On my way to Haridwar, I got the opportunity to visit Delhi, and Gurugram.

My first halt was at JetSci Global, a division of Monotech. JetSci is an Indian manufacturer of high-end digital inkjet labels and digital inkjet monochrome and colour digital printing machines for commercial and publishing markets. The visit was to understand the company’s manufacturing process, technology, product portfolio and customer service.

The team at Monotech led by Tejinder Singh, general manager for sales; Jai Singh, technical manager; and Dinesh Thakur, deputy general manager for sales, gave me a detailed overview of their product range and the technology used in the production of digital inkjet machines. My special interest was in the print-on-demand, full-colour inkjet web press, Knowzzlejet, that is going to be displayed at Pamex 2023.

What a Knowzzlejet
The Knowzzlejet is a monochrome and colour rollfed duplex digital printing machine available in two sizes, 17-inch and 25-inch, capable of a speed of up to 150 mtrs per minute. It was a revelation for me.  The machines are designed to produce superior quality prints, with high accuracy and precision.

I was also shown the different components used in the production process, such as printing heads, electronics and microprocessors. The team also explained the different value-added services provided by the company, such as installation, maintenance and repair. Monotech has a strong customer service team that is dedicated to providing timely and effective support to its customers.

Overall, the visit to the JetSci division of Monotech was a great experience. I was able to gain insight into the company’s manufacturing process, technology, product portfolio and customer service.

On our way to Haridwar the following day, we halted at Bhagwanpur. We met Shivam Goel, joint secretary of the Bhagwanpur Industries Association, his colleague, Manoj Sadavarte, mentor, and Praveen Garg, treasurer. Goel and the core team of Bhagwanpur Industries Association reiterated their support for the Pamex roadshow at Haridwar on 3 March. They promised to spread the word among their members even though they were busy organising Udhyog Mahotsav, one of the largest industry exhibitions in Uttarakhand, from 18 to 20 March at Quantum Global Campus, Bhagwanpur, Roorkee. It was interesting to learn that this Association had around 50 printers as members from the Bhagwanpur area.

Pantanjali print facility - a revolutionary in print technology
On reaching Haridwar, my last visit before the roadshow, was to the famous Patanjali Ayurved Food and Herbal Park. Jyoti Rastogi, deputy general manager (commercial) - packaging division, invited me to their printing facility. The plant was in Yashhil (Sidcul), around 18 kms from our Hotel. On reaching the plant, the entrance resembled a huge fortress with the best security arrangements for entry and exit. It was another 1.5 kms drive inside after the security gate to reach the mono cartons plant. On the other side of the road, I could see a fleet of lorries with Patanjali products on their way out to get to the market across India. 

Rastogi explained the company's philosophy and how they maintained the highest standard of printing material needed for their in-house consumption. She introduced us to Vijay Bhatia, chief general manager of operations (packaging unit ). Bhatia was the caretaker of the five printing units with the offset mono cartons, a flexography unit for flexibles and labels and the gravure unit for foil pouches and converting.

Bhatia has more than two decades of experience in the plastic industry. He was keen on adopting sustainable products in their product portfolio. His primary focus was increasing productivity through automation and streamlining workflow to maximise production activity on the shop floor. 

The visit was an eye-opening experience for me as I got to see the various processes involved in making high-quality printing products. The facilities were well-maintained, and the staff was amicable and helpful.

Haridwar: the venue of the last roadshow
Despite the delayed start necessitated by the late arrival of the groups travelling from Dehradun and Roorkee, the event was a resounding success. Attended by over 125 delegates, the event started with the welcome address by Raanu Oberoi, president of the Devbhoomi Printers and Publishers Association. Kamal Chopra, past president of the All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) and general secretary of the Offset Printers Association (OPA), is very popular in the region due to his frequent visits where he has tried to unite the printers to come together and form an association. He had travelled from Ludhiana for the event and spoke at length about the federation's activities. 

Ashutosh Tripathi from the National Centre for Flexible Electronics at IIT Kanpur moderated the panel discussion. Three prominent printers from the region doing pathbreaking works in their respective fields were part of the panel - Sanjeev Sondhi, Zircon Technologies (India), Arvind Singhal, Square Vision India and Nitin Sharma, Ektaa Graphics & Printing Solutions. Amitabh Luthra of Printers Supply Co, Kolkata, rounded the panel as the technology provider. 

Diverging views, articulated with clarity, on the pace of adopting new technologies between the more conservative Singhal and the adventurous Sondhi made for a spell-binding interaction. 

PawandeepSahni has received a standing ovation for his presentation at all the previous roadshows, and Haridwar was no exception. Surya Lamba of Fujifilm spoke on process optimisation and the way forward. Tripathi completed the trilogy of technical presentations with his illuminating presentation on the emerging field of printed electronics.

Nitin Narula, VP - North, AIFMP, had the last word with the vote of thanks.

The parallel tabletop exhibition, with 16 exhibitors disseminating information about their range of products, kept the visitors engrossed and added a lot of value to their participation. 

Te Hardiwar roadshow was the last in the series that saw us visiting six cities nationwide. I was involved in five of them, missing out on the first at Guwahati. The roadshows allowed me to interact with printers across various segments. Despite evident challenges through covid and after, the industry's optimism was praiseworthy. The theme - Convergence in print, resonated everywhere and has even struck a chord with printers from other cities. Some began communicating with me on WhatsApp. To take this theme to a larger audience, we are contemplating an online conference with the theme, which we hope to host before Pamex. 

In the meanwhile, preparation for Pamex 2023 is peaking. The online registrations are on fire, with the numbers already exceeding the previous edition. Pamex 2023 is scheduled from 27-30 March at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai.

I am off to Bengaluru to attend the silver jubilee celebrations of KOPA (Karnataka Offset Printers Association) at Palace Grounds on 11th March 2023. I plan to visit the Bindwel Technologies factory, an indigenous post-press equipment manufacturer with a global presence.

(Tushar Dhote is co-chairman of Pamex. This is the ninth in a series of weekly Tushar Dhote columns, which will continue till the commencement of Pamex 2023 in Mumbai. Stay tuned in…)