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The first mass production of printed books in China is attributed to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). During this time, a process known as woodblock printing was developed, where pages of text were carved onto wooden blocks and then inked and pressed onto paper. This technique allowed for the rapid production of multiple copies of a book. The most famous example of this is the "Diamond Sutra," a Buddhist text printed in 868 AD, which is considered the world's oldest surviving dated printed book.
The first Indian mass production of printed books started in the late 18th century. The initiative was led by various printing presses, especially in Calcutta and Serampore (now in West Bengal). Some notable names associated with this period include Baptist missionaries William Carey, Joshua Marshman, and William Ward. They established the Serampore Mission Press in 1800, which played a key role in the printing of books in various languages, including Sanskrit, Bengali, and English. These printed books helped disseminate knowledge and literacy throughout India, marking a significant milestone in Indian publishing history.