The initiative conceptualised by Anand Limaye of MMS - with the support of PrintWeek India - is an attempt to tap local data about print hubs.

Limaye said: "We know so little about the problems and challenges that our fellow printers face. Thane is near Mumbai, but there has been no attempt to find out who are the important print firms and trace their success stories."

The three-hour closed door session organised by Rajan Phadke of Rajmudra Printers focussed on how the Thane print market operates and sells print. During the round-table discussion, the print CEOs from Thane traced the development of print and examined where it lies in today's print spectrum.

Ramu Ramanathan, editor of PrintWeek India provided a presentation from an all India perspective, which gave the amassed printers an account about print in India, as well as the future of the print industry

Phadke gave an overview of how the Thane market functions and what is the price for print. "One of the most common reactions we get when we show buyers samples of what we can do is: 'Can we get a lower price?'" he said. "We must learn to walk away from such clients," he added.

Vilas Sangurdekar of Perfect Printers said "printers in Thane are being affected by rising paper prices and octroi." He felt some of the big print jobs from Thane are being procured by print firms in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. He added, to overcome this, Thane printers must take a more consultative approach with their clients, as experts on communications, rather than experts at putting ink on paper.

Nilesh Dhawan of Maharashtra Printers explained why there was a serious lacunae for trained labour and the industry has to make a special effort to attract the best of talent. He said, some of the best people preferred to work in nearby Mumbai or Navi Mumbai or even in shopping malls.

The event, which was organised by MMS with the support of PrintWeek India marked the first of " At Your Doorstep" briefings. Limaye said, MMS is committed to hosting such closed door sessions in key print hubs in and around Mumbai.