Top 15 commercial printers in India
One of the top trends in the Indian print industry in 2011 was the double-digit growth rate at which the industry is galloping. Though that the outlook may look somewhat blurred at this point of time, because of the present economic and political scenario, the commercial printers have been looking for opportunities to expand services and markets. And in spite of raw material input cost, cut-throat pricing pressures and cost containment, which are immediate business concerns for the industry, the
19 Sep 2012 | By PrintWeek India
Top 15 commercial printers in India
Anderson Printing House
Kolkata-based Anderson has many firsts to its credit. Heidelberg’s first CTP in India. First HP Indigo 1050 and Kodak’s Nexpress 2100 in the eastern region. Anderson has the flexibility to produce brochures, inserts, flyers, direct mail in one single day as well as print-on-demand or variable print. Backed by a skilled team of dedicated professionals, Anderson caters to a customer base of more than 300 corporate houses, agencies, print managers and graphic designers. NK Kajeria, the managing director of Anderson, who started a silkscreen unit with a capital of Rs 500, has become one of the biggest commercial printers in India. Now that’s one heck of a journey.
Pattabi
Mysore-based Pattabi is equipped with a fully loaded Mitsubishi six-colour press with interdeck and 200 personnel. Thanks to finger-printing and a Kodak software, the company can produce meticulous print jobs with a combination of Hi Fi screening and 150 lpi. Pattabi was among the first users of the UV technology in the Mysore printing market. The company is gearing for future investments in packaging with a die-cutter.
Galaxy Offset
One of the leading commercial printers of Delhi and situated in the midst of a virtual printing hub of Naraina industrial area, Galaxy produces high-end commercial printing job on speciality paper. The company is capable of providing complete print solution, right from designing to delivery, to 100 schools in and around Delhi. Galaxy is a success story of one time freelancers moving ahead to acquire the printing house they used to get their jobs outsourced from. Of the three Gulati brothers, elder brother Aman has been a chef at Taj Group of Hotels, younger brother Amit practised interior and fashion designing, whereas the youngest, Vikas, joined the business while pursuing graduation.
Lustra Print
Lustra is an offshoot of Colour Screens, an important point of purchase screen printers, once upon a time, serving ad agencies and direct buyers.The company prides itself in providing good quality at an economical cost, undertaking strict quality measure for all stages of production. Lustra has inculcated a simple fact that ‘proper finishing is what differentiates a good job from a great job’. In 2009, printed a speciality calendar showcasing the work of 12 designers for the 12 months.
Regulalr winners at the PrintWeek India Awards in 2010, 2011 and 2012, the company has set up a major post-press expansion in Taloja, 40 kms from Mumbai. Not only do they specialise in manufacturing of playing cards but have a full-fledged commercial printing set up which can deliver jobs of the highest quality. For Parksons, print is not merely reproduction, as one could see in the entries sent by the company for the Annual Report and Accounts and Innovation categories at the PrintWeek India 2012 Awards context. It is geared towards exploration of new ideas, new techniques and new collaborations. The next-gen at Parksons are changing the game. The younger sibling, Animesh Kejriwal has created an ERP system for better print management.
This Delhi-based print firm is eyeing a potential increase in its exports, while establishing a new plant in Manesar, Haryana. Swan is equipped with a CTP platesetter from Screen, which has a daily consumption of 150 to 250 plates, an Epson printer, Q++ software, especially for diaries. Besides a brand new Heidelberg CD-102, the firm has 30 offset units from Heidelberg, KBA, Adast, Mitsubishi. Bipon Malhotra, a bachelor in commerce with more than 25 years of experience in the industry says: “Print production in India is buoyant and am optimistic about its growth.” The three brothers divide their workload. And so, Satish looks into export, bank and finance and the matters of the All India Federation of Master Printers; Bipon handles the Naraina facility and commercial printing, while Umesh oversees the diary division. Swan was started as a letterpress unit by Thakar Das Malhotra in 1952.
Nutech
More than three decades old, Nutech has three unit managed by three brothers. Ravi Shroff heads Nutech Photo-lithographers and Nutech Print Services; Ashok Shroff heads Nutech Security Printing; and Jitendra Shroff (above) heads Nutech Packaging. Nutech Print has 1,00,000 sq/ft across three units in Okhla. A 2.5-acre site in Faridabad worth Rs 50-crore. The Shroffs are straightforward – and extract good value from their suppliers. The founder, K L Shroff was president of the AIFMP. His three sons who oversee the three units are classical rock musicians.
Vishwakala Printers
Bengaluru-based firm, and the name that comes to mind while speaking about quality jobs. The company bagged two PWI Awards in 2011 and stunned everyone. Vishwakala operates out of two units and are big believer in Heidelberg. Be it: presses or CTP solutions. The company prints jobs which range from 500 to one lakh, from art paper to coated board, from stochastic to UV coating to tint. H C Vishwanath Babu, managing partner is a self-made man and loves talking about print and showing-off a range of samples.
Jak Printers
Jak has won awards at each of the PrintWeek India Awards editions in the last four years, besides sweeping the NAEP awards; Jak has grown in confidence. Jak has created and maintained a mighty fine press in the heart of Mumbai is most enviable. It’s the little things about Jak’s plant that makes it special : a visually impaired employee at the front-desk and the collection of customer comments on a noticeboard. Environmentally friendly, they haven’t felled the pipal tree around which the unit has been constructed.
Bhabani Offset
The largest printer in Assam, the first press in Assam to install a four-colour press and CTP and a printers with a Rs 10-crore turnover. Bhabani is led by three brothers, Bidhan Dev at the helm, have good contacts and strong network. The company is also the first printer in India to install a Horizon online perfect binder.
An award-winner from Kochi, Anaswara is very solid in pre-press and press operations; including finishing. The next-gen Anoop has pursued a research on luxury packaging and flexo industry in UK and is set to take-over the reins from O Venugopal, his father, who is presently at the helm. Venugopal also mentors the state print association.
Ramya Reprographic
The brand-new 90,000 sq/ft unit in Bengaluru offers offset and digital. Among other achievements Ramya is winner of the Sappi award. Any unit where the CEO (R Narendra) sits in the midst of the post-press department is “where the real action is”, he says. Continual improvement programs is part of manpower development for the entire task-force.
“Be it annual reports with stringent deadlines or small value print jobs, Nagaraj delivers on time, even if it means personal inconvinience.” We don’t say that. One of Nagaraj’s customers said it. The Chennai-based printer, which is a Heidelberg loyalist, fuss-free end-to-end workflow management. Its down-the-line co-ordination is a treat.The unit includes an in-house training centre and a modern cafeteria for its employees.Nagarajan, the director, has visited every Drupa since 1974.
CDC Printers
PrintWeek India Award 2009 winner for Reports & Accounts plus joint winner in 2012, the 20-year old company offers a range of services – from printing of leaflets to calendar to coffee table books and magazines. The company has added brand new press, CTP and post-press equipment and a digital production press to complement its offset presses. A third printing site equipped with a web offset press and post-press equipment is targeted at the book segment of the print market. Chittaranjan Choudhary, the CEO of CDC, who loves a good game of competitive cricket hopes to continue to do that, after handing over reigns of the company to his US-trained son, Manu.
J K Burad
Based in Ahmedabad, JK Burad it is the only playing cards manufacturer in Gujarat. The company has all facilities in-house including a screen printing unit. It caters to the textile industry in Mumbai and Delhi as well. The company rose to the position of top five printers in Gujarat in under five years. The three Burad brothers are also leaders in fibre to finish jobs in Gujarat’s competitive textile segment.
This article was published on 18 September 2012 and received 1253 views
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