Swifts’ 60 years - A new beginning

Swifts’ 60 years - A new beginning

Swifts Offset was founded by Shri Appasaheb Marathe, in 1955. Marathe was a humble refugee from Karachi, who went on to steer Swifts in its early years

In its early days, the company manufactured industrial lanterns for the merchant navy

Swifts was an OEM supplier for Premier Automobiles (PAL). In the picture is PAL's then chairman Seth Lalchand Hirachand Doshi (r) with the Swifts team

Marathe (l) demonstrating Swifts-manufactured automobile parts to Seth Lalchand Hirachand Doshi (r)

Team Swifts in the early 60s. In 1963, Swifts shifted to its independent premises in the heart of Mumbai at Marathe Udyog Bhavan, Prabhadevi

Marathe showcasing Traub machining centre to the visiting politicians

The Traub machine was the backbone of Swifts manufacturing excellence

It was in 1972 that Swifts manufactured its first mini offset printing machine, the Swifts 150 - an alternative to traditional letterpress

The New Prabhadevi Road was renamed as Appasaheb Marathe Marg in 1974 commemorating the visionary business leader

The second generation of the Marathe family, Sureshbhau Marathe (second from the right) showing the Swifts 150 to a leading businessman of the time

The launch of the Swifts 150 was considered so pioneering that in 1979, the Government of India honoured Swifts by awarding the prestigious President's Import Substitution Award. In the picture is the then union minister, George Fernandes, handing over the award to Sureshbhau Marathe

The then union minister, George Fernandes examining print samples produced on the Swifts 150

Sureshbhau Marathe shared a close rapport with Mohan Dharia (l) (former Union minister) and Vasant Gadgil, a world-renowned Sanskrit scholar and a Marathe family well-wisher

Swifts'plate making equipment (it was discontinued later)

Sureshbhau Marathe with his close aide Rajabhau Kelkar

Team Swifts with a technical officer from Canada as part of the inter-governmental exchange program of the time

Swifts stall at a printing exhibition

In 1986, Swifts set up a manufacturing unit at Nashik in Maharashtra

Team Swifts in the early 1990s

Swifts team at the PrintPack India in 1998. Swifts joined hands with AM Multigraphics USA in a bid to jointly manufacture the famous Multilith 1250 machines in India

In the new millenium, Swifts launched a promotion campaign with the introduction of a demo van

After a spell of over 34 years, Swifts re-opened its ancillary division and became an OEM supplier for Goss International. Swifts team with the technical team of Goss International in 2006. At the centre is Vasant Marathe, the third generation in the family

Vasant Marathe (r) in tech-talks with Goss' experts

Today, Swifts is driven by the father-son duo of Vasant Marathe(l) and Om Marathe (r)

At PrintPack 2015, Swifts introduced the VDP series of variable data printing machines, a new avenue for the small offset press maker

On 12 April 2015, Swifts celebrated its Diamond Jubilee at its headquarters in Nashik amidst a gathering of more than 100 clients, dealers and staff

The high point of the function was the showcasing of the Swifts VDP series of machines, which, according to Om Marathe, will now form a formidable part of Swifts portfolio

The fourth generation of Marathe family, Om Marathe said: “The VDP series will cater to a wide variety of applications requiring mass customisation."

This one of its kind kit uses offset machine construction with digital piezo electric printheads installed across the width of the roller. “The user is free to choose one printhead and adjust it along the width of the paper to decide the print area. Otherwise, there is an option of installing multiple printheads across the width of the paper to print anywhere on the sheet without adjusting the heads,” informed Marathe.