Chennai-based Manasa Graphics, a label and commercial printer for the home appliance industry, recently installed Konica Minolta’s AccurioLabel 230 digital press. The company has been a well-known supplier of vinyl stickers, dome labels, PVC stickers, polyester stickers — extra gum stickers, diagram stickers, POP labels, energy star stickers, rating labels, and paper labels.
Established in 2009, Manasa Graphics’ first client was Samsung for printing labels. As the home appliance manufacturer became a repeat customer, the printer kept growing its capacities. In 2012, Manasa Graphics expanded its commercial printing pressroom when its customers put forth their commercial print requirements in the form of promotional materials and installation manuals, especially for South India.
The commercial side of the printer’s business consists of advertising pamphlets, catalogs, and user manuals for home appliances and white goods, with 10 sheetfed offset presses from Heidelberg and Komori, including six single-color, two 2-color, a 4-color, and one 5-color press. The company, at the moment, had no intentions of foraying into monocarton packaging printing but the company’s offset portfolio and trust in second-generation leadership suggests otherwise.
Muralidharan Nair, founder and director of the company, credits most of the company’s growth to its customers, saying, “Our production started with an Indian press and we kept adding capacities as more orders came in. But it was due to Samsung’s consistent support that we were able to get where we are today with our products reaching all over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.”
Nair is all praise for his employees, expressing how human resources are a blessing. “We have very hard-working staff members and every one of them is prompt in decision-making and active in their part of the job. Learning the machine operationally is an important aspect of the job which my team takes very seriously. We have a good balance of male and female employees involved in all steps of production.”
In Nair’s opinion, Tamil Nadu is poised to further grow in the printing business as more goods and services are being produced and opportunities are becoming available now. He explains, “Manufacturing industries in India are growing at a phenomenal speed. Technological advancements, the sharing of information, and several allied printing associations are facilitating their growth. Many MNCs are eying India for their growth presenting us with several options to grow. However, the converters need to have a more flexible approach to grasp the upsurging opportunities.”
“The requirements that we see growing are more customized in terms of design – and perfect finishing is what all clients are keen on,” Nair adds. “Quality is non-negotiable for any stage of the production, raw materials, and inks, and if a converter can understand that basic chemistry, growth can no longer be a question.”
On the subject of expansion, Nair responds optimistically that his younger son who is currently learning the ropes of business will take over in the near future. “Any expansion either geographically or in terms of capacity will be left to his understanding of the market and industry.”
