In addition to mobile phones, food and pharma packaging is growing

Q: You started this new venture, Big Box, with two fully automatic RB 6040 rigid box machine from Zhengrun.
Our first foray into the industry was a corrugation plant. It started well, but the collection of payment was a pain. So we closed that business. Following this, as we were looking at the next venture, we found packaging-printing to be a better option, especially rigid boxes. So we started with two machines from Zhengrun. Both the machines can produce 35 rigid boxes per minute.
QWhy rigid box?
Rigid boxes provide us with multiple segments to explore, including mobile phones, chocolates, traditional sweets, shoes, and cosmetics. We were especially excited about the emerging mobile market and this is the segment from where we are getting the most business. Today, we manufacture around 2,50,000 complete rigid boxes per month, for brands like Intex, Karbonn, Panasonic and Ziox, etc.
QTrue, the mobile market was a prime target for rigid box manufacturers. In the recent months, however, there is news that the mobile manufacturers are opting for duplex boxes instead of rigid, because of the price difference...
Yes, the trend was visible for some time, as the market was down. However, the move proved to be unsuccessful as those duplex boxes could not handle safe packaging of those phones. Thus, the manufacturers have returned to rigid boxes.
QSo you are saying that the potential for rigid boxes is intact.
Yes. Mobile phone manufacturing is on the increase in India. Many domestic companies are coming into the market while multinational manufacturers too are setting shops in India. For example, last year, Gionee signed a MoU with the Haryana government to set up its first manufacturing unit in Faridabad, with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore. The capacity of the facility will be 30 million units and Gionee plans to manufacture six lakh mobiles per month from this facility.
QYet, you recently invested in a
full-fledged offset operation...
One year after getting the rigid box machines, we got a fair idea about the packaging market in India, and it was time to expand our portfolio. You could do it only if you have the required machinery. So we invested in an eight-colour 28x40-inch Komori with online conventional UV and coating; automatic die-cutter and folder-gluer (four and six-corner gluing), which can glue corrugated sheets as well, and acts as a sample maker.
Q So now you are equipped to serve the clients?
Now, we are ready to serve not just the mobile phone market, but also the food industry and pharmaceutical packaging. We also have ISO:18001 for occupational health and safety, ISO:9001, ISO:14001 as a registered company, and ISO:50001 for best quality work in the best way. As our name suggests, we are genuinely thinking big.n