The Rise of Book Rental in India

Post By: NobuyRent | 15 July,2025

7 min read

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Why Book Rental is Gaining Catching up in India?

In the modern age and era of rapid change and interconnectivity through the internet, access to content has been in a revolutionary phase. India, with its huge youth population of educated readers, is experiencing a boom in demand for book rental services. Those days are gone when shelling out a lot of money for a huge collection of books was the only option to read books and academic content.

Access has now become the choice over ownership. This has been brought about by the demand for affordability, convenience, minimalism, and increased sustainability. Book rental sites offer readers a chance to read a vast number of books without the cost of buying, storing, and maintaining them.

Affordable Access for Avid Readers

Scholarly books and imported books are very costly for most of the students and readers in India. Over ₹30,000 crore worth of Indian publishing business sells millions of books annually, as per the Federation of Indian Publishers' report. Nevertheless, affordability is always the issue. For instance, a book on engineering is priced between ₹800 and ₹2500, and it is hard for students to develop an entire library.

JustBooks offers a monthly subscription for ₹150, and the readers can access thousands of books, such as academic, fiction, non-fiction, and children's books.

This model benefits not only students who belong to different economic groups but also parents in regards to saving money during school and college admission periods. Instead of buying books used for one semester, students can lease them and return the books after they are useless, maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Sustainability and the Shared Economy

Environmental issues have become the pivot of book buying decisions by Indians in urban areas. Book renting is an eco-friendly option to book buying as it encourages recycling of materials. Each book rented has the potential to conserve a tree from being harvested to be used as paper. Sharing books through channels such as NobuyRent creates a circular economy that reduces waste and the carbon footprint of publishing and shipping.

Also, book rental promotes decluttering. With homes in the city decreasing in size, the majority of households no longer have the space to store hundreds of books. Renting allows readers to access books without storing piles of unused books

Young reader browsing rental books in Laptop

Growth of the Online Book Rental Market

The world online book renting market is expanding steadily. Online book services are expected to reach $25.4 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of more than 10%, according to DataIntelo. In India, digital literacy and internet penetration have driven book renting service growth. With an increasing number of smartphone users—more than 750 million in 2024—online rental platforms have become easily accessible. India boasts more than 250 million students, creating a huge target market for academic and educational book rentals.

Sites such as NobuyRent (www.nobuyrent.com) not only offer access to books but also enable people and small enterprises to list their unused books for rent, enabling owners to derive new revenue streams. The two-sided model ensures both readers and book owners gain from the increasing trend.

Key Book Rental Platforms in India

  • JustBooks: Offers a library-like subscription service across India. Members can order books online or visit branches to borrow titles.
  • Librarywala: An early player in the space, Librarywala offers an extensive online collection with free delivery and return.
  • RentReadBuy: Focused on curated collections for kids and young adults, RentReadBuy has flexible subscription models.
  • NobuyRent, a peer-to-peer rental platform that spans many categories such as books, electronics, cars, and so on.

Owners of books can put up their books and rent them out to others, establishing a peer-to-peer sharing economy.

Delivery boy delivering rented books in india

The Future of Book Rentals in India

As education becomes increasingly hybrid and online education increasingly prevalent, physical and digital book rentals will be at the forefront of releasing educational content. New business models are evolving that blend print and online delivery, in which consumers are in command of how to consume content. Platforms that offer e-books, audiobooks, and hard copies all in under one platform to take over the future market.

Government initiatives such as Digital India and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also encourage digital distribution of content and open access to learning material.

Tips for Readers and Entrepreneurs

For Readers consider monthly plans for cost savings. Explore lesser known authors and genres. Use platforms like NobuyRent to find books easily.

Entrepreneurs have Focus on customer experience. Include personalized recommendations, fast delivery, and simple return options. Collaborate with educational institutions and libraries for a steady user base.

Conclusion

Book renting in India is not a craze, it's a smart and eco-friendly, and realistic choice for readers today. With low-cost access, reuse encouragement, and low environmental impact, platforms like NobuyRent are transforming reading and learning in India. A test-taker student, a hobby reader exploring a new genre, or a parent looking for how to get your child to read—book rentals are convenient without cost.

Visit www.nobuyrent.com to list books or browse offerings today, and be a part of India's rental revolution.