October 16, 2025

Bengaluru wakes up to a special salute every October 15 — Newspaper Vendors' Day! These quiet heroes make sure your mornings begin with that fresh paper in hand, the smell of ink floating, and the thrill of today's news brewing alongside your coffee. The Times of India honors its vendors in Bengaluru who have walked hand-in-hand with the city’s largest newspaper for decades. First up is Chandrashekar Rao of Gokula News Agency in Cox Town. "Every day begins before sunrise for me," he says. Imagine the city still asleep, while he races to collect bundles of newspapers, dashing against the clock to reach every doorstep before dawn. "It's not just news, it's a ritual for readers," he adds. Rain or shine, Chandrashekar feels proud to keep the paper flowing. Once, during heavy rain when his bike broke down, he walked nearly 3km with papers on his shoulder to deliver on time! A grateful elderly reader offered him tea, a sweet reminder of his hard work's impact. For Chandrashekar, this job brings discipline, responsibility, and joy connecting people to information every day. Next, meet Anke Gowda from BTM Layout, who came to Bengaluru from Mandya in the early 1970s. Starting small, distributing just 10 newspaper copies arriving from Mumbai, he worked hard and saw his business grow more than ten times! As demand soared, his family pitched in, covering many delivery routes. Today, his large extended family delivers over 25,000 newspaper copies across various publications! At 75 years old, Anke still wakes up at 4 am sharp, delivering personally to over 150 readers on his ever-loved TVS XL bike. Then, there is Venkataswamy from Santosh News Agency in Hosahalli, who began in 1963 with 20 copies. With strong determination and his wife's support, their business climbed to 1,500 copies. This was more than a job—it helped educate their children and build a better future. His sons succeeded highly: Madhu is a garments supervising manager, and Santhosh Kumar is MD of Timech Company and recently settled in Japan with a good-paying job. Though the Covid-19 pandemic slowed business to 900 copies, 73-year-old Venkataswamy, supported by family, powers on undeterred, growing his business step by step. These stories are a spicy mix of grit, dedication, and heart! They remind us that behind every newspaper is a tale of sweat and love. So next time you hold your morning paper, remember these amazing vendors — the true champions delivering the day’s world to your doorstep.

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Tags: Newspaper vendors, The times of india, Bengaluru, Print media, Delivery heroes,