Scholastic India Announces Publishing and Distribution Partnership with Mattel

Bringing beloved Mattel brands including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Masters of the Universe® to young readers across the Indian subcontinent.

NEW DELHI, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic India, an international office of the global children's publishing, education and media company Scholastic Inc., today announced a publishing and distribution partnership with Mattel, Inc., a leading global play and family entertainment company.

Facilitated by Dream Theatre, Mattel's Master Licensing Agent in India, the partnership will see Scholastic India develop and distribute a diverse portfolio of books, activity titles, storybooks and early readers, inspired by some of Mattel's most iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Masters of the Universe®, across the Indian subcontinent. 

"This partnership marks an important milestone in Mattel's global publishing strategy," said Claudia Lucarella, Director, Global Licensing Publishing at Mattel. "By combining Scholastic India's market-leading publishing expertise with the growing Mattel Press catalogue, we're creating a publishing platform that brings together globally developed content with locally relevant publishing programmes for readers across the Indian subcontinent. It expands access to our iconic brands while enabling us to scale our publishing business through trusted, best-in-class partners around the world."

Designed to excite kids to read and spark creativity, the first wave of titles include Hot Wheels Ultimate Handbook 2026, Level 1 Readers Barbie's Big Move and Hot Wheels: To the Extreme as well as story collections from both brands. Having launched across major retail, online, and educational channels, the program will continue to expand with additional formats and publishing initiatives in the coming years.

"We are thrilled to partner with Mattel. Together, we aim to create meaningful literacy experiences that combine imagination, adventure, creativity, and learning," said Neeraj Jain, President-Asia, Scholastic Inc. "Bringing Barbie, Hot Wheels, Monster High, and Masters of the Universe to life on the page aligns with our commitment to creating world-class content for young readers across the Indian subcontinent, just as we have done with iconic Scholastic characters from Clifford the Big Red Dog® to The Magic School Bus®."

The collaboration combines Mattel's powerful storytelling brands with Scholastic India's deep understanding of local markets, extensive publishing expertise and unmatched reach across schools, bookstores, e-commerce platforms, and educational channels, all at a time when character-based publishing continues to experience strong growth, driven by increasing demand for trusted brands that encourage reading engagement among children.

"We are delighted to partner with Scholastic India to bring the iconic brands of Barbie, Hot Wheels and Masters of the Universe to life through stories, activity and coloring books that not only engage young fans but also spark creativity and imagination. We believe that licensing's true power is in delivering meaningful products to fans while driving long-term business value for our partners and this collaboration successfully achieves both," said Jiggy George, Founder and CEO, Dream Theatre.

About Scholastic India

Scholastic India is the international office of Scholastic Inc, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's book. Through its publishing programs, school partnerships, book fairs, and extensive reach across retail stores and ecommerce, Scholastic India reaches millions of children, parents, teachers, and schools across India, fostering a lifelong love of reading and learning.

About Mattel

Mattel is a leading global play and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Matchbox®, Monster High®, Polly Pocket®, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world's leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

About Dream Theatre 

Dream Theatre leverages the power of licensing to CREATE, REPRESENT and DISTRIBUTE iconic brands in South Asia. These brands are focused on Entertainment, Sports, Lifestyle and Corporate brands businesses. Dream Theatre represents The Pokémon Company, Sanrio, Real Madrid CF, FIFA, Little Singham, Universal Music amongst other iconic brands for licensing and merchandising in India and South Asia.

Media Contact

Sugandha Wahal
Head Marketing, Scholastic India
[email protected]
+91 97180 17285

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