''That's So Glos''s (stylized as ''That's So Gloss!'') was an

online magazine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to being online only was the computer magaz ...

and community targeted at young women in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Founded in 2012, it came into prominence for being India’s first web magazine for teenage girls and young women - a pioneer in digital publishing in India highlighting the potential of the digital medium for publishing in developing countries. As of 2012, it was the only Indian magazine, print or online, for this segment.

Background

The magazine was founded by Sharanya Haridas, an undergraduate at the

Indian Institute of Technology Madras Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is a public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. As one of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), it is recognized as an Institute of National Importance and has be ...

. In November 2011, it was entered at the X-Biz Business Plan Competition sponsored by the

Emerson Electric Company Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.

and conducted by the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad with the idea for “Gloss”. It was initially conceived as webzine exclusively for a teen demographic. The idea was a finalist and winner of over 60 teams worldwide.

Business overview

''That's So Gloss!'' test-launched in the first half of 2012 with emerging bloggers as well as established writers such as

Durjoy Datta Durjoy Datta is an Indian author and screenwriter. Early and personal life Durjoy Datta was born on 7 February 1987 in Mehsana, Gujarat, in a Bengali Hindu family, and was brought up in New Delhi. He completed his schooling at the Bal Bharati ...

and Rohini Rai. In April 2012, it was announced that it would be incubated in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

as part of the

Ryerson University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...

's Ryerson Digital Media Zone International Fellowship program. The decision to launch in Toronto was said to be taken keeping in mind the greater freedom awarded and resources available to youth-led start-ups in Canada as compared to India. Topics covered include style, health, beauty, relationships, academics, hobbies, spirit and other. The magazine had a team of writers across five Indian cities.

Public Relations

''That’s So Gloss!'' functioned as a PR platform for companies both in India and internationally seeking to connect with the teen and college going segment. Since its initial launch, ''That’s So Gloss!'' was featured in and various mainstream and independent media both in India, and internationally, for being a pioneer in digital publishing, including ''

The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...

'', Entrepreneur, Financial Post (Canada), CBC Metro Mornings, RCI, ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

'', ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia. It was founded by Sunder Singh Lyall ...

'', Techvibes, TechCircle, TechAloo and Kochi Vibe.

References

External links

Thatssogloss.comRyerson DMZ
{{italic title 2012 establishments in India 2015 disestablishments in India Defunct magazines published in India English-language magazines published in India Online magazines published in India Women's magazines published in India Magazines established in 2012 Magazines disestablished in 2015