A day in the life of Anuj Bhargava

When you read your early morning newspaper, besides half tones and colour reproduction you look for...
I look for promotions on electronics and cars.

When and how do you begin your day?
The day typically begins with checking emails, Whatsapp, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter messages on my phone.

Do you plan your day, meticulously? Or is it ad hoc? Or is there a blueprint for the day?
I have all weekdays planned for reviews with different departments, customers, suppliers and lenders. I reserve time for myself to do strategic planning and dreaming too.

One person with whom you like to share your daily drive to office. Why?
On phone with my uncle M K Bhargava, because I can bounce off my ideas with him and even at the age of 79, he has incredible suggestions to offer at all levels.

What’s the first thing you do on entering the office?
Take a tour of the factory while walking through the office to say hi to everyone.

How frequently do you interact with print production supervisors? What do you discuss commonly?
Twice a day preferably, but at least once in two days. We discuss how people are doing, any behaviour or discipline issues, any safety related incidents, any quality problems, pre-press or material problems and finally the output per shift.

With the fierce competition, high cost of entry and above all, the increasing threat from other media, do you find that traditional ink-on-paper is facing a serious threat to its survival?
I dont think that there is threat to traditional ink-on-paper. Packaging is definitely here to stay, unless humans can eat virtual food one day.

Which press does the best printing in India? Why?
It is hard to say. Printing is both, art (designs) and science (reproduction). So the best cannot be judged easily.

How do you rate your press as compared to leading printers the world-over?
Comparable in many areas, lacking in many, better in a few…

If you won Rs 10 crore through Playwin which printing equipment would you invest in?
I’ll buy machining centres and know-how to build our own machines. We recently entered the manufacturing business with the introduction of our brand “HassleFree Technologies”.

The best break through in print technology in the past hundred years?
Many, hard to mention just one.

Your favourite brand? Car?
I am not much into big brands. I admire good use of technology. Toyota is my favourite car.

For a working lunch if you met Johanes Gutenberg (the father of modern printing), what would you talk to him about?
I would ask him why he couldn’t invent simple ways to manage people along with inventing printing presses.

How do you motivate your sales and marketing team? Any new promotion strategy?
I would not disclose details here, but our one and only sales strategy is to achieve customer satisfaction, followed by customer delight.

The most frequently used mantra in your organization. Your corporate philosophy?
Service, service, service...make the customer an addict of your service…

The craziest deadline, you've come across?
We designed, printed and delivered labels for a Middle-East customer on the same working day and hand carried the same on a flight.

Your favourite excuse to your family when you’re late?
I have to innovate each time.

Has the domination of the printing industry reached a plateau with the arrival of new competitors?
Absolutely not, there are always new ways of doing things that will keep the industry alive.

Please comment of the technology and machines (press / pre-press / post-press / others) that you have invested in, in the past few years?
We have invested in technology keeping the market needs of now and future in mind. We have never been a blind follower and always kept quality and operations flexibility (that translates into quick service) at the top. That is why we chose intermittent letterpress, flexo, silk screen, offline cutting/foiling technologies.

In India, the two most important barriers are technology and cost. What advise do you have for the printer?
Don’t follow blindly. Set a clear strategic plan first before investing in equipment and technology. It is not necessary that success comes only with the most expensive equipment in the world.

How do you stay in touch with technological developments? In this sense, please comment on your official view on CTP technology and digital printing.
Best knowledge providers are equipment manufacturers. I enjoy interacting with our supplier partners. CTP obviously reduces variability and would become a “must” rather than a “want” in coming times. Digital will also fall in the same “must” bracket.

One person with whom you would like to have a face to face.
HR head of one of the biggest printing company in the world, to take lessons on people management.