Ravi Shroff, the managing director of Nutech Print Services said to us on our visit to his purpose-built book printing and export plant in Faridabad, “My father’s growth strategy was to always grow slowly but be very firm in what you are doing. We do not outsource any part of the printing process to anybody. The minute some part of the printing process gets outsourced you do not know what chemicals, inks, plates, or foils are being used. Eventually, you end up losing control of the printing and shipping schedules. With Nutech you can be sure that if something is produced at Nutech, it is fully produced at Nutech.”
The book printer has multiple inline quality checks across the book production process. “We have designated supervisors who keep ensuring that whatever is being printed, folded, bound, and gathered is as per approved standards. We have an audit system in place where we do random checks across the process to make sure that the SOPs are being followed and at the end of the line we do a 100% checking by a trained resource, where every book is flipped through before it is packed. The idea is that when a book goes to a customer, it should be as error-free as possible,” he reveals.
Around 70% of Nutech’s paper requirements are met by Indian mills including Ballarpur Industries, Andhra Paper, and ITC. “Though most of the paper supplied by these mills is of very high quality, at times they default on the timelines, which makes them lose reliability,” explains Shroff.
On the escalating raw material prices, he adds, “The publishers and printers have cut margins but overall there has been a price increase and the consumer has to bear the brunt of these increased raw material costs.”
Shroff believes that when a book is placed on the table, it should make a statement. In the upcoming months, Nutech foresees demand for premium quality books – high on aesthetics with very high-quality UV, foiling, varnishes, and laser cut work. “Often, the cost is no bar for some of the customers, and they will ask for suggestions to make the book spectacular. For a book printer, the best feeling is when you get outstanding results with a project that is challenging to print and bind,” he signs off.
