Govind Bhargava: It’s a milestone year for AIFMP
Govind Bhargava is the president of the All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) during a crucial year; the AIFMP's diamond jubilee celebration. Bhargava whose interests include playing golf and listening to classical music and ghazals responds via email to a set of 10 questions.
16 Oct 2012 | By Samir Lukka
Govind Bhargava: It’s a milestone year for AIFMP
Ramu Ramanathan (RR): What was your first task when you became president of the AIFMP?
Govind Bhargava (GB): We started off with streamlining the functioning of the Federation, to make an outline for the whole year’s work, boost the current projects and plan some new ones.
RR: This is the Diamond Jubilee year celebration. What are the AIFMP’s plans to build a brand for print? Please give details.
GB: It’s a milestone year for AIFMP; this year we would like every affiliate to conduct programmes which are beneficial for the industry. We would also like affiliates to organise social events especially for veterans of our industry, honour them and honour printing presses which have given service for more than 60 years old. The Diamond Jubilee year has just begun and we are contemplating with regards to our plan during the governing council meeting, Federation and each of its affiliate must lay the foundation of one major project for the benefit of the industry this year to mark this grand milestone.
RR: In a competitive market-place, in what way will AIFMP re-model their business concepts and brand-building? If yes, how?
GB: Whether it is a Company or a Federation, it has to be effective and efficient – that is foremost and basic requirement. Once that is accomplished there is scope for new ideas to take off - remodelling may be required to adapt to the changes.
RR: What is the future of Pamex? Plus the Beauty Mart show along with it?
GB: Pamex has always been a hit. AIFMP would like to see Pamex as India's best machinery show in times to come. Efforts will be made to make it consistent in terms of periodicity, dates, etc. Beauty Mart will complement Pamex, showcasing fancy packaging products besides beauty products - a further step could be to add fancy commercial printing and POP products for the benefit of printers and print buyers.
RR: Other than keeping the print industry abreast with the technological developments; what is the AIFMP roadmap for the funds accrued from the Pamex profits?
GB: Education and training will our first goal. Deployment of funds for education and training will be the best investment for the future of print. This can be done directly as well as through affiliates.
RR: More than the costs of printing and bindery is the cost of paper. Is there an attempt by AIFMP to address the issue of paper procurement at a fair price for a vast majority of the 2,50,000 print firms?
GB: Yet again we are trying for waivers on import duty especially for book printing paper. Rationalisation of duties on paper and board is required to be able to compete with international competition with regards to price and also withstand inverted duty structure.
RR: Customers have an unrealistic idea of how little they ought to be able to pay for print. Will AIFMP plan a series of workshops for print consumers about the price of print (like NPES or IFRA)?
GB: Definitely AIFMP is interested in consumer awareness workshops, frankly our planning of such events is still in its nascent stages and things are yet to take shape.
RR: Has the work begun on the pre-Budget memorandum to the central government? In this sense, what is the status of vital agencies like Development Council which enabled regular lobbying with Government of India?
GB: Yes, pre–Budget memorandum has already been submitted. Development Council has been reconstituted and its first meeting is scheduled by the end of October, proper agenda and detailed memoranda has been drawn to pursue matters with the Government.
RR: Is there a pan India co-ordination for Printer’s Day 2013, so that Association activities can be leveraged better?
GB: Celebrations to mark Johannes Gutenberg’s birthday on February 24 were started about a decade back and we named it Printers’ Day. Different Associations organise interetsing programmes to commemorate the day.Pan-India coordination is already there.
GB: It’s a milestone year for AIFMP; this year we would like every affiliate to conduct programmes which are beneficial for the industry. We would also like affiliates to organise social events especially for veterans of our industry, honour them and honour printing presses which have given service for more than 60 years old. The Diamond Jubilee year has just begun and we are contemplating with regards to our plan during the governing council meeting, Federation and each of its affiliate must lay the foundation of one major project for the benefit of the industry this year to mark this grand milestone.
RR: In a competitive market-place, in what way will AIFMP re-model their business concepts and brand-building? If yes, how?
GB: Whether it is a Company or a Federation, it has to be effective and efficient – that is foremost and basic requirement. Once that is accomplished there is scope for new ideas to take off - remodelling may be required to adapt to the changes.
RR: What is the future of Pamex? Plus the Beauty Mart show along with it?
GB: Pamex has always been a hit. AIFMP would like to see Pamex as India's best machinery show in times to come. Efforts will be made to make it consistent in terms of periodicity, dates, etc. Beauty Mart will complement Pamex, showcasing fancy packaging products besides beauty products - a further step could be to add fancy commercial printing and POP products for the benefit of printers and print buyers.
RR: Other than keeping the print industry abreast with the technological developments; what is the AIFMP roadmap for the funds accrued from the Pamex profits?
GB: Education and training will our first goal. Deployment of funds for education and training will be the best investment for the future of print. This can be done directly as well as through affiliates.
RR: More than the costs of printing and bindery is the cost of paper. Is there an attempt by AIFMP to address the issue of paper procurement at a fair price for a vast majority of the 2,50,000 print firms?
GB: Yet again we are trying for waivers on import duty especially for book printing paper. Rationalisation of duties on paper and board is required to be able to compete with international competition with regards to price and also withstand inverted duty structure.
RR: Customers have an unrealistic idea of how little they ought to be able to pay for print. Will AIFMP plan a series of workshops for print consumers about the price of print (like NPES or IFRA)?
GB: Definitely AIFMP is interested in consumer awareness workshops, frankly our planning of such events is still in its nascent stages and things are yet to take shape.
RR: Has the work begun on the pre-Budget memorandum to the central government? In this sense, what is the status of vital agencies like Development Council which enabled regular lobbying with Government of India?
GB: Yes, pre–Budget memorandum has already been submitted. Development Council has been reconstituted and its first meeting is scheduled by the end of October, proper agenda and detailed memoranda has been drawn to pursue matters with the Government.
RR: Is there a pan India co-ordination for Printer’s Day 2013, so that Association activities can be leveraged better?
GB: Celebrations to mark Johannes Gutenberg’s birthday on February 24 were started about a decade back and we named it Printers’ Day. Different Associations organise interetsing programmes to commemorate the day.Pan-India coordination is already there.
RR: 2012 has been the Drupa year. Is the Indian print market as desirable as it sounds?
GB: Half way through Drupa, most of the representatives and the offices of foreign companies from India had already crossed their ‘Drupa’ target. All the giants and big brands are bullish about the Indian print market. Even though the economy has not shown the desired growth, still it is better than economic conditions in many western countries. Printing and packaging are constantly showing better growth than other industries in our country. All this shows that Indian print market will be keenly watched for sometime to come.
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