PRINTPACK INDIA 2019 IPAMA BULLETIN
INDIA-MADE MAILROOM EQUIPMENT AND ADD-ONS FOR SINGLE-WIDTH DAILIES
Adopt automation to generate revenue
SHARDUL SHARMA
T
he newspaper industry has
had a tough time in 2017
mainly because of the twin
shocks of demonetization and then
the introduction of the new tax regime
of goods and services tax (GST). By
early 2018, the economy had begun
to settle down after the impact of
demonetization and GST were mostly
absorbed. However, at the same time
the newspaper industry was faced with
another major headwind in the form of
rising cost of newsprint that hit US$
810 a ton at its highest recently.
NEWSPAPERS AUTOMATE
Amid all this, Mumbai-based
Technicon India has been working to
help the newspaper industry cut cost
by providing automation solutions
such as inserters, overhead newspaper
conveyors, counter stackers, under
wrappers, plastic bundle wrappers,
online sheet under layers, van
loading telescopic loaders, flow
turns and log stackers. In the recent
months, the company is working on
an innovative and exciting product
which will further help newspapers
automate their mailroom operations.
This machine will help automate the
process of sticking sample shampoo
and similar type of pouches on
newspapers, which at present is being
done manually and is a highly labor-
intensive and time-consuming process.
“This will be a first-of-its-kind machine
in the world and we have applied for
a patent for the same. This machine
will for the first time ever automate
the process of sticking sample pouches
and similar products,” says Rajiv
Gandotra, founder of Technicon India.
ADVERTISING INNOVATIONS
With newspapers facing severe cost
pressures, it becomes imperative
to look for avenues to generate
revenue from newer sources.
Technicon’s new machine that will
be launched in September is one
tool to generate revenue by adopting
automation. If newspapers have to
boost their revenues and carry more
advertisements, they will have to
increase pages, which according to
Gandotra is not an easy job given the
high cost of newsprint. Newspapers
will now have to execute innovative
advertising ideas such as inserting
pouches, stick-ons, special inserts,
etc. Not only pouches but the same
machine can also stick add-on
advertising material such as die-cut
pictures, cards, booklets and flat
merchandise, among others. These
products can be printed by third-party
printers for better quality prints.
“The quality of newspaper printing
is still not at par with what brand
owners desire. Now with this machine
available, the advertisers can get
their advertisements printed using
high-quality printers and get them
pasted in the newspapers. These
advertisements can be given a 3-mm
cardboard backing to achieve a 3D
effect and real life feel. I believe this
product will completely change and
enhance the feel and experience of the
reader,” Gandotra argues.
Technicon is currently in talks
with leading dailies like The Times of
India as well as multiple advertising
agencies. The machine is expected to
be in the market by the first half of
September. Big success in Bangladesh
Not only is Technicon India working
on producing innovative solutions
for the mailroom, the company has
been notching up successes with its
established products as well. Recently,
the company bagged an order from
Bangladesh to supply 13 stackers and
13 conveyers to Bangladesh-based
book printer Barotopa.
This is Technicon’s first entry into
the Bangladesh market. “Barotopa
is our first customer in Bangladesh
and we are very focused on executing
this project successfully. We got this
order thanks to Saurabh Gupta of
Prakash Web. We will finish the
project in another couple of months,”
shares Gandotra. Asked if Technicon
is looking to further expand in the
Bangladesh market, Gandotra says
that the market is definitely growing
but the company will only think of
approaching other potential customers
after it has completed the Barotopa
project. “We would like this project to
be the showcase project that we can
pitch to other potential customers in
Bangladesh,” he says.
INDIAN PRINTER & PUBLISHER AND PACKAGING SOUTH ASIA WILL BRING OUT THE
PRINTPACK INDIA SHOW DAILY
1-6 FEBRUARY 2019
AT PRINTPACK INDIA 2019 – 1ST TO 6TH FEBRUARY 2019 FOR ALL SIX DAYS.
For advertising: [email protected]
For Editorial: Naresh Khanna – [email protected]; Priyankaa Dey – [email protected]; Cell: +91-8178391607
SEP-OCT 2018 | SUPPORTED BY IPP & PSA | 13