The 10,000 sq/ft Newstech plant is a two hour drive from Mumbai. The plant started operations in April 2014.
Roy Alex of Newstech: Creating a 'made in India' mailroom system. He says, "I'm very bullish on India."
Since 2003, Newstech has been manufacturing mailroom systems in a joint venture with IDAB Wamac (now Schur Packaging). Alex says, "In 2011 after the JV culminated under ‘transfer for technology’, we started manufacturing the systems under the brand name Newstech."
When the PrintWeek India duo of Rushikesh Aravkar and Anand Srinivasan visited the plant, two mailroom kit were in the final stage of production.
The system is a set of three kit: vertical conveyor NTBV 112, horizontal conveyor NTBH 112 and a stacker. This was a part of an export order of nine systems to Russia.
The vertical conveyor NTBV 112. Newstech says, this system saves space, increases output, and reduce costs.
The horizontal conveyor NTBH 112
A stacking system which due to its modularity, meet the requirements of the Indian newspaper factory
The machine is operated by this control panel. The complex electrical circuit is being inspected by the engineer.
Among other installations is a machine at the Lokmat plant in Pune. The media group Lokmat Media publishes three newspapers, 19 editions and 58 sub-editions in three languages -- Lokmat in Marathi, Lokmat Samachar in Hindi, and Lokmat Times in English -- across Maharashtra and Goa.
Roy Alex says: We have supplied over 60 systems from the Turbhe unit since 2003 to companies like Anandabazar Patrika, Times of India, Malayala Manorama, Deccan Herald, Mathrubhumi, Assam Tribune, Nagaland Post etc.
The first two systems manufactured at the Wada plant were installed at the two sites in Russia
Both the installations were supervised and carried out by Newstech engineers
Once the final testing is completed, the machine parts will be packed in wooden carriages and despatched.
Newstech also manufactures ink pumping systems, which are supplied to newspapers and commercial Printers like Delhi Press, Mangalam, and MM Publication among others
Mild steel: the raw material for this sturdy kit
The glass frame that goes as a top cover on the equipment.
India has a world-beating 135 news channels and 94,000 registered publications. The 1.3 billion readers will need Newstech to fire on all cylinders.
Every little thing will matter: Ever since Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar took over in May this year, there has been talk of raising the FDI limit in news media, from 26 to 49 per cent and maybe 100 per cent.
The Wada plant guarantees prompt access to all spare parts. The customer can contact the Newstech spare parts department around the clock.
The newspaper industry in India has been witnessing investments. The AV Birla Group picked up a 27.5 per cent stake in Aroon Purie's India Today Group. A trust controlled by Mukesh Ambani funded the merger of Eenadu TV (which he owned) with Network 18. In 2014, Ambani took management control of the media major.
The Newstech team of 22 comprises of expert electronic and electrical engineers
The campus boasts of an organic farm which cultivates organic vegetables
Newstech has extended its support for the sixth edition of PrintWeek India Awards by sponsoring ‘Magazine Printer of the Year 2014’ category.
Parksons Graphics was the Business Magazine Printer of the Year 2013. The shortlisted companies for Magazine Printer of the Year 2014 are: Galaxy Offset (India), Jak Printers, Parksons Graphics, Silverpoint Press, Spenta Multimedia, Thomson Press (India)
Newstech: Mailroom systems for your news
Mumbai-based Newstech headed by Roy Alex has served the newspaper industry for three decades. The firm moved from their Turbhe unit to set up a new manufacturing plant at Wada (near Mumbai). The new plant produces mailroom kit like stackers, vertical and horizontal conveyors and joggers. The plant caters to the local as well as export market. In fact its first order to Russia is in the final phase of production.
Glimpses from PrintWeek India’s visit to Newstech’s manu