Crossword is one of the pioneers in books and music retailing in India. From its inception, Crossword has progressed from being a small single store to becoming synonymous with book retailing in India. The company had revenues of Rs 675 Crore for the year ended March 2006.

ICICI Venture entered the company in 2000 when it was still in very early stages of its growth. Today, Crossword operates 40 stores across India and is the acknowledged leader in books and music retailing.