PrintWeek Awards 2018 receives strong support from print industry leaders

Bhumi World has announced that it will support PrintWeek India Awards 2018 as the Infrastructure Partner.

“PrintWeek India Awards is one of the most prestigious print awards in the country, and we are pleased to be associated with it,” said Prakash Patel, the managing director of Bhumi World.

A first time supporter of the PrintWeek India Awards, Patel said, these Awards showcase the excellent range of diverse and innovative print samples that have been produced. “We are pleased to note that it’s not just the big names from the cities who have been winners of the Awards, but even print companies from smaller towns,” said Patel.

According to Patel, the mission of PrintWeek India Awards aligns with that of Bhumi World, which is committed to providing the best in infrastructural facilities at affordable prices. “The industrial park that we have developed looks like a commercial hub – complete with a lobby, waiting lounges, lifts, two entrances, one to the office and another to the factory.  There are toilets in each unit, and common toilets outside the blocks.”

Bhumi World Industrial Park (BWIP) started operations in 2008 and since then has delivered over 1,200 units out of which 950 units are operational.

And it’s not just about selling galas to buyers, said Patel. “Those investing in BWIP are eligible for 40% subsidy on their investment provided by the government towards the Make in India initiative.  For example, for a capital investment of
Rs 10-cr, Rs 4-cr will be eligible for a subsidy. The subsidy is equally divided in seven years. This reduces the cost of production by 40%.Besides, there’s subsidy in power charges at Rs 1.50 per unit, and 6% waver in stamp duty,” said Patel.

In every industrial block there are 120 units. Like the housing societies in Mumbai, BWIP has built the industrial block, forms a society of 120 units, and transfers the conveyance in the name of the society.

“So each unit buyer becomes a member of the society,” concluded Patel.

Heidelberg India, the German printing equipment manufacturing giant, has decided to continue its support to the PrintWeek India Awards. The company is the sponsor for  Packaging Converter of the Year (Luxury).

“The Printweek Awards have become the benchmark platform for recognition by setting high-quality standards in India.   These awards are now the Oscars of the Indian print industry, and Printweek India strives to make it better and more exciting and competitive with each passing year,” said Peter Rego, business head for equipment sales at Heidelberg India.

According to Rego, PrintWeek India gives you a reality check as to where you stand in the Indian print industry in terms of quality, innovation and financial results.  “A winner will always want to know where he stands in his line of business, and the non-biased evaluation by PrintWeek India does a good job here.”

Last year has been good for Heidelberg India.  “We have launched new innovations, and have installed some high-spec state-of-the-art presses, which are second to none in the industry,” says Rego.

He added, “In line with the new trends in many businesses across the globe, we have launched two exciting products. The first is the Subscription Model for sheetfed presses, and the second is SaaS (software as a service) in line with the “pay as per use“ model. The initial response has been encouraging for both these products and we are gearing up to take these to the next level.”

Print is evolving like never before and end user demands are changing by the minute.  “The new trends flexible, highly automated presses, using less touch points and more automation.” Rego, cautioned that all this requires well-trained operators. “It is important to impart regular high-level trainings to update these work force to get the desired  OEE results.”

Rego has this advise to the print community. “Listen to your customer/end user, inspire them with your products and services and deliver more than what is expected.”

Impel Services (Welbound), the post-press and book specialist, has confirmed its commitment to the PrintWeek India Awards 2018 for the categories – Book Printer of the Year (Academic & Trade) and Book Printer of the Year (Specialty) .

Book print industry in India is on a growth path, after an uptick of income from book sales across 2017. We are seeing a solid move back to physical books in the Indian market. Yes there are challenges, but these are not different from those many other industries are going through. Book publishers are positive about the outlook for the industry. There’s definitely an enduring appeal to printed books and there are a variety of reasons for that. Physical books have become celebrated once again as objects of beauty and publishers invest a lot of time and thought into making their print books beautiful, commissioning celebrated designers and illustrators and ensuring that print continues to be a desirable form of reading. This is one reason, book print exports from India are on a growth path, once again.

The challenge faced by the value chain is the recent increase in raw materials. This has made the contracts signed by printers look shaky on paper.  The exporters are boosted by the rupee devaluation on one side, but as most of the inputs or raw materials are imported - most of this benefit has been nullified.

The book print value chain - consisting of publishers and printers is closely knit and they will need to find a solution quickly.

It is important for the print community to understand and value the role that they play in educating a huge nation like ours. We can proudly claim that we are the most cost effective converters of paper to books, in the world. We help keep the books so affordable that they are accessible to one and all.

We need to celebrate our success, achievements and the large contribution that we are providing the society at large.

And the PrintWeek Awards for Book Printer of the Year is an important way to celebrate the resilience of the book industry.