Indore-based Vijayshri Packaging is Central India’s leading carton and corrugated specialist. The company has recently wrapped up a multi-crore Capex drive led by a brand-new Komori GL 640 C, a 6-color sheetfed offset press with UV. In addition, it has invested in expanding the factory manufacturing area and adding equipment in the corrugation and converting departments.
“We have invested in multiple pieces of equipment and expanded our shopfloor significantly. Investment in the Komori press is a landmark event for us as this is the first time we have bought a brand-new press. It is also a big investment. Our other Komori presses are pre-owned. Also, this is the first time we are dealing with Komori India. It has been a great experience,” says Ayush Jain, director, Vijayshri Packaging.
According to Jain, the company planned to buy a new press in 2019, but the decision was delayed multiple times due to unforeseen events. Finally, the company penned the deal in October 2020, and the press was installed in July 2021.
In addition to the Komori, Vijayshri has also bought a new corrugation line, flute laminators, a die-cutter supplied by Zhongke India, and a liner machine from Heiber + Schröder. Last year, the company bought a Bobst folder gluer, and another one is expected by year-end.
The company has also significantly expanded the manufacturing space. Vijayshri moved to the current premises in 2016, with the factory building having an operational area of 140,000 square feet – 80,000 square feet on the ground floor and the remaining 60,000 square feet on the first floor. As a result, the company has now expanded the overall operational area to 210,000 square feet.
Before moving to the current location, Vijayshri operated from a much smaller unit in another part of the city. The folding carton unit was separate from the corrugation unit, as the two were distinct entities. In terms of products, Vijayshri makes monocartons, litho-laminated cartons, and shipper or transport cartons.
The demand for high-quality cartons is pervasive
For Vijayshri, the commissioning of the new set of equipment will be a significant booster as it will now be able to enhance quality and productivity and cut wastage. In addition, Jain believes his company will now provide better and innovative packaging solutions to even small and medium brand owners.
“There is now a distinct trend in the cartons business – which is that end customers and brand owners now want top quality products. Even smaller brand owners give a lot of importance to the quality of packaging. If you go to tier 3 and tier 4 markets, the quality of packaging offered by smaller players is very good,” Jain argues.
Vijayshri is also trying to popularise litho-laminated cartons for secondary packaging applications. According to Jain, this will help in reducing the use of plastics in secondary packaging.
“There are many applications in the secondary packaging space where plastics are being used. We believe many of these applications can easily switch to paper without impacting the nature of the packaging. In addition, this will be very environmentally friendly,” he says.
Vijayshri success in the time of COVID
Like many converters across the country, Vijayshri has withstood the COVID-19 related shock and has thrived. Its production volumes are now much higher than seen just before the pandemic’s first wave hit India. However, there are headwinds, such as rising raw material prices.
“We have managed to increase prices in recent months, but rising paper and paper board prices are a big challenge facing the industry. There are many uncertainties, and the industry will need to think of a way of handling this,” he concludes.
