Ranjan Kuthari opted as right choice for AIFMP president

It was the pre set turn of east India, to have a new president of All India Federation of Master Printers (AIFMP) from their region for 2011-12, and the obvious choice went towards none other than long-time print activist Ranjan Kuthari during the Governing Council (GC) meeting in Bengaluru last September. Then started a series of felicitations by different affiliates (Printers’ Associations) for new president. But hold on, this new president with his equally active and determined team members has altogether newer agenda for his term of presidency. Ranjan talks about this with Print & Publishing editor SK Khurana during recently concluded 8th PAMEX in New Delhi. On a fine and interesting evening at the lawns of India Habitat Centre on November 01, 2011 celebrating the successful opening of the 8th PAMEX exhibition in New Delhi, Ranjan Kuthari and Bikash Sarkar shared their plan of action for next year and beyond. As such in continuity, it was subsequently decided to have an interactive chat on the very next day in the fair ground. But unfortunately on next day, Bikash Sarkar could not take part in the interactive session. However, Ranjan Kuthari precisely divulged Bikash’s allocated dream project – the celebration of Diamond Jubilee of AIFMP. On his behalf as president of AIFMP, Ranjan came out with his five-point agenda, which he wished to take on during his tenure of one year.

First point (Sukanya)

A girl child-focused initiative with the involvement of their affiliates aggressively, Ranjanhas a plan to offer 50 merit-cum-means scholarship worth Rs 20,000 each for girls pursuing class XI/XII who prefer to opt printing as their future career. Out of the total project involvement of Rs 10 lakhs, 50 percent (i.e. Rs five lakhs) shall be earmarked to sanction by AIFMP and the balance amount (Rs 10,000 for each scholarship) to be shared by desirous printers association. According to Ranjan, this initiative shall bring in enough motivation amongst females to opt the printing profession.

Second point (New generation entrepreneurs)

Under this scheme, focus shall be made on involving young entrepreneurs in terms of organising live chat shows discussing extensively on technologies, trends, new possibilities, etc of the industry. Towards this front, regular programmes are being worked out to turn these into reality.

Third point (Post graduate diploma in printing)

A fully residential six months course is also on the anvil to initiate in Bengaluru. With the visiting faculty drawn from the industry, this course will be open to all graduates from any stream but the focus of training will be on pre-press, press and post-press. This effort shall ease manpower shortage in the industry considerably.

Fourth point (Helping hand to already running printing institutes)

AIFMP also plans to finance some institutes moderately by way of equipping them with testing instruments such as paper bursting, tensile, folding endurance strength, etc.

Fifth point (Diamond Jubilee of AIFMP)

So far so good, it has been getting ready to celebrate the ‘Diamond Jubilee’ of AIFMP marked for the year 2013. Chairmanship of this ambitious programme, which will run for almost 15 months now onwards, has been handed over to Bikash with four co-chairmen in different regions. He shall make all affiliate printers associations active enough to go beyond metropolitans and reach out to smaller cities/towns, involving small and medium printers into the collaborations. Words from Ranjan express this initiative of AIFMP as a venture to significantly enhance their brand image amongst print buyers’ community. This will also involve young people to come forward and join printing industry on priority which otherwise remains as a last resort for them.

With the above five-point agenda, Ranjan seems to be quite enthusiastic to justify his tenure of presidency and Print & Publishing wishes him all the very best.