Mumbai: Encyclopedia Britannica, the world leader in reference material and educational aids, has tied up with Excel Interactive for India. Excel Interactive, a sister concern of Excel Home Videos, is a leading distributor in the Interactive space.

Says Excel Interactive business head Aziz Pittalwala, "With a legacy of over two centuries, the products offerings under Encyclopaedia Britannica are recognized around the world for their superior quality. A pioneer in digital encyclopedias, the brand has been in the digital space for more than 25 years. Encyclopedia Britannica is credited with the invention of multimedia encyclopedia in the late 1980s. Britannica continues to be one of the most comprehensive, authentic and authoritative source of reference".

Excel Interactive also distributes gaming majors like Electronic Arts and Disney Interactive studios in India. Adds marketing manager, SE Asia & GCC Vikram Jha, "We are looking forward to this partnership to enhance our retail presence and leverage Excel’s expertise and reach in the retail landscape".

Says Jha, "EB India promotes the objectives of the company by being a leading provider of reference and learning products designed to meet the specific needs of Indian users. Besides marketing Britannica’s existing global range in South Asian markets, we also develop and market products with regional focus".

The products under the brand are now found across the spectrum of traditional and futuristic media, from print to electronic to Web-based and to cell phones. From 2000 to 2008, EB India’s India-focus best selling list, across diverse media, includes Students’ Britannica: India, 100 Years with Nobel Laureates, Bharat GyanKosh, Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema, Art of India, Indian History: Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Malayalam Encyclopedia, Tamil Encyclopedia, and more recently Encyclopedia of India.