The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Printing units, now a success story

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Printing units, now a success story

J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar

Offset units generate Rs.10 cr. income a month

MADURAI: : From letterpress to digital, printing industry in Madurai district has seen tremendous changes over a decade and become a money-spinner, providing employment to hundreds of persons.

Whether registered or not, printing press units have made an imprint in the industrial sector with their sizable presence. The industry has gone hi-tech using computers in a big way, with treadle presses giving way to offset and mini-offset units. Much of the development is largely due to an awareness created by the Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) which has been organising Print 'n' Pack exhibitions since 1996. So far five exhibitions have been conducted in Madurai, providing an opportunity to budding entrepreneurs, to interact directly with companies marketing the machinery and helping them to start a printing or packaging unit straightaway. Secondly, the sound financial position of entrepreneurs and their willingness to change with the time has helped the industry to grow.

Prior to1996, there were only four offset units. Thanks to MADITSSIA, the number has increased to more than 75 and about 350 persons are operating mini-offset units now, says R. M. Lakshminarayanan, chairman, Print 'n' Pack.

Offset and mini-offset units together generate a labour income of Rs.10 crores a month, he says. And there are a large number of digital printing shops that make good profits.

Since 1996, the MADITSSIA has conducted five exhibitions, 30 seminars and three workshops for printing and packaging industry. "But what is afflicting this sector in the district is that there is no uniform pricing. The printer is forced to quote a lower price to woo clients, affecting the prospects of the industry in the long run." The only way this could be solved is by the printers coming together and fixing a uniform price acceptable to all in the industry, he suggests. This is imperative because the printing industry caters to various sectors. There are about 100 book publishers in the district.

Further, the industry should address the problem of imparting skills to the workforce before it becomes unmanageable and prove catastrophic.

The rapid growth in printing industry has made Madurai the hub of purchasing printing material. Its scope for expansion in future is bright. There are more than 600 mini-offset units located in Theni, Bodinaickanur, Nilakottai, Dindigul, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari and the business for nine ink and stationary dealers in Madurai is of the order of Rs.3 crores per month. There are about 2,000 screen printers and 15 digital printers in the district.

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