Capital investment in the India newspaper sector is steady. But importantly enough, it is providing new opportunities for suppliers.

It is in this sense, Bajwa felt, “The 4/1 format is catching on as the end user is realising the feasibility of converting a 4/1 installed first that operates as a 3C/stack. This can be retrofitted to get 4/4.” Pressline has installed these systems in Bengaluru as well at Kozhikode and Coimbatore (refer to box below).

Bajwa affirmed, “Europe and US. are fretting under the threat of depleting readership of print media. Many have closed down and the focus has shifted to E-media, but the scenario is robust in India. It is a known fact that India is the most robust newspaper industry globally and has reported a steep growth of 17% during the last five years.”

He continued, “A lot of the expenditure is going into innovative technologies and printing systems which will test the expertise and research skills of producers in their existing sectors, while offering openings for others to move into new markets.”

Bajwa’s message for end-users and delegates who are en route to the Wan-Ifra India 2016 conference to be held on 21-22 September in Kolkata, India is, “The buying trend will continue unless the digital onslaught will override. At Pressline, we are preparing for either situations i.e. being at par with the emerging trend of high automation and digitisation as well as create and define a paradigm that will help manufacture truncated versions to save on consumables. I believe our machines will cater to the mushrooming small circulated editions from mofussil areas.”

Such an approach has ensured that Pressline’s client roster is impressive what with installations at S Chand & Co, Repro India, RP Printers, Salasar Imaging Systems, Deepak Pustak Bandhanalya, Indian Express, Viani Printings, Dainik Saamana, International Print-O-Pac (IPP) and Dina Ethal.