Venugopal Menon,
Bobst India
There has been a slowdown in the early part of 2011 in India. How do you rate your performance?
Yes, the year started a bit slow but then it picked up from the second quarter. We have had a good year in India and folding carton has been growing and so has been our customers. Also with the start of manufacturing of all range of Bobst Folder Gluers in India since 2010 for India and the global market, Bobst India has had a great success and it was a record year of sales in 2011 for the folder gluers in Indian for us. That said, we all have to agree that the present sentiments are still a bit low, with the increase in interest rates, global economic climate and inflation, dampening short- to medium-investments.
Do you see Pamex as being able to provide a boost to your fourth quarter numbers?
Not really. We are almost towards the end of the year. Also, in our kind of industry, which is high value capital goods, quick decisions are hardly taken. But yes, customers do start planning their investment for the next financial year and how they would like to steer their company.
One exciting space is digital print. Do you agree / disagree? Which other segments are exciting? Do you’ve qualitative data (number of installations, growth numbers, b/l statements) etc) to prove your point?
Bobst per se, is not a digital company. But having been in the industry for so many years, I can say that label, folding carton, high quality magazine and book printing (mainly exports) are exciting segments. Label and folding carton is on a growth path with 10% and 15% growth respectively. We at Bobst, have crossed the 500 installation mark in India and we hope to double that figure in the next five years.
Most firms have become pan-Indian and have an out-reach across the length and breadth of India. What have you gained from your customers during your travels? Any anecdotes?
Bobst India is headquarterd in Pune in a sprawling 70,000 sq/ft site. At present our sales managers and service engineers are based out of Pune as well as Delhi, Mumbai Bengaluru and Chennai, from where we service our customers. With growing customers in B-tier and C-tier cities, we have had customer asking for service stations near them. Hence we have decided to add service engineers based in cities like Calcutta, Vadodara and Chandigarh. In terms of gains, we receive regular feedback from our customers, and based on these, we have made modifications, developing special devices to folder-gluer. The mini crash lock bottom device, is an example. This is a first in the world from India.
We are seeing a lot of action in the B-tier and C-tier cities in India. What are you long term goals for these cities?
I agree. Over the last few years we have seen growth coming from B-tier and C-tier cities in India and this will continue. Print and packaging always existed here, but it is only now that the realisation to augment technology to be more productive and efficient, has dawned upon them.
Your plans for Pamex? What are you showcasing?
Bobst will not be showcasing any machine but will be promoting the Bobst open house on cost-effective through lean manufacturing and with better financial management, planned on 8-9 December in Pune. At Pamex though, we will have our partner company Heiber+Schroeder from Germany showcase its window patching-cum-liner machine and for the first time in India their WPS 1100 model, running lined cartons.
What have you identified as areas of potential growth for the company. Which project / customer has been the most satisfying one for you?
Potential areas of growth for me can mean three things: customers / zone / end-user segment. As far as customers are concerned, as and when they grow and expand we are there to support and service them. As far as the zone is concerned, as mentioned earlier, we want to be present more in these B-tier and C-tier towns and offer these customers the best technology so that they can be more cost effective and productive and thus in terms be more profitable. As far as end-user segments is concerned, I feel the India growth story is here to remain and we as Indian’s thrive even in this local and global chaos and uncertainities. Segments like pharma, food, personal care, liquor are all growing and will remain the main growth areas.
One final question. Clearly it’s difficult to predict the future, but based on your knowledge, do you think print will be around for another 100 years?
The iPads, tablets, smart phones, internet etc are driving the digital revolution. But I feel the print will still remain as the visual treat , sensory touch, intellectual gratification and the joy of fifting are few of the things which the digital media cannot replace. Thus I feel the print is here to stay for many many more years to come.
Peter Rego,
Heidelberg India
There has been a slowdown in the early part of 2011 in India. How do you rate your performance?
Heidelberg India has performed very well. According to the import statistics of brand new sheetfed units coming into India in FY11, we have market share market of 70%.
Do you see Pamex as being able to provide a boost to your fourth quarter numbers?
Yes, we are confident that Pamex will be good for us, and would give us the impetus to increase our market share.
One exciting space is digital print. Do you agree / disagree? Which other segments are exciting? Do you’ve qualitative data (number of installations, growth numbers, b/l statements) etc) to prove your point?
With Heidelberg entering into a partnership with Ricoh in various places worldwide, the future does seem interesting. We all know that digital and offset are two different segments which will co-exist . The real excitement is the upcoming Drupa in May 2012 - the launching pad for innovations for the next four years .
Most firms have become pan-Indian and have an out-reach across the length and breadth of India. What have you gained from your customers during your travels?
Heidelberg India has its presence in eight major metros and cities and with most of the regions being self sufficient, travel is reduced. This is a major advantage for us and we had foreseen the growth in India, and had planned accordingly. To add to this teleconferencing and other advanced IT means of communicating are helpful. It is always interesting to meet different customers in different corners of India, having different ways of thinking and different business approaches.
We are seeing a lot of action in the b-tier and c-tier cities in India. What are you long term goals for these cities?
We are already present in the prominent B-and C tier cities and have our sales and service teams stationed there. We have done excellent business in these places during 2011 and the we expect the trend to continue in 2012 as well.
Your plans for Pamex? What are you showcasing?
We will be showcasing an entire commercial workflow line which includes the Heidelberg Suprasetter A 75, Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74- 5+ L offset press, Polar 115 XC Plus and Heidelberg KHC 78 folder. This reiterates that Heidelberg is the only manufacturer in the world who can offer an authentic one stop solution .
What have you identified as areas of potential growth for the company. Which project / customer has been the most satisfying one for you?
Every customer is important to us and we are satisfied if the customer is satisfied with our presses. We see a growth in the packaging segment and with our CD 102 press being enhanced with the latest technology, we foresee a growth in this segment .
Print has become a part of IT operations – and this will be the next step in the print industry’s evolution. Your views.
Absolutely right, IT is already playing a major role in print industry , and this trend will become increasingly stronger in the years to come.
One final question. Clearly it’s difficult to predict the future, but based on your knowledge, do you think print will be around for another 100 years?
We normally look at a horizon of ten years, and we can confidently say that print will definitely be around for this period. Coming to the 100 year question - yes, print will in some form, still be relevant. Even if it is not, you will not be there to hold it against me, and neither will I. So let’s go along with a big ‘YES’!
Bhalchandra Nikumb,
Kodak India
There has been a slowdown in the early part of 2011 in India. How do you rate your performance?
Kodak has a broad portfolio of integrated solutions for the printing industry. We operate in a multi-product, multi-segment space spanning across various customer segments such as commercial, newspapers, packaging, book publishing and transactional. Our performance till date has been in line with our expectations.
Do you see Pamex as being able to provide a boost to your fourth quarter numbers?
Pamex is one of the key trade shows for the printing fraternity in India, and a major trade show in India before Drupa next year. Kodak is participating in Pamex from a long-term perspective. This show will help us in generating leads for future sales as well as for customer engagement on face to face basis.
One exciting space is digital print. Do you agree/disagree? Which other segments are exciting? Do you’ve qualitative data (number of installations, growth numbers, b/l statements) etc) to prove your point?
Digital print is certainly an exciting space, and we believe that in India, this segment is still in a nascent phase and is expected to grow with accelerated pace in the near future.
Most firms have become pan-Indian and have an out-reach across the length and breadth of India. What have you gained from your customers during your travels? Any anecdotes.
Our footprint is growing across India, we have strengthened our sales and channel network to ensure that we are increasing our penetration across India, in order to reach out to customers, across metros as well as Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. With the inputs we gain, we ensure that these are fed back into the system, as applicable.
We are seeing a lot of action in the B-tier and C-tier cities in India. What are you long term goals for these cities?
Similar to the global market scenario, where India is considered a growing and emerging market, if we look at India geography specifically, Tier-2 cities are emerging as growth markets with strong potential. Our long term goals are to gain traction in these geographies by building on our market presence in these markets.
Your plans for Pamex? What are you showcasing?
We will be showcasing the entire range of integrated solutions from Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group.
What have you identified as areas of potential growth for the company? Which project / customer has been the most satisfying one for you?
Digital printing solutions, packaging solutions and repress and workflow solutions, are key areas of potential growth for the company. We value each and every customer, and are committed to a long term relationship with all our customers.
Print has become a part of IT operations – and this will be the next step in the print industry’s evolution. Your views.
The current trend in printing is the migration from conventional to digital technology. Workflow solutions will play a vital role in this process.
One final question. Clearly it’s difficult to predict the future, but based on your knowledge, do you think print will be around for another 100 years?
Yes, Print will ‘Prosper’.
