IT city's print firms in expansion mode

There's a lot of print action in the IT City. Bengaluru is seeing a spate of plant expansions. In 2012, we reported about Geetanjali Graphics, Ramya Reprographics and Ravi Graphics. This year, one can add Abhimaani, EssCee, Jwalamukhi, Tholasi and Vishwakala. This year has seen three new presses being installed in the IT-city: two Komoris, one each at PentaPlus and Bengaluru Offset, and a Heidelberg CD 102 at Tholasi Prints India.

24 Apr 2013 | By Samir Lukka

G Nagsundar of Geetanjali Graphics, who is also president of Karnakata Offset Printer’s  Association said, “Printers in Bengaluru are decommissioning their older kit and opting for new ones.”

He said, "The basic trend which is noticeable in this region is to bring out quality product to the fullest satisfaction of the customers. It is in this process that the Bengaluru printers are continuously updating their facilities."
 
Geetanjali is a case in point; having shifted into a brand-new 40,000 sq/ft premises. Nagsundar is planning to add a heatset press to the existing arsenal of a Komori heatset 635, a Kolbus 21-clamp perfect binder plus a 30-form gathering online trimmer and two coldset presses from Orient.
 
Nagsundar said: “In spite of credit issues and hike in paper prices, we find Bengaluru print firms delivering the best quality. The investments match the requirements of our market segments and build on the Bengaluru print industry’s ability to respond flexibly to a very dynamic market.”

In spite of a sluggish period, he expects the top print firms to notch solid revenues. His own firm hopes to up the ante from Rs 20-cr to a healthy Rs 32-cr by the end of the financial year.

Nagsundar who is vice president of the All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) seeks to "take steps for better co-ordination among the print associations. We should reach out to the remotest parts of the country so that the printing fraternity gets the benefit of latest technology."

He added, "Since I have just been elected, I am formulating plans to create a big conclave for the print firms of this region. This will help in gauging the most required activities to further the cause of the AIFMP. As of today there is no statistics available on the number of printers, their locus standi, paper consumption, consumption of consumables, their workforce etc. Hence my objective would be to get a survey conducted to know such details and share with everyone; so that we can create a structured plan for the development of the industry. This will put in place the steps to move forward. Another important aspect would be holding technical seminars (as we have been doing at the Toptec building) with the sole purpose of enriching the knowledge of our fellow printers."