In two years, Sahil Graphics has exported mini offset machines to Dubai, Far East and North African markets. “We have installed over 2,000 units since the launch. Most of these are single and two colour sheetfed", says Shafiq Ahmed, the managing director of Sahil Graphics.
 

He adds, 80% of the demand Sahil Graphics caters to has been for single colour presses. Lately there is a demand spurt for two colour kit. Sahil Graphics produces several sizes. “The 24x37in size is our specialty,” Ahmed says. But it is the demand for non-woven bag printing machines that has widened the scope for this Indian manufacturer.
 

Sahil produces six types of non-woven D-cut bags printing machine. This includes models with single to four colour options, in addition to two colour satellite and double side single colour models. These two-in-one model machine can print non-woven fabric bags as well as paper. These machines are easily comparable to screen printing machines and flexo printing machine available in the market to print non-woven fabric bags. The machine models offer different speeds starting from 2000 to 8000 IPH (impressions per hour) depending on media type and machine configuration. The machines have a configuration of 14 ink rollers including three form inking rollers and five water rollers including two form rollers.
 

“You can also print halftone images with a different colour at a low price,” he says talking about the USP of the machine. “The printing effects of offset machines are more attractive compared to other machines, be it, flexo printing or screen printing. Sahil's machines can handle polymaster process,” he adds.
 

In the last two years, Sahil has installed over 275 machines of various configurations. Ahmed insists that the impetus in the market for non-woven bags was fuelled by the ban on plastic bags. “Non-woven fabric bags are known as breathable bags. Non-woven D-cut bags are environment friendly reusable bags. The non-woven bags look like a textile, but they are in-fact made from spun bonded polypropylene, commonly known as PP. People must adopt this environment-friendly bag keeping in view the fact that a plastic bag takes 450 years to biodegrade, thus causing immense harm to the ecology. Non-woven fabrics are engineered fabrics that may be a limited life, single-use fabric or a very durable fabric,” he explains.
 

Ahmed boasts that unlike several other machine manufacturers, Sahil Graphics’ machines have a wide base of installation across India. The company has installed a number of machines in north including 40 machines in J&K. On it's hometurf in Haryana, the company has installed 25 machines. And in Maharashtra, the company recently crossed the 100 machines’ mark. Interestingly, Sahil Graphics has installed 150 machines each in the South and North East part of India. “We have machines in remote towns in the North East,” he claims.
 

“The target customers for these products are small to medium enterprises with less than Rs. 50 lakh turnover. Another reason for the spurt in the demand is because of migration of screen printers to economical offset presses. Many first time customers, were initially screen printers with a staff of less than five people,” he adds.

 

Catering to demands

Sahil's unit in Ballabgarh is equipped to produce over eight units of sheetfed presses each month. The firm imports 10 machines each year, which it rebrands and calibrates according to the Indian conditions. “There are various components in the machine that are classified in A, B and C categories according to the casting requirements. We outsource the A and B class of products,” he says.
 

The company has had a strong online presence with seven domain websites registered under keywords related to Sahil Graphics. The strategy to use websites as a source has resulted in driving traffic as well as orders not just from India but from international markets too. In addition, the company also employs conventional marketing and sales strategies. “Sahil Graphics has several distributors across India; few of them are also associated with us on a contractual basis,” Ahmed shares.

 

Customer testimonial

East Delhi’s The 3G Carrybag Company started its operations nine months ago in Shahdra. Last year, the company ordered two two-colour and one three-colour non-woven bag printing machines from Sahil Graphics. Dara Khan, proprietor, of The 3G Carrybag says, “The market demand of non-woven bag currently is so high that we are not being able to meet the demand. We installed three machines. Each  machine prints over 150kg of bags, daily. Yet, the difference between the demand and supply is too high. Over the months, we have never faced any stoppage in the machine due to faults with the machine and the after-sales service is exemplary.”