Klaus Nielsen has been managing director of Heidelberg India for the last six years although his association with the Indian operation goes back much further. A witness to the developments taking place in the commercial printing segment in the subcontinent in the early part of the last decade, Nielsen is also a keen observer of the recent changes in the dynamics of the print industry.
Speaking with IPP at Heidelberg’s Indian headquarters in Chennai, Nielsen admits the Indian graphics arts market has not performed particularly well in the current financial year and he considers slow GDP growth and devaluation of the Indian currency as significant reasons holding back the market. Nielsen says, “In industrialized countries, the commercial printing segment has been consolidating and it is difficult to speculate its future. In India, even though the growth in print volume has reduced significantly, the fact remains that volume is still growing. I believe that the market has only hit a plateau of sorts and I am optimistic that it will show higher growth levels in the foreseeable future. However, since general elections are approaching, strong political willpower is essential to drive the growth of the economy of the country and thereby generate print demand.”
Nielsen says, “The web-to-print trend is rising in the European market and it is prevalent particularly in Germany.” Even countries such as Korea and Taiwan are doing well and he foresees web-to-print taking off in India as well. He says the success of web-based companies focussing on B2C business augurs well for the future of the web-to-print segment in India. One obstacle which needs attention is the reluctance of Indian end-users to make an upfront payment before receiving the ordered material.
At the recently concluded Pamex 2013 printing exhibition in Greater Noida, Heidelberg India highlighted its consumables, spare parts and service offerings — a key area for any
customer looking to buy capital equipment. Nielsen says, “For the last fifteen years, Heidelberg India’s focus has been on expanding and developing its service and spare parts division so it can fulfil the ever- increasing support demands from its customers. As of now, 65% of our workforce is devoted to this division which is an indication of how seriously Heidelberg India takes its customers and its support ability. For the last four years, consumables have become a key thrust area since we frequently
experienced machine problems that were due to incompatible consumables.”
Nielsen stresses that the majority of all imported machinery is still re- marketed (REC) equipment, and he feels many of these owners can benefit greatly from Heidelberg’s parts, service and consumables offerings. One of the main objectives of Pamex 2013 was to raise awareness among the REC segment that Heidelberg India is affordable with specialized service support.
