- Print firms are being manned by second and third (and at times fourth) generation CEOs who are advocating chic management style and new positioning.
- Print accounts for 2% of India’s GDP – and will generate $31.25 billion by 2012.
- The period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 saw 283 brand new sheetfed units being installed. 2,813 pre-owned offset printing units were imported into India. This includes key sizes like 52 cms, 74 cms and 102 cms. Heidelberg leads the way with 29%, Komori (18%,) Mitsubishi (14%) and Adast (9%).
- Plant expansions among commercial printers, which is growing (in spite of all the doom and gloom reports) at 18%.
- Exciting new print centres like Ahmedabad, Baddi, Coimbatore, Daman, Ernakulam etc.
- Bending the rules means firms are innovating across pricing, promotion and products. Plus a 60% conversion to CTP technology.
- Packaging is growing at 34%. Of this folding box cartons is seeing an annual growth of 18% – and a print media production value of $1.07 bn in 2012. Furthermore, labels is growing at 24% at a value of $ 2.31-bn in 2012.
- Rs 2.32 trillion for education. Spending on higher education in India will grow at an average 18%. India currently spends Rs 46,200 crore on higher education.
- This is good news for my daughter, Tansihka’s generation. It’s also good news for print. More education, means more students, which means more books, and much more of print.
- With consumers getting brand conscious, consumers are being mesmerised by retail stores; and print is the best way to lure them.
- And finally, the advent of women in print thanks to digital presses. I was impressed when I was visiting Kadam in Pune, and one of my juniors from PVG was handling the Nexpress.
Sachin Shardul is tech editor at PrintWeek India
