By Gurmukh Singh

Toronto, Jun 9 (IANS): David Davidar, president and CEO of Penguin Canada, is leaving the publishing company and returning to India, it was announced here Tuesday.

As founder of Penguin India in the mid-1980s from a basement in south Delhi, Davidar took the company to the top of English publishing in Asia before moving to Canada.

The author of best selling novels 'The House of Blue Mangoes' and 'The Solitude of Emperors' was appointed president of Penguin Canada in 2004.

Penguin Group vice-president Yvonne Hunter announced Tuesday that the charismatic CEO is leaving the company to return to his native India to "pursue his successful writing career and other projects.''

Davidar, who never severed his connections with Indian publishing after moving to Canada and stayed on the Penguin India board, is credited with turning the Canadian division around by signing up young authors of various ethnic backgrounds.

Last October, he was also named CEO of Penguin International - a new division of the publishing giant to target emerging markets. In that additional role, he was looking after markets in Africa, the Middle East and India.

Penguin Canada will have no replacement for Davidar and the division will now report directly to Penguin US CEO David Shanks.

Yvonne Hunter said Davidar is also leaving Penguin India.

He is likely to leave for India in July.