Press Release | Gütersloh/New Delhi, 02/12/2015

Bertelsmann Strengthens Activities in Growth Regions

• Further investments with a focus on education and digital media
• Mid-term revenue goal of 1 billion euros
• More than 40 investments in Brazil, China and India
• Top management fine-tunes growth agenda at conference in New Delhi

Gütersloh/New Delhi, February 12, 2015 – Bertelsmann is driving forward its growth in Brazil, China and India. In addition to expanding its existing activities in the areas of TV production, books, magazines and services, Bertelsmann will step up its investments in the education and digital media sectors in these three countries. To advance the accelerated development of business activities in the three countries, this week around 60 of the company’s executives from Europe, the U.S., China, India and Latin America met in New Delhi, India.

Thomas Rabe, Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, says: “Regional expansion is one of our strategic priorities. Brazil, China and India are among the largest economies in the world. In these countries, demographic trends, a growing middle class, and their increasing purchasing power are causing a rapid rise in demand for digital media, services and education. Accordingly, we will massively expand our businesses in all three countries in the years ahead and increase investment here. Our medium-term goal is to generate revenues of around one billion euros in our growth regions.”

Bertelsmann already successfully does business in Brazil, China and India with its divisions. Fremantle Media, RTL Group’s production arm, produces regional versions of the hit formats “Idols” and “Got Talent” in all three countries; RTL Group also teamed up with CBS Studios International to launch two pay-TV channels that can be received in several countries in Southeast Asia. Penguin Random House is the largest English-language trade book publisher in India, and a leader in the Latin American book market. Among other things, Gruner + Jahr publishes the leading women's magazine in China and Arvato provides services to international as well as local customers in all three countries, e.g. in customer relationship management and supply chain management.

Apart from this, Bertelsmann owns holdings in more than 40 innovative businesses via three funds in its strategic growth regions. One focus of its investment activities is China, where last year alone the Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI) fund invested in eleven promising new business with predominantly digital business models – more than ever before. Bertelsmann’s holdings in China include the online shopping platform Mogujie and the leading online performance marketing company iClick.

In Brazil, too, the focus is on the education and digital media sectors. For instance, last year, Bertelsmann partnered with the Brazilian investment company Bozano Investimentos to set up a fund here that invests in companies offering technological solutions and services in the educational sector (education technology). In India, Bertelsmann has invested in companies including the education services provider iNurture, the e-commerce business Pepperfry.com, and the leading music-streaming service Saavn, thereby creating strategic options for accelerated business development in these fields.

Altogether, Bertelsmann has approximately 7,500 employees in Brazil, China and India.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is an international media company whose core divisions encompass television (RTL Group), book publishing (Penguin Random House), magazine publishing (Gruner + Jahr), services (Arvato), and printing (Be Printers) in some 50 countries. In 2013, the company’s businesses, with their more than 111,000 employees, generated revenues of €16.4 billion. Bertelsmann stands for a combination of creativity and entrepreneurship that empowers the creation of first-rate media, communications, and service offerings to inspire people around the world and to provide innovative solutions for customers.