PrintWeek Awards 2025: CDC Printers wins Factory of the Year

CDC Printers’ impressive financial performance, with an increase in gross sales and fixed assets, as well as net worth, further solidifies their standing.

A pivotal factor in this achievement is the establishment of a book printing plant in Ahmedabad, complementing their existing facilities in Kolkata. This new plant is a culmination of lessons learned and best practices refined over a decade of experience from their Kolkata factories, which served as crucial training grounds. Every flaw identified in Kolkata has been addressed with a preventive fix in Ahmedabad, resulting in cleaner, faster, and more reliable processes.

As per the CDC team, “In Kolkata, printing, binding, and packing were often separate steps, leading to potential errors. The Ahmedabad plant, however, integrates these processes into a seamless inline flow, significantly reducing personnel requirements, minimising errors, and accelerating output. Signature checks, previously manual, are now managed by a simple, colour-coded system, allowing for instant identification and eliminating confusion.”

The Ahmedabad plant’s layout was designed to optimise efficiency, with machines, packing lines, and loading docks strategically placed to avoid crossing paths and wasteful movements. Every square foot is utilised with purpose and intent. The results are visible. The Ahmedabad plant demonstrates remarkable efficiency. While the Kolkata factories require 55 people across three shifts to produce one lakh books, the Ahmedabad facility achieves the same output with just 20 to 22 people, showcasing the benefits of automation, smarter processes, and careful planning.

The current 80,000-sqft factory in Ahmedabad is just the beginning. The next phase includes a 2.5-lakh sqft packaging plant, which will feature its own waste management system and housing for workers. This initiative aims to internalise waste management, ensuring consistent results, and provide settled living conditions for employees, recognising that a content workforce leads to better output. This expansion signifies not just growth in production but also a commitment to dignity and responsibility.

This holistic approach to operational excellence and environmental stewardship has earned CDC Printers the Factory of the Year Award.

Sponsor’s Statement
DIC India is proud to participate as the exclusive Ink Partner at the PrintWeek India Awards 2025. This collaboration reflects our commitment to driving innovation, sustainability, and excellence in the printing and packaging industry. By engaging with leading brands, converters, and printers at this prestigious platform, we aim to strengthen industry relationships, celebrate outstanding achievements, and showcase DIC India’s role as a trusted partner in enabling award-winning print solutions.