More than 85% of Indian printers are facing financial difficulties due to the lockdown: Kamal Chopra, president, AIFMP

What is the first task on your agenda as the president of AIFMP?

President or no president, my agenda is always the service towards the growth and development of the printing industry. This time, due to the long lockdown and again, due to restrictions imposed by the government on the printing of diaries and calendars for the government offices, my first preference will be to look at the micro and small printers because it is the question of their survival.  

More than 1,20,000 Indians have been fatally impacted by the virus. Based on your data - what has been the impact on the print industry?

As for the impact of this fatal virus, printers are also a part of the society, and it’s a pity that some of them are also part of this huge number. But more than physical impact, Covid-19 influenced the Indian printers very hard economically. Indian printing industry is dominated by micro and small units. Going by the figures, if we believe there are 250,000 printers in India, I can say that more than 85% of these are facing financial difficulties due to this longest-ever lockdown in India.

How will you organise the governing council meetings and outreach programmes of the AIFMP during the next 12 months?

It depends. If things improve and government restrictions are over only then we can think of organising physical meetings. Until then, we are bound to conduct virtual meetings. We held the 249th and 250th governing council meetings on a virtual platform and it was a big success. Socialisation is always essential, and we are looking forward to it, let the conditions permit.

Will Q4 be better than Q3? What is the feedback from the 150 print associations who are affiliated to the AIFMP?

Anyone can answer that the fourth quarter will be better than the third one, but the question should be if it will be better than last year? Since schools and colleges are still closed, printing of calendar and diaries is affected due to government notifications, meetings on virtual platforms have affected the printing of the stationery. Above all, due to the pandemic the purchasing power of people is affected and therefore, the festival session this year may prove to be worse for printers who are fulfilling the printing requirements of festival season. Q4 may be somewhat better than Q3 but it would be worse than the fourth quarter of 2019.

How do you think the pandemic will impact commercial print? Are we going to see establishments shut down due to insolvency?

Commercial printing suffered and is suffering till date due to the pandemic conditions. The year 2021 may be the year of survival for all of us. Many changes are in store while starting our work, once again after this long lockdown. The Internet and digitisation is hitting normal printing very hard. Only recently government of India notified not to get printed the calendar and diaries, etc. But in a country where the internet is yet to reach 51% population, such a decision can be said to be tying a horse behind the cart. As per the available feedback, not less than 23% printing units closed or shifted their business during this period. As already said, the country is dominated with the micro and small printers, who are the most affected, because there was no means available with them to sustain the economic pressure due to close of work.  

Should there be any relief for businesses most impacted by the government restrictions?

As already said, I feel India is not fully prepared for complete digitisation at present, because as per the available data internet is yet to reach more than 51% population. It is true that digitisation is the future and it is bound to happen, but since we are not ready at present, we are working towards convincing the government to withdraw these restrictions. Since it is a state subject, all the affiliates will also be appealing to their governments on the same line. At the same time, I wish the media may also take up the subject vigorously. 

Covid-19 has accelerated the use of automation in some factories. Any examples you can cite from your members...

The pandemic conditions have taught us many lessons. I always believe that there are opportunities hidden in any pathetic conditions. Covid-19 trained us to live in a healthy and sanitized atmosphere, production with less working hands, come out of comfort zones to plan for the future and many more. These days many of us start saying, the internet is killing printing. Let’s get past the ‘print is dead’ misconception. The future of print is embracing the exciting new waves of communication and media innovation more than you might expect. Yes, the use of print has declined over the last two decades, but that ended a few years ago. The industry is now positioned to expand, especially with the oversaturation and privacy issues digital platforms experience today.

Do you see a potential opportunity to move into textile and garment printing?

As companies merge and streamline in record numbers, there will be fewer manufacturers, merchants, and printers. However, the ones that vigorously adopt new technology will thrive and grow. There are a surprising number of new opportunities, but the printers must be willing to make significant changes to take advantage of them. A well-positioned printer is really becoming a communications company, offering solutions above and beyond a traditional print facility. Perception has been a major element of the problem with misdiagnosing the decline of print. When you look around today, everything you see is printed, but people don't connect it with the printing industry. And that’s the future. The future is yet to be written, because it’s whatever the demand will be, whether it is printing wall coverings, table cloths or so many other things. The consensus is that big changes are coming. The top printing companies are embracing innovations, integrating with digital technology, and getting more customised. My perception is that printing is not only ink on paper. We will have to adopt new and innovative ideas.

One of the bright spots during the pandemic has been the eCommerce firms. Has the AIFMP reached out to these firms for learnings and business development...

The world has officially gone virtual. As industries respond to shifting consumer preferences in the wake of Covid-19, along with a widespread demand for pandemic-specific innovation, the new socially distanced reality is rapidly shaping the way we do business and interact. The printing industry of India, especially small and micro printers, remained untouched with eCommerce until now. Due to long lockdown, now the printer will have to learn the new ways of business and interacting with the customer and other people. It is presumed that eCommerce is going to increase further. Therefore, at AIFMP, we tried it and organised webinars on the subject and invited experts to highlight the areas of eCommerce for printing and packaging business.

On a personal note, how have you coped with the pandemic? What has been your approach to stay upbeat in these times...

Though I remained at home, it turned out to be a busier time during the lockdown than other times. I tried to grab the opportunities available in this time of difficulty and not only learned the working of virtual systems but also conducted a number of webinars under the banner of my home association Offset Printers Association (OPA). During these webinars, 106 industry experts were invited to educate the printers on various topics. Later, a video library was created at YouTube where more than 50 hours recording of these and some other events are now available for the guidance of the printers. Taking advantage of this period, we organised the Print Olympiad on virtual platform for the first time, which again was a grand success. During the lockdown, a national level competition ‘Print Wonders’ was also conducted on virtual platform to recognise the talent of the printers who are producing innovative and out-of-box ideas in printing.