Pratham joins list of first-time PrintWeek Awards sponsors

Datta Deshpande, CEO of Pratham Technologies, said that the culture of “excellence” cultivated by PrintWeek Awards resonates with his company's vision and products.

He said, “At Pratham Technologies, we have nurtured the culture of – world-class from India – since our inception. It is not just the product but also the overall culture of our processes, infrastructure, people, and systems. With this vision, we have achieved our growth so far and successfully penetrated countries like the USA, Canada, UK, Spain, and Germany, along with the developing countries in Africa and Asia.”

Pratham has recently established its own company in the USA – Pratham Technologies USA, which will cater to countries from North America, Canada, Central America and South America.

The PrintWeek Awards association allows Pratham to recognise the printers specialised in leaflets, labels and cartons for pharma applications. “The world market for pharma print material is multiple times larger than the Indian market. We expect that the printers in India should strive to acquire that market by producing high-quality print material at aggressive pricing.”

PrintWeek discusses with Deshpande, why Awards matter and why pharma packaging will grow  

Why do you think it is important to recognise the best work through PW Awards?
PrintWeek Awards is a prestigious Award among printers. This Award will help printers to convince their overseas customers that the quality of their products is of high standards and they are capable of supplying such high-quality products consistently over the period.

What are the most significant changes you have seen happen in the last 24 months? 
The most significant change we have seen is that pharma customers are giving preference to their local suppliers.

How was the business for Pratham? Any new products?
Our key products are miniature folding machines required for inserts and outserts folding. Since 2019, we have introduced our products in the USA, Canada, the UK, Spain, and Israel. We are getting better and better responses every year. We are already established in the Indian market. We have successfully kept our market share intact in the past 30 years by adopting improved technology, features, and product quality that match our global competitors.

Your newest products?
We have launched track and trace products for the inserts and outserts as well as servo-based friction feeders for inserts and outserts.

Your outlook on the print industry segment you cater to?
As the pharma industry in India and all over the world is growing year-on-year. There is a vast scope to cater to this market. The important aspects one needs to be careful and alert about are: product quality, accuracy and repeatability. The pharma industry market is based on strict audits, and the printers must get used to this culture. The returns are high.

What according to you is the biggest risk for an Indian printer or converter today?
The printing business has become a high-investment business. Customers, especially in pharma, prefer quality equipment – QA automation and on-time delivery at the lowest price. On the one hand, the prices for papers are increasing, and availability has become an issue. Printers are holding paper inventory of high value. In the whole journey, small and medium size printers are at risk.

Your advice to an Indian printer or converter to succeed...
The global market is the key to sustained success. Strive hard to become a global company.