of Limca Book of Records, the book has stood as a testimony to the stellar achievements of and accomplishments in human endeavour, structures, education, defense, government, science and technology, adventure, business, cinema, the natural world, literature, and the arts. It has been well received over the years and the proof can be seen in the ever-increasing number of record-holders and record-breakers each year.

With this special edition that we are launching, it has yet again charted another era of human innovativeness and excellence within its covers. Once again, in this iconic book of Indian milestones, we are thrilled to witness the achievements of Indians from all walks of life, with a spotlight on the selfless acts of COVID-19 warriors that have emerged in the country. 

How have you positioned this special edition? Have you introduced any new sections? Could you share some key highlights of the book?

This year’s Limca Book of Records is a joint edition of the years 2020-2022, which celebrates stellar victories and accomplishments in human endeavour, structures, education, defense, government, science and technology, adventure, business, cinema, the natural world, literature, and the arts. Featuring over 4,000 records, the latest edition has masterfully leveraged distinct display pages, reader-friendly infographics, and charts to make it more visually appealing. Along with fascinating new records, this edition also includes Record Rewind and Super 30 capsules of the previous records.

A few highlights from the 30th edition of the book are the Vande Bharat mission that became the world’s largest repatriation exercise, while Noccarc Robotics, a start-up by Nikhil Kurele and Harshit Rathore, developed low-cost portable ventilators; Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research, developed Covaxin, while the Serum Institute of India developed Covishield, both approved vaccines that join the gallery of accomplishments on display in the Limca Book of Records.

This edition also celebrates the astounding achievements of India’s green warriors – who looked beyond themselves, to focus on the environment and our planet in a new environment and sustainability section. They steered sustainability campaigns, focused on waste management, and undertook recycling and other environment-friendly missions. Besides the ‘Environment and Sustainability’ and ‘Combating COVID-19’ sections, the book also contains sections on ‘100 Years of India at the Olympics’, ‘Thrilling 30’s’ and ‘Our Country’. The book is available at a special price of Rs 550, exclusively in the Indian subcontinent. 

What is the process that you follow to keep publishing this book regularly? How do you manage to keep eliciting exciting and interesting new records in various categories?

LBR is a catalogue of remarkable achievements by Indians. It catalogues unique milestones and landmarks, including, but not limited to, firsts, bests, mosts, inventions, discoveries, and honours and awards received, by Indians at home or abroad in all fields – both human and natural – that can be qualified in superlatives and that conform to the prevailing editorial policy in force during any year.

LBR encompasses an extensive range of information and is thus, divided into several chapters and record categories. Prospective entries under these chapters and categories may include, but are not limited to, a record, a quantifiable skill, a superlative or historical landmark/ phenomenon/ man-made or natural event/ process/ structure considered as remarkable.

Anyone with a reasonable claim for a record may write to LBR for possible inclusion. 

Brand Limca is celebrating 50 years since its inception in 1971. How do you plan to leverage it for the launch of the special 30th edition of Limca Book of records to make it memorable?

Limca’s communication has strongly been rooted in bringing alive freshness and refreshment codes historically. With Limca’s credentials being very strong there, we decided to reposition the brand in 2021 to make it more functional through the “Mat Thak Campaign”, which pays an ode to the ‘doers’ in life and their relentless spirit of moving ahead and looking forward no matter how difficult the circumstances. 

What is your strategy to promote this special edition?

Our promotional efforts for the launch of the 30^th edition of the Limca Book of Records this year are going to be similar to those that we have adopted for the past few editions of the Book. In the coming years, the Limca Book of Records will develop its social media platform to amplify stories of grit and determination, and bring alive the spirit of perseverance through popular youth-centric platforms.

The Limca Book of Records will be available across stores in India starting September 2021, and will also be available for purchase on The Coca-Cola India website.

(Edited by Shanta Saikia.)