KG Suresh of Autoprint, four others conferred Life Achievement Awards

KG Suresh, as the director-technical, together with CN Ashok, started Autoprint Machinery Manufacturers in 1982. Since then, Autoprint has installed more than 12,500 machines in India and abroad. In a career spanning 30 years, Suresh has developed close to 50 printing and allied machinery at Autoprint’s facility in Coimbatore. With Suresh’s technical brilliance, Autoprint has developed world-class products in India, at affordable prices. The quality of the products is also acknowledged across the globe, resulting in a large contribution towards export.

With over 10,000 machines running in India alone, Autoprint’s machines have indirectly generated employment opportunities for at least 25,000 people. Meanwhile, Suresh has imparted his product design and development knowledge, through training and guidance, to many young engineers who are currently holding commendable positions both within Autoprint as well as outside.

SS Maan is the main man behind Maan Machine Tools, a firm known for its quality and relationship-building, which Maan established in 1974. Maan comes from a small village called Maanawal, 20-kms from the border of Pakistan in the outskirts of Amritsar. At the age of 14, he was selected for ITI and successfully pursued and completed the course in 1969. Thereafter, he shifted to Faridabad. He always believed in the adage, If others can, why cannot we. The company he established is now a trusted brand in countries such as the USA, UK, Scotland, Russia, Dubai, Turkey, Bangladesh, Iran and many more.

Shanti Pal Ahuja started his career in the printing industry in 1966 at the age of 21. In the next 15 years, he worked tirelessly in the print division of a family-owned business and was instrumental in developing various machines for their in-house use. He realised that the printing machines, being imported to the country, were expensive and the import process a nightmare. This inspired him to set up Multitec in 1983, to manufacture technologically advanced forms presses indigenously. Today, Multitec is run by a professional team, as Ahuja spends his time at the R&D centre.

Datta H Deshpande is the founder chairman and CEO of Pratham Technologies, established in 1988. He is a qualified engineer. The company is a mid-size engineering company having sales turnover of Rs 45-crore and 130 employees. It manufactures paper-folding, print finishing and packaging machines. The company has a market coverage all over the world, including countries, such as the USA, Europe, Canada, etc.

Ramendra Singh established Sond Engineering five decades ago. The company manufactures the Everest brand of cutting and creasing platens. It is one of the pioneers in India to produce quality machines to the international taste and standards. While the product is well recommended and appreciated in the domestic market, it has earned goodwill in the international market as well. 

During the opening ceremony, Rakesh Sodhi, president, IPAMA welcomed the exhibitors, business visitors, office bearers of various associations and other special invitees. Those present included Walter Kuhn, president, Print & Visual Commutation Association, Australia; Sok Rithy, president, Cambodia Printers Association; Atty Dominador D Buhain, president, Philippines Printers Association; M Chakravarty of AVPS, Global Ambassador of World Packaging Organisation; Manoj Mehta of Forum of Asia Pacific Graphic Art Association; Zulkor Shahin, convenor, International Affairs, Printing Industries Association of Bangladesh; Khomkanta Regmi, president, Federation of Nepal Printers’ Association and Peter Decker, president, Sri Lanka Association of Printers.

During the event, six exhibitors were also facilitated for booking bigger stall spaces. NBG Pantographics Machinery has the biggest stand at the show with 432-sqms, followed by Imaging Systems; The Printers House; Sodhisons Mechanical Works; VIG Graphics; and TechNova Imaging Systems.