"It would be an extension of Playboy that would be focused around the lifestyle,
pop culture, celebrity, fashion, sports and interview elements of Playboy,"
added Hefner, daughter of Playboy founder and publishing icon Hugh Hefner.
"But it would not have nudity and I don't think it would be called Playboy,"
she said.
India, the world's most populous democracy, is attracting investment by foreign
media companies trying to catch the wave of young urban migrants seeking jobs
in the thriving customer service industry.
Founded in 1953, Playboy has about 20 local editions around the world that
cater to local taste rather than simply export and translate its U.S. content.
It would do the same in India, Hefner said, tailoring a magazine there to the
standards of the marketplace.
Meanwhile, Playboy is also talking to publishers in other countries from which
it has withdrawn, and others where it has never had a local edition.
"There are a couple of markets that we've been in and are not in right now
because I learned long ago that it was better not to publish if we weren't
going to publish a first-class magazine," Hefner said.
"I would like to go back into Italy and back into Australia with the right
partners," she added. "We haven't been there for a little bit."
Playboy also would like to have a UK edition tailored to local readers. The
British men's magazine market is among the most cutthroat with monthly titles
cramming newsstands, and two weekly titles geared toward younger males.
"While it's a competitive market, it's also an important market," Hefner said.
"Our merchandise is doing great there, our TV is doing great there and we just
launched a local Web site," she added.
"For all those reasons, I would like to have a local magazine. We have to
attract interest from someone we think could do it well, and who knows how to
do it in that market," she said.
Reuters. Additional reporting by Eric Auchard
