UPASANA MAKATI, 

It’s one of those daily rituals that many of us take for granted: reading the morning paper with a cup of tea. But it’s also one of those simple pleasures of life that not everybody enjoys. Upasana Makati, a former public relations executive, realised that some six years ago and in May 2013, she launched White Print, India’s first English language magazine in Braille. It might not be a daily newspaper, but the 64-page monthly printed at the National Association for the Blind in Mumbai carries articles on a range of subjects from politics to Bollywood and sports. With a subscriber base of 350 and growing, White Print is a window to the world for the visually impaired. Makati has tied up with The Caravan magazine to carry its political columns. White Print also opened the way for Braille advertising for the first time in India. Raymond was the first brand with a five-page advertorial in the inaugural issue. Coca-Cola, Tata Group, Vodafone, Aircel, and Mahindra & Mahindra then followed suit.