Based in Akruli Industrial Estate in the northern Mumbai suburb of Kandivali, Subham Paper Products has been in the binding business for over a decade. Currently operating out of two galas with a combined area of a little over 1,000 square foot, Subham employs a range of equipment such as perfect binding machine, cutting machine, sewing machine, casing-in machine, case making machine, etc. Although it binds note pads, diaries, calendars, telephone diaries, visitor books, scribbling pads, and more, it mainly deals in diaries and calendars. The company has a monthly capacity of producing 15,000 to 20,000 diaries and about 100,000 calendars.
About a year ago, Subham made a significant investment when it bought a wiro binding machine from Renz. The machine was supplied by Mumbai-based Malhotra Graphics. “We had been witnessing a rising popularity of wiro binding applications. In addition, we were also getting large orders but we were constrained due to lack of highspeed machines. It was at that point we decided to go for the high-speed Renz wiro binding machine. I am sure there are not many people who have invested in such an expensive equipment for wiro binding in the whole of Maharashtra,” says Sanjay Yagnik, proprietor of Subham Paper Products. In the Renz wiro binding machine, the punching is semi-automatic while wiro cutting, closing and binding processes are fully automatic. According to Yagnik, with the Renz, Subham’s productivity levels have gone up by almost five times.
More modernization ahead
Although Yagnik has been eager to modernize the technology he employs, the lack of space has been a major limiting factor for him. However, in a couple of months all the operations of Subham will shift to one gala in Akruli. This area at Akruli will be almost twice the size of the combined operating space. “Buying a bigger space took a lot of capital. But not only will the bigger space help us get more modern equipment, we can employ the Renz wiro binding machine more aggressively, which is not the case currently. The Renz has been a little underutilized. That situation should now change,” he says.
The next piece of upgrade that Yagnik has planned is that of case making and casing-in machines. The plan is to have high-speed machines preferably from Kolbus. “Kolbus is a leading brand and these would be some big investments; we would like to complete this phase in the next two years. We are now focusing on a lot of premium customers who demand high quality work. Binding is something on which customers rarely compromise,” shares Yagnik.
Subham now wants to also increase focus on the retail segment. Till about five years ago, Subham had its own range of stationary products for the retail segment which contributed a large chunk to the business but since then the share of corporate customers has risen sharply. “We are also contemplating reviving our engagement with retail customers as we are connected with more than 500 shops in the city of Mumbai. We want to utilize this network to the full,” explains Yagnik.
