Oldest Chandigarh printer migrates to labels for survival

Sample of labels produced by Azad First. Photo PSA

Lalit Azad, the managing managing director of Azad Get-go, is an IIT Roorkee graduate ceremonious engineer. Azad's male parent, a liberty fighter, began the family printing business in 1947 in Ambala Cantonment shortly later independence. The business acquired its outset treadle letterpress printing motorcar in 1950.

After his graduation, Azad moved the business organisation to Chandigarh. He saw a sudden increase in business organisation inside a couple of years. In 1974, under the government'south scheme to better the country of offset printing in India, Azad was sent to Frg as part of the 13-member grouping from India to receive rigorous training in press. Azad received training from Polygraph, the manufacturer of Planeta press presses in erstwhile Due east Frg. On his return from Federal republic of germany, Azad purchased a Planeta 22 x 32 inch offset printing printing.

Lalit Azad, managing director of Azad Outset

Recently, Azad purchased a second-hand Heidelberg Speedmaster 102, 28 x forty inch 4-colour commencement press. Apart from this, Azad owns two Dominant presses and a single-color Roland 28 x xl inch offset press. "We have invested close to Rs 3 crores in this unit. The cut-pharynx competition in Chandigarh has reduced the margins to a large extent. There is sheer overcapacity in the city and the print runs are coming downwards. Also, in such a scenario we accept to keep a close watch on our expenses," says Azad.

Used presses fit for purpose in Chandigarh market

Azad has and so far never bought a brand new printing printing. The machines purchased by Azad are mostly a decade sometime. "A Rs 4 to 5 crore automobile will surely give me college productivity but at the same time, the market doesn't give me enough money to exist able to beget that machine.

Heidelberg Speedmaster 102, 28 x xl inch four-color offset press. Photo PSA

"With these used machines, my productivity goes down by 25%, but one has to consider production only when the need is on a equivalent scale. The rates will anyway remain the aforementioned. If I'1000 able to service customers with a 2nd-manus printing press pretty efficiently, I don't meet a reason in investing more than money in a brand new ane," Azad explains.

Slowdown & short runs

Azad says that Chandigarh has close to 150 printing presses in the urban center whereas the demand is not enough for these printers to be able to sustain businesses. He says that a slowdown in the market pegged with the increase in brusk runs is eating upward the commercial printing market place. For short-run press Azad has purchased a Xerox 550 13 x 19 inch production printer.

"So far, we have not idea almost investing more than in the digital technology. Somewhere in dorsum of our minds, we do have plans but nosotros volition appraise the state of affairs closely as always before taking any farther pace. For one, we will non invest in whatever printing equipment this year," Azad shares.

Azad feels that the need for impress advertizing has declined sharply. He says, "Inflation in the market place has a huge office to play in demand. Print is no more an constructive media for advertising. We used to take at least fifty advertisers in our customer base, which has now reduced sharply to 5 customers only. Nosotros are able to survive only because of our quality and timely service."

Azad invests in a 2d-mitt Marker Andy for labels

6 months ago, Azad purchased a second-hand 8-colour Mark Andy narrow web flexo label press. Labels, he feels, is a segment that volition abound along with the growth in packaging. "We bought the auto which originally costs most Rs. 4 crores for merely Rs 80 lakhs. Currently, we print close to 2 lakh labels daily. Nevertheless, we have not been able to penetrate this segment equally much as we had anticipated. There are a number of characterization printers in Baddi and they have the major share of the market in this region. We have invested in the Mark Andy only to be able to survive in the market as the demand for commercial print is downward," Azad adds.

The second-hand Mark Andy is capable of printing at least 10 lakh labels a mean solar day according to Azad but his company is non able to utilize the auto's capability fully for lack of demand. The press has foiling and embossing adequacy every bit well. "If and when nosotros're lucky, nosotros use this machine twice in a calendar week. With this pace, it volition take some time for us to become the ROI on this label press," Azad concludes.

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