By IANS,
Chennai : The Euro 3.8 billion revenue German printing machinery major Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG hopes to achieve 55 percent market share in the Indian market.
In India, the German company operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Euro 33 million revenue Heidelberg India Pvt Ltd.
“Last year we sold around 250 sheet-fed offset printing units out of the total 375 units imported into India. This year the total shipments into India is expected to be over 500 units and Heidelberg’s share will be over 300 units,” Namrata Dhar, national marketing manager, told IANS.
Speaking about the market trend, she said demand for offset machines is increasing from small printers in metros and also from printers in small towns.
According to her, the company sold just 50 units in 2004. Now the demand is growing fast.
“Even small printers are now opting for sophisticated machines so as to stay in business which in turn augurs well for Heidelberg,” she added.
She said import of second hand Heidelberg machines is also on the rise in India.
“For every new machine shipped to India by our headquarters, ten second hand machines are imported. The one comfort is that they are also our machines,” she remarked.
According Dirk Kaliebe, member of the management board, Heidelberg earns around Euro 850 million from the Asia Pacific region.
Heidelberg has plants in Germany, China and the US.
“The Chinese and the American plants cater to their domestic needs. We supply from our German plants to other markets including India,” Kaliebe added.
Ruling out any plans of setting up a production facility in India in the near future, he said, “The current focus is on ramping up production in China where the market is bigger than the Indian market.”
Meanwhile, with its sales growing at accelerated pace in India and the printing industry logging good growth, Heidelberg has set up an institute called Print Media Academy (PMA) in Chennai to train operators, supervisors and owners of printing presses in various disciplines.
This will be the company’s 18th PMA in the world. It is being built at an outlay of Rs.100 million will conduct short duration training programmes.
According to Klaus Bach Nielsen, managing director, Heidelberg India, the academy is equipped with latest technology spanning the entire print production process – pre-press, press and post press.