When A to Z was an ally to the print industry

The late HK Lohana used to say, “It would be a good idea for six to seven print firms in Mumbai to pool their resources and establish an organisation with the latest technology and equipment. This is better than going solo.” And in a way, this is what the A-Z Industrial Estate did. HK Lohana who was popularly known as the Raja of the print industry and his company, Alert Packaging, had a raft of Heidelbergs that produced labels and cartons for cosmetics and premium print jobs.

Interacting with Vimmal H Surana, director of Indo-Europa Trading Company, the A-Z Industrial Estate housed all the major printers of Mumbai, including Uma Printers, Malti Art, Alert Packaging House, and TM Printers. The estate was also home to readymade garment units and several plastic injection moulding businesses.

The commercial print ecosystem of Mumbai is similar to how Mumbai’s dabbawalas operate. For a layman, it may look chaotic from the outside but the entire process is streamlined to the extent that the margins of error remain negligible.

In a similar fashion commercial printers operating from a gala (an industrial gala can be anything — a warehouse, an office, a godown or a manufacturing unit) system in the city of Mumbai have achieved high levels of efficiency even though the entire process isn’t streamlined.

Certain processes are completed in one gala and the next process is initiated in another gala till the end result is achieved. Commercial printers operating from an industrial estate knew what their competition was doing and yet there was harmony, co-operation, support and healthy competition in how they ran their businesses.

A-Z: Practical like a honeycomb
The building’s layout comprises a ground floor plus three additional floors. It has an area of about three lakh square feet, and the galas’ unit sizes vary from 250 to 1,200 square feet. When A-Z became operational, it was considered the best managed industrial estate in the city. It has two passenger lifts and four heavy-duty lifts with a capacity of 1.5 tonnes to facilitate the easy movement of raw materials and finished products.

The layout in the galas was designed in such a way that heavy multi tonne machines could be installed

Kumar Pandit, director of Malti Arts, was one of the first printers to begin operations in A-Z in 1969. Reminiscing about his time at the estate, he mentioned that while it was the best industrial estate in the city, it had its own set of problems in the initial days, which were subsequently resolved.

One of the early challenges for the industrial estate was obtaining clearance under the Factories Act of 1948. Pandit said, “Initially, there was a problem in getting the industrial unit approved under the Factory Act as there was no emergency exit on the other side of the unit.” To resolve the emergency exit problem, Pandit added, “Later on, a duct metal staircase was installed to overcome the issue.”

Another challenge in the early days was the shortage of electricity. Pandit shared, “There was a serious problem with electricity. Later, one more substation was built to overcome this issue.”

In the early days, the estate was designated for industrial activities, prohibiting any form of office activity. However, this restriction was later waived as the majority of industries housed within the industrial premises began relocating due to several factors. One prominent factor could have been the shutting down of fabric mills in and around the vicinity, as a substantial chunk of the labourers working in the mills also worked double shifts with the printers.

Pratap Kamat and the Uma legacy
Pratap Kamat bought Uma Printers with lock, stock and barrel in 1978 and set up his printing facility in A-Z Industrial Estate with an investment of INR 2,75,000. The gala rate was around INR 100 per square feet.

Overcoming the initial hurdles of starting a new commercial printing press, Kamat’s business started performing well. He shared, “Fortunately, I got good responses from clients, made good relations with clients and I got good people to deliver good quality. So, we progressed very quickly.”

The following year Kamat invested in another gala and by 1979, he bought a single colour offset machine. As his company was just a year old he faced challenges being a new entrant in the industry. A commercial printing press shut down in the vicinity and Kamat onboarded the entire team. Eventually business started picking up and within a year the business started doing well.

As the business progressed and expanded more galas were bought. By 2000 Kamat had bought nine galas in A-Z which were scattered across a wing of the premise. When he invested in a big format machine (28-40), he bought a gala on the ground floor. The printing process couldn’t be streamlined like an assembly line as the galas were scattered across one wing.

Eventually he found a place in Sewri at Rajiv Industrial Estate which provided him the area needed to set up an assembly line unit. Kamat sold four galas in A-Z and shifted to Sewri. Recalling the past, Kamat shared that Lower Parel became famous for industrial estates as old mills in the area shut down. The mill owners started selling off their assets; paving a path for industrial estates to be developed on the industrial land.

The advantage of A-Z Industrial Estate was that it was on the main road, close to Lower Parel station and Currey Road station. Since, the area was centrally located; workers employed in the industrial estates found it convenient to travel from the central and western railway lines. Kamat said, “A-Z is the best place to operate from if a printer wants to work in a gala system.”

One of the factors involved in Kamat’s decision making to move to A-Z was due to other leading printers being in the same compound. Another factor was that the gala was for sale which comprised of an office, a loft, punch-in and phone which in those days was a luxury and the property was very well maintained.

The Kaleido graphics journey
Shrinivas Virkar, partner at Kaleido Graphics, remembers when he began working at A-Z Industrial Estate in 1984. Later, he established Kaleido Graphics, which continues to operate from A-Z to this day. According to Virkar, it is “a well-maintained and disciplined industrial estate.” He further mentioned that the working atmosphere and infrastructure were very good, which wasn’t the case with other industrial estates mentioned earlier.

He started his printing business as a small unit. In those days, his biggest clients were from the audio cassette industry. Beginning with a single offset press, he expanded his business, acquiring another machine as demand grew. Virkar’s business flourished with the audio cassette industry, and he expanded his capacity whenever required.

Virkar is happy with the layout of the galas, stating that since individuals spend about 8-12 hours in their workspace and if the work atmosphere isn’t conducive, it makes daily execution difficult, especially when it concerns one’s livelihood.

The A-Z layout (horseshoe layout) was designed in such a way that large machines could be brought in without hampering the business activities of other galas. The working environment inside the estate was a safe haven for its workers. Even when the underworld was at its peak in the city, it had little impact on how print businesses operated within the estate.

So what happened?
Two things transpired. The late HK Lohana had shared with PrintWeek that, “The printers in Mumbai have a history phase of 35 years. And most of the printers who have preferred to close down are part of this business cycle.”

There are two obvious reasons for this. One: the technology that was supposed to be purchased was not done in time. And two: the labour had gone top-heavy.

Beginning of print in Mumbai
The city of Mumbai has a rich print heritage which began in 1674. An Indian businessman ordered a printing press which reached the shores of western India from London, marking the beginning of print in the city which still continues to flourish 351 years later. Since the 1790s, Mumbai has been the print hub of India and with every passing year, it seems to have consolidated its position. The city no longer houses printers clustered in one region though and commercial printers have established their businesses across the length and breadth of the city.

Several printers set up shop in the city, leading to the establishment of industrial estates catering to end-to-end services. These include the Shah and Nahar Industrial Estate, dubbed the Mecca of the print industry, the Akurli Industrial Estate in Kandivali East, and Bhumi World Industrial Park in Bhiwandi, to name a few. One such establishment was the A-Z Industrial Estate in Lower Parel, Mumbai, which began operations in 1969. It was constructed between 1965 and 1969 by Virwani Construction.

Impact of Covid-19
The global Covid-19 pandemic impacted most businesses. For some, it was a boon, but for the majority, it was a death knell. During the pandemic, several businesses shut down, including printers operating from the A-Z Industrial Estate. However, some persevered and thrived, one of them being Kaleido Graphics.

Virkar is satisfied with his business’s current performance and does not face challenges with skilled labour, as he runs a tight and efficient operation. He currently employs 30 people, 90% of whom have been with him since inception (approximately 38 years). All his employees were trained on the job, and Virkar considers them his extended family. He shared, “I think everybody who has survived Covid-19 will say that they have started doing better – better business, better profitability.”

Even today, the city of Mumbai has thousands of printers (big and small; offset and digital print) and almost everyone has work. But the moot question is, are they making profits? And are they abiding by the quality standards? If a survey is conducted among 300 corporate print buyers, one would realise approximately 50 print firms are serving these buyers.

These 50 firms figure in the list for the following reasons: Technical competence, equipment to handle the job, deep pockets to offer credit to the customers, and finally, the trust factor – clients are certain the printers will not indulge in unfair practices or allow any duplication or counterfeiting. Virkar says, “Once upon a time, A to Z provided this type of trust. And this trust was the bond between the customer and printer.”

The gala system in the print industry is quite fascinating as such industrial setups are quite rare in this day and age. A few commercial printers still operate out of A-Z that still follows the gala system with high levels of efficiency. The sun may have set on Mumbai’s print industry hub, but it has given rise to numerous printing businesses across the nation. A-Z Industrial Estate still stands strong, and though its corridors may not look the same, they hold stories that may have been forgotten over time. Touche!