Anand Limaye, former president and chairperson of the Awards said, “The Lifetime Achievement Award which I conceptualised and initiated when I was president of MMS is conferred on an industry stalwart who inspires all of us. This is an industry trail blazer who has contributed specially to our industry through innovative development and creating a mark in the international market plus giving back to society."

He added, “This year the Award goes to one of print gurus, Pranavbhai. A plate manufacturer and technocrat, Pranavbhai is basically a printer in his heart of hearts. He started his career from Printwell. And once upon a time, that printing plant in Mahalaxmi set the benchmark for high quality magazine printing."

Limaye added, “Later at the TechNova factory, besides creating the latest and best in plate manufacturing, he developed a substitute to positives which was a huge relief to the small printers. Pranavbhai’s journey from conventional plates to PS, from CTP plates to processless plates is a remarkable one. Today, TechNova is the fourth largest manufacturer in plate-making and second largest in chemicals. It is my personal opinion, but thanks to TechNova, the prices of plates are under control in India. He is a man of integrity and ideas, and a believer in processes and systems."

The MMS Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted during the Golden Jubilee year of Mumbai Mudrak Sangh (MMS) in 2004. Since its inception, the Award ceremony has been hosted as a day-long Printer’s Day celebrations. The Printer’s Day celebrations by MMS is organised to pay tribute to the man of the millennium, the creator of the movable type, Johannes Gutenberg.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award program, the MMS Printer’s Day Celebrations will have two distinct segments. The first is the MMS Roundtable and Power Lunch session which is the brainchild of Tushar Dhote and Ramu Ramanathan. It is a unique platform where master printers can network plus share knowledge, one on one.

Limaye stated, “The second segment is a knowledge-sharing seminar. In this segment, a range of motivational speakers, thought leaders, and innovators share their journeys and key learnings from their experience. This conference segment is a dynamic learning opportunity — what with Drupa 2020 three months away."

PrintWeek is the official media partner for the Printer's Day celebration on 22 February in Mumbai.