Established in 2012 under the leadership of directors Vinay Kaushal and Pradeep Nandagopal, Provin Technos is a distributor for MHI – PPM heatset web offset presses, the RMGT sheet-fed offset presses, Miyakoshi’s narrow web presses, the Lithec inline color control system, and UV Energy smart UV Systems in India and Nepal. Completing a dozen years on 25 June 2024, the company begins the next innings with three new developments. The first two are collaboration or distribution and servicing for book sewing and finishing with Smyth and printing and packaging equipment specialist Spande. At the same time, the third development is a joint venture with Katsura Roller to manufacture rubber rollers at a new plant in India.
The company’s head office in Okhla Industrial Area in New Delhi is managed by Vinay Kaushal, Pradeep Nandagopal and now also Akshay Kaushal. In a recent conversation, Vinay Kaushal said, “We started operations in very turbulent times in 2012 when the Japanese Yen was at an all-time high. Although the past dozen years have been a roller coaster ride, it has been a good journey. Starting with a team of 12, now expanded to 56 strong resources speaks of our growth. From a small turnover in the first year, we are on the verge of touching Rs 100 crore.”
Kaushal, an engineer with a business administration degree combines his long experience in the print industry with a keen understanding of machine configurations and production efficiencies. The Mitsubishi offset press distributorship in 2012 led to the RMGT distributorship in 2014, with the consolidation of Mitsubishi’s sheetfed offset business with that of Ryobi.
Provin Technos signed with Miyakoshi in 2017. “Our partnership with RMGT has been the most defining milestone in our journey and since 2014, we have not looked back,” Kaushal says excitedly. “The progress with Miyakoshi presses took some time as the market was established, and the Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the Indian printing industry. The newest development for us is the inkjet digital press segment, which will be a real game-changer in time to come.”
The company has installed nearly 105 brand-new RMGT multicolor sheet-fed offset presses since the Ryobi and Mitsubishi consolidation in 2014. There are four Miyakoshi press installations thus far. Kaushal says apart from the brand name, high-quality presses should serve customer’s applications purposefully and improve productivity.
The influx of new machines in India has changed the concept of print business viability, Kaushal says, adding the three Covid-19 pandemic-affected years were challenging with unique issues that have now been successfully overcome. Recent digital installations of two high-configuration Miyakoshi high speed and high resolutions ink jet presses indicate a new phase of digital technology adoption in the country.
“One web-fed machine has been installed at a leading book printer and exporter in Mumbai with a sheeter facility, while the second is running in North India at one of India’s leading transactional printing companies for variable data printing. Similar core machines are being used for two different applications.
“As the Indian printing industry evolves to newer technologies, customers need to spend time to understand what works for them. What is good for the European or US market may not suit the requirements of the Indian market,” he cautions. “We have to make our evaluation, and that is very important,” he says, adding that India’s printing industry is quite formidable. “Surviving the jolts of the Covid-19 pandemic revealed our inherent strength and resilience.
“While the Indian commercial printing industry is recovering, I don’t see any major improvement – although the book printing and export industry boom is likely to continue for the next two or three years. Digital printing and shorter runs are of course increasing.”
The recently announced agreements with Smyth and Spande indicate that a new chapter is beginning for Provin Technos in finishing and bookbinding segments and in core digital print technologies. The joint venture with Japanese company Kastura to build a rubber roller manufacturing plant indicates that the company enjoys considerable support and respect from its global partners and its customers in the Indian subcontinent.
