As reported in Indian Printer and Publisher’s previous edition, at the Wan-Ifra Indian Printers Summit in Hyderabad, Sudeep Bhattacharjee, managing director of Manroland Goss India, spoke on the need for web offset printers to look beyond the traditional areas to sustain themselves and find out new opportunities to enhance, enrich, and grow.
In an interesting presentation titled ‘Transformation of web offset – from legacy printing to new applications,’ Bhattacharjee spoke about the newspaper industry’s falling graph, the rise of the packaging market and trends, printing technologies and equipment in both sectors and web offset solutions for packaging, apart from highlighting Manroland Goss Varioman series – the f:line for film and flexible packaging, c:line for cardboard and laminates and b:line for book printing.
Explaining the title of the presentation, which was selected as the best among the lot, Bhattacharjee said the organizers requested him to speak on a topic that would be of interest to the traditional newspaper and commercial printers – how they would looking at the industry, how they can move into new areas, new opportunities, etc.
“My presentation broadly covered newspaper and commercial printers – what they can do with their existing equipment and what to do with new equipment in new areas. I mainly spoke on packaging, which many newspaper groups are seriously considering, and book printing,” he said.
Bhattacharjee elaborated on the packaging industry in India and worldwide and how it makes sense for newspapers or commercial printers to enter that sector. “And, more importantly, on where they should go – because the newspaper or publishing printing is mainly offset and not accustomed to VOC, gravure, or liquid inks.”
Explaining the difference in offset technology vis a vis other options, Bhattacharjee referred to the company’s Varioman, which is also in offset. “I explained what they can do with offset, what they can do with their existing equipment, and, if even they want to get into new equipment, that can also be with offset.”
Bhattacharjee shared a few case studies of newspapers, how some of them could utilize their existing equipment to transform themselves, and how offset technology can be beneficial to them.
“I also spoke about the ideal configuration, for example, if you want to get into flexible packaging or paper and board packaging.”
On book printing, Bhattacharjee took a different course from the traditional form, where newspaper houses are utilizing one of their towers to print textbooks. “I spoke about what they can use, let’s say, with variable formats and variable cutoff, which is a slightly different area, which I think is quite promising and encouraging.”
According to Bhattacharjee, they got a lot of inquiries from newspaper houses, who sought advice on how to go about the transformation. “They wanted me to come and look at their sites and advise.”
Bhattacharjee felt that news media companies need to reinvent themselves not only to stay alive and survive but also to do well in the industry. “I believe there should be a lot of innovations, new businesses, or new ideas. Not just printing innovations, but innovations in business,” he said.
