Kamala Press in Varanasi hits a long road to packaging (Gearing up for exports)

Search for an ultramodern printing corner around Varanasi may come to an end only after stopping by Kamala Press, which is equipped with high-end machine portfolio comprising a Heidelberg SM-74. Anjani Kumar Singh, proprietor, Kamala Press (P) Ltd talks to Jyaneswar Laishram from Print & Publishing about the company’s fresh take on some strategic future moves. March 2015 will mark the completion of three years for the fourcolour Heidelberg SM-74 with auto plate loading at Kamala Press in Varanasi. As per the regulations of Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) of the Government of India, those firms that have been using imported machineries earning foreign currency at various levels and 100 percent import duty can be exempted. Kamala Press is now gearing up for the same. “We are privileged with the facility of EPCG on the exemption of import duty amount. Since we are given a time frame of eight years to comply with, five more years are still left in hand to accomplish it. Though it wouldn’t be counted under the scheme, we have already started exporting printed products to Nepal,” says Anjani Kumar adding that they are in talks with some third parties to accelerate the progression.

Packaging focused

Anjani Kumar SinghLooking at the overall current market scenario, Anjani perceives ‘packaging’ as a sunshine segment and Kamala Press is moving towards this domain.

“The scope of packaging is now getting wider than we assumed earlier,” he mentions. He opines that the growth in the commercial printing segment has been narrowed down over the years. There are several reasons behind such deceleration, but he specifically indicates that the onset of online mailing solutions, mobile apps and other means of modern communications have trimmed down the demands for printed cards, mailers, brochures, inlays, etc. “But packaging is such a bare necessity which we cannot replace it by any alternate means,” remarks Anjani adding that various prospects in this segment in Varanasi are now lying untapped in big volume.

“Now, our Heidelberg SM- 74 press is running more for packaging,” says Anjani adding, “We have installed this sheetfed machine with packaging on our mind.” Applications in different styles and designs of packaging have been boosted to new levels all across the world, but he finds burgeoning player like Kamala Press in small city of Varanasi is still lagging far behind the trends picking up in metros and other bigger cities.

Unrivalled stance

Unique stance of Kamala Press in Varanasi can be defined in many distinguished ways – in terms of infrastructure, manpower, operational area, quality control and many more.

Being the first installer of Heidelberg SM-74 press in the holy city, the machine portfolio of the company is remarkably a complete combo for all necessities in the pre-press, press and post-press parameters, perfectly installed for broad range of printed and packaging items. The company’s pre-press division is equipped with a CtP.

In addition to the Heidelberg SM-74, other machines in the printing division are two Akiyama Bestech 428 fourcolour machines, one Akiyama Bestech 228 two-colour machine and one Konica Minolta bizhub Pro C7000.

The progressive functions at the company’s post-press division include cutting, folding, stitching, adhesive binding, die-cutting, label systems, thermal lamination, ultra-violet coating, leaf printing, BOPP/ PVC lamination and others giving finest finishing touches to the end products at Kamala Press. “In addition to our sophisticated machine portfolio, my gratitude is towards our team of 20 qualified and experienced professionals without them we could have hardly achieved success,” praises Anjani.

Clientele of Kamala Press comprises various individuals from all walks of life and companies from different industrial clusters who come down to them for printing cards, brochures, calendars and predominantly packaging materials. “Our client base is a kind of a mixed bag comprising all sorts of customers, right from walk-in lot to corporate giants,” mentions Anjani adding, “They come from all over Uttar Pradesh, which also includes Noida in NCR.”

When asked about the future plans of Kamala Press, Anjani says their pathway to next level leads to the packaging domain only. For this, a brand new Taiwan-made liner equipment, which will also be the first in Varanasi, is set to add in the existing line of company’s machine portfolio.