India and the Printing Industry

The 4th annual Conference on Indian Economic Policy Reforms at the Centre for Research on
Economic Development and Policy Reforms, Stanford University, concluded that India’s growth
record in the 1990’s was commendable and with the continuation, and more so the completion of
some key reform initiatives, the potential for India to become a significant economic player in
the next decade is high. The deliberations of the Conference, offer a powerful insight to policy
makers in India. The world looks towards India with expectation, because it is poised to become
a significant economic player if the reform initiatives that have significantly commenced can be
taken to their logical conclusion. Notwithstanding the somewhat circuitous route India often
takes because of its commitment to democratic processes, in the end, it will do the right thing
and expectations will get the better. The Stanford Conference was one more resounding
reiteration of India’s ability to achieve the daunting growth challenges provided the agenda that
is now widely known and generally accepted can be implemented with alacrity. What are the
experiences of the major players in India?. This is an attempt for a very short analysis. India is
seen by the world as the most competent player in the present software revolution. Why the same
people cannot compete successfully in other field? The fact is that the Indian Software Industry
had the opportunity to grow on its own, without any control nor protection from the Government,
and more important, without much obligations to the Government and the political system. From
time to time, journalists of Printing Review International conduct survey in depth of the printing
and packaging industries. Progress made in information technology and developments in
computerization, digitalization and automation, in the field of printing industry, is becoming
more interactive - changing every aspect of our daily life. Internet use, on-line journalism and
e-commerce are growing. All these are creating market and new content improving products
and bottom lines. Printing industry requires more and more skills and resources, both human and
financial, to exploit new technologies.

Seminar, Conferences, Exhibitions provide the forces to deliberate upon the challenges and
opportunities, but as per the statistics available, out of 110,000 printing presses in India, there are
approximately 45,000 who have switched over their units by installing Offset Machine, sheetfed
or webfed. Indian Printing and packaging provides opportunities of employment to more than
700,000 people directly and about 450,000 to the circuitous persons. Such units are considered
to be at a different strata. Web Offset presses on which daily Newspapers of the country are
printed do not exceed 1,500, out of which large number are installed in the State of Kerala,
where there is a approximately 70% literacy rate. A large number of periodicals, daily, weekly,
fortnightly, monthly, bimonthly, in almost all the Indian languages are patronized. Besides,
specialized publications, trade journals, news magazines, text books etc. are on the steady rise.
Another aspect of the Indian printing industry is that the reputed Indian Newspaper, Times of
India, has installed an high speed News Press, manufactured by GOSS International Corporation
USA, who has recently invented a “Rail”, which is called “digiRail Inking System”, equipped in
their News Presses. Hindustan Times, another leading Newspaper has installed, three lines of “3
CtP Krause LaserStar LS Jet Violet with violet laser diode technology for use with silver plates”
from Germany which is the first fast CtP plate production system in the Indian Newspaper
market. The new economic policies of the Government of India is implemented with
transparency and without allowing anybody to exploit the situation or take undue advantage of
the changes, which now paves the way for similar competence in all other fields like –
agricultural, industrial or commercial. Man Roland of Germany has already forged alliance with
Manugraph in India, which manufactures Offset, Webfed World Class Printing Machines.
Mitsubishi also seems to be consolidating its position.

But, the erstwhile leader, Heidelberg of Germany, seems to be satisfied with the “Used
Equipment Business “ and some innovations in digital printing. Hindustan Machine Tools, was
formed in 1963 in collaboration with Oerlikon of Switzerland, by the Government of India, to
cater to the needs of the Indian Manufacturing Industries. Later, HMT had alliances with other
leaders also, like Leibher, Gieldemeister etc. As a part of diversification, HMT ventured into the
manufacture of wrist watches (1962) in collaboration with CITIZEN, Printing Machines (1972)
in collaboration with Nebiolo of Italy, and also, Tractors (1961), Dairy Machinery (1980),
Lamps (1976), Bearings etc. (In Printing Machines, it had another collaboration with Koenig &
Bauer during the 80s.) In 1984, HMT bagged the “Best Corporate Performance Award for
Public Sector”, instituted by Harvard Business School Association & Economic Times. The
relatively small Printing Machinery Division is now manufacturing Single-color, double-color
and four-color sheet-fed offset machines with PLC-based (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Messung)
controls, AC Inverters Drives etc. in two basic sizes, and Programmable Guillotine machines in
two sizes. As a result thereof, there exists a perennial demand for printed materials day by day.
With a view to combating the accelerated demand for the printed material, printing presses in
India are virtually working 24-hours a day. Still the demand is unmet. There is a significant and
urgent requirement for more and more printing houses, which are ought to keep pace with the
changing trends and advanced technologies. Significant arrival of the Computer-to-Plate and
now Computer-to-Press, Digital Presses, has brought the whole printing sector to an amazing
scenario.

Hologram - Hot Foil Stamping and the related technology has also arrived in India with a whack.
Upgrading and modernization of the existing units are an ongoing process, which emphasizes the
need for most advanced presses to cater the growing print needs. Now, how many can afford
luxuries of meeting such advanced opportunities? Magazines are the medium of reaching to the
printers given opportunities to disseminate information, analyze various equipment, products and
processes. Printing Review’s attempt is to present all the latest available information through its
regular issues.. If a printer looks at future, it is obvious that if they do not take advantage of new
technologies, print production and print media would become less-cost effective. The only way
to be competitive is to produce a timely, relevant better looking product. As the printing industry
evolves from a growth industry to a mature industry, there will continue to be opportunities for
innovative printers looking to grow and keep their business strong and relevant. To take
advantage of these opportunities, printing houses operating on conventional presses, need to
update significant change to their operation models. They must assess and redefine their
business and change the type of printing and ancillary services. Printing Review is committed to
bring awareness amongst printers of the changes taking place day by day; to make them
understand the implication to their business; and to evolve strategies to align their technologies,
equipment, process, products, and services with their target customers and market. Printing
Review has always cared of being useful to the printing industry, since its inception,
with challenge of becoming a lamppost to the manufacturers of indigenous printing machinery
and allied products; printers.

Source: http://www.trprint.com/printingreview/prnews.html