Mudrika’s next leap is not a press, it is a new playbook — The Noel D'Cunha Sunday Column

Mumbai’s label specialist, Mudrika has a habit of making difficult jobs look routine. Years ago, when a global brand wanted a complex optical label effect that was being sourced from outside India, Mudrika took it as a challenge, worked through the process, and delivered it locally. That episode did not just win a job. It became a signal of how Mudrika thinks. It does not wait for the market to mature. It prefers to build capability early, then let customers catch up.

That same instinct sits behind Mudrika Group’s decision to invest in the Rotatek Universal 850, a press the company is positioning as India’s first 850 platform and among the earliest packaging-focused installations globally. For Manish Desai, director at Mudrika Group, the move is not about adding capacity. It is about expanding what Mudrika can produce, and where it can sell.

“There are certain applications we are not doing. And not just that, we are not only looking at India, as the only market, but we are considering the world as our market,” says Desai, framing the investment as a deliberate step towards export-facing growth.
Mudrika’s existing production base is not short on equipment. The company runs 14 flexo presses and Desai says it is “comfortably running these machines in very good production capacity”. The trigger is not volume. It is the next layer of capability.

Mudrika has built its reputation by being first to introduce multiple technologies into the Indian market. But Desai suggests the job mix itself is changing. “Converters are being pulled towards higher quantities, tighter repeatability, and shorter planning cycles. The pressure is not on whether Mudrika can print. The question is what it can print next, and what it can do differently.”

A platform beyond labels
Ask Desai what the Universal 850 is for and he does not give a single answer. That is the point. The press is being positioned as a platform that can move between multiple applications. “We can do flexible packaging, shrink sleeves, and also In-mould labels. Besides, of course, self-adhesive labels. So we can do everything on this machine,” he says. 

Mudrika has also specified the press as a complete configuration from day one. This is not a phased build where features are added later. Desai says the company has incorporated what it needs today and what it expects to need in the future. “The configuration what we have taken in this machine is complete because it is the first machine. So we have not taken any chances,” he says. “Whatever we required or in future requirement also we have incorporated in this machine.”

Mudrika’s logic is simple. If it is going to be the first reference, the platform must arrive ready to prove the case. 

Why offset, not CI flexo
Mudrika’s investment is also notable because it expands the company’s production thinking beyond its flexo-heavy base. Asked why CI flexo did not become the obvious next step, Desai points to ink systems and process familiarity. “CI flexo mostly is water-based inks and everything. But as Mudrika from the beginning we are very comfortable with the UV and LED inks,” he says. 

Mudrika is also not new to offset systems. Desai says the company already runs offset equipment and is familiar with the process. The shift, he suggests, is about converting that familiarity into a new packaging capability. “We are familiar with offset machines. The Universal 850 fits Mudrika’s comfort level with UV, LED, flexo and offset systems.

The energy story that matters 
Mudrika’s investment case is not built only on ambition. It is also built on operating logic. Desai says energy efficiency has been central to how the company evaluates the platform, particularly in relation to drying loads. “Most power is used for drying,” he says.

He also draws a line between LED and conventional UV consumption. “LED power consumption is much lower than conventional UV – a savings of 50% to 60%. That is the impact,” he says, adding that Mudrika has configured the press for both. “We can just swap between mercury and LED cassettes on the same power supply. It gives us flexibility. If UV-LED inks are not available, we can shift to UV.”

The sustainability argument also extends to waste. Desai expects the platform to deliver lower wastage and therefore a lower carbon footprint, linking that to automated controls.

“The wastage percentage for this machine is very low because it is a AI-driven system,” he says, adding that Mudrika will be able to quantify the gains more precisely once the press is in production.

Capital cost and mindset barrier
Producing packaging on offset at the web offset scale is still rare in India, and Desai believes the reason is not technical. It is financial, and it is cultural. “The capital cost is very high, and that makes investment a non-starter,” he says.

He compares it to the way Indian converters once hesitated to invest in new flexo presses at price points that now look routine. Over time, the industry moved from secondhand buying to new investments, driven by customer expectations and a changing competitive landscape.

“We were one of the first ones to invest in a new flexo press, and we were told that it was a big mistake. On hindsight, it’s a mistake we remember with much fondness,” says a beaming Desai. Mudrika’s bet is that the Universal 850 becomes one of those turning points, where early adoption creates an advantage that cannot be replicated quickly once the market catches up.

Discipline matters more
The Universal 850’s capability is significant, but Desai keeps returning to a different point. Running a high-spec platform is not simply about speed. It is about having the right people and systems around it.

“Manpower is very important to run this particular machine,” he says. “I need a technical manpower who has a technical knowledge of how to print, how to understand the systems and how to optimise the system.”

Mudrika’s approach is hands-on. Desai says, “We always understand machine and then we transfer the learning to our people,” he says.

He also points to raw material discipline and incoming inspection as a critical part of the workflow. “At present, we have a system where the incoming material is tested and only then used on the machine,” he says, adding that Mudrika plans to create a separate incoming QC unit for the new platform.

Security work without slowing 
Mudrika’s label reputation has been shaped by its ability to execute complex jobs, including security features. Desai says the Universal 850 is configured to integrate security elements inline, including variable data capability. “We have incorporated digital technology into the machine,” he says, pointing to QR codes, non-cloneable elements and hidden images as part of what the press can deliver, depending on customer demand.

For Mudrika, this matters because security work often becomes the point where production slows and complexity rises. The aim is to build capability without turning it into a bottleneck.

Machine with Mudrika’s fingerprints
Perhaps the most unusual part of the story is how deeply Mudrika has been involved in shaping the final press configuration of the 850 that will be installed at the company’s plant in Vasai.

Rotatek’s Ranesh Bajaj says Mudrika’s input has been central in deciding key outsourced components that complete the platform. “In the press designing process, Manish-bhai himself has helped me drastically, right from deciding which vendor to use be it the camera, autoregister or the spectrophotometer,” says Bajaj. “The printing intelligence all comes from Mudrika.”

Bajaj adds that the two sides have worked with open-book accounting while finalising the build. “He has helped us in all the technical as well as commercial negotiations for those add-on features to make a wholesome or a complete press,” he says.
Desai puts it more bluntly. “Mudrika has made this machine on lines of a contract project,” he says, describing how design decisions and module placement have been shaped by Mudrika’s experience across flexo and offset.

The depth of involvement is also reflected in the time spent on development. Desai says he has made eight to 10 trips in the last year, while Bajaj adds that discussions have extended to visiting vendors, benchmarking competitor operations, and studying global installations to improve the final specification.

The risk Mudrika accepts
Mudrika is not treating the Universal 850 as a low-risk investment. Desai acknowledges that every new technology carries uncertainty, but says the company’s confidence is anchored in its relationship with Rotatek and Bajaj.

“Every new investment, every new technology is a risk,” he says. “Together we have worked hard on this Rotatek project. We are confident that we will have a wonderful press.” Pressed on what could go wrong, Desai points to one commercial reality. “If the order book does not build at the pace expected, return on investment stretches.”