Nagendra boosts turnaround with Bindwel install

Padmaja Movva of Nagendra Enterprises said, "Since our existing six-clamp machine is old, we started facing productivity issues, due to which we needed to work long hours from 6 am to 9 pm". She added, this includes Sundays. That's how the book and education print specialist opted for the Bindwel 12-clamp perfect binder - Freedom 5K.

Since the installation in the first quarter of 2025, Movva said, "We have brought down our working time to 9 am to 6 pm." Besides the time saving for the production team, it has also meant an improvement in quality and the consistency of quality.

The 75-staff Nagendra is on track for robust growth in 2025. The business serves a range of customers across various sectors, who require books, magazines, catalogues, calendars, pamphlets, and carton boxes. The company caters to educational institutions, especially renowned publishers in Andhra Pradesh, and local businesses surrounding Vijayawada and designers across 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh and two districts of Telangana.

The company runs Heidelberg kit including an SX 74 (2018) and an SM 74 L (2006). Also Nagendra boasts of a Fast 300 (2013) and a brand new Manugraph Cityline Express (2025), and a Cron CTCP 128 (2024), and a raft of Bindwel kit which has a Welbound six-clamp perfect binder (2005) and a three-knife trimmer (2014) and the recent most Bindwel 12-clamp perfect binder which was installed in February 2025.

Nagendra Press was founded by Baburao Gullapalli and Vijayalakshmi Gullapalli in the 1960s in Gudivada, a small town near Vijayawada. There was a time when Baburao was a child worker in a print firm. Later he became a freelancer. After marriage, he along with his wife started a press with a treadle press without a motor. In those days the machine was operated with the legs. Today the company is headed by the Gullapalli elder daughter, Padmaja Movva.

Movva said, "We pride ourselves on our quality. Our consistency is much better than our peers." She added, "Also we pride ourselves on our quick turnaround." In addition, Nagendra's workforce is better qualified and quality-conscious.

Padmaja Movva told PrintWeek: "The Bindwel was chosen due to the speed, quality, and types of book formats which we could perfect-bind, plus the reassuring presence of Anbukkarasu and Anil Kumar." As a result, the training and installation has been good.

Movva added, "My grandfather purchased a Welbound six-clamp machine in 2004-05. We continue to use the machine. Anbu sir has always been present and he has guided us throughout 20 years without any issues in service." She said, "Bindwel engineers have been helpful to us. They have guided us in understanding the machine and addressed all our queries."  

She signed off by saying, "It has been a long journey of more than a year. We have faced a lot of doubts and Anil sir and Anbu sir were hands-on to resolve all the queries till the purchase of the machine. They oversaw the machine installation and continue to remain in touch."

The Bindwel and the Manugraph have served Nagendra really well. And with all the investments, the next generation of technology is really going to improve the company's output and boost profits further.