Puneet Datta expresses his views on "Will Indian newspapers opt for digital?"
Indian newspapers are pro print, but will the digital cost viable be relevant for India. Three digital players debate the inherent conflict between reader experience and revenue modules.
08 Sep 2013 | 3846 Views | By PrintWeek India
Puneet Datta, director – marketing and sales, Canon India
The Oce wide format series with 30inch web width along with Manroland finishing is oriented to operate at high speeds and is an effective online finishing solution for newspaper printing. Along with the hardware, Oce is also part of the digital newspaper network since 2001 with installations in Europe, Asia and Australia.
With the subscription base in India being on a higher side, it is presently not viable to print on digital presses. The various plausible reasons for moving to digital presses for newspaper printing will be to provide home country content internationally or micro-zoning. In addition, lack of skilled manpower available in smaller locations and huge investment costs for setting up newer facilities in remote locations can also be one of the reasons. Nevertheless, digital presses are not likely to replace the traditional modes of printing. They are more likely to complement existing systems, and help create newer avenues for revenue generation like hyper-local editions. It can also be effective for newspapers planning to adopt print close to demand, combine web and print or match traditional formats in look and feel. However, the huge subscription base in India even for small zones makes the traditional printing more economical.
Technology will provide efficiencies in production, printing and distribution, which will make producing short-press run printed products profitable with subscription and advertising models. The focus will have to be newer avenues of revenue generation. I would urge newspaper printers to gain the first mover advantage of moving to digital printing to address issues like declining circulation, ageing readership, shrinking advertising revenues, competition with online media, fragmentation of markets, and increasing cost for transportation or logistics.
Technology will provide efficiencies in production, printing and distribution, which will make producing short-press run printed products profitable with subscription and advertising models. The focus will have to be newer avenues of revenue generation. I would urge newspaper printers to gain the first mover advantage of moving to digital printing to address issues like declining circulation, ageing readership, shrinking advertising revenues, competition with online media, fragmentation of markets, and increasing cost for transportation or logistics.