‘Adding New Products and Exploring New Markets’ – Abhishek Lohia, Managing Director of Hanuman Graphics (P) Ltd.
16 August 2024: Abhishek Lohia, Managing Director of Hanuman Graphics (P) Ltd. Shares his Vision and Observations from their Recent Participation at In-Store Asia 2024 Exhibition.
How has your company evolved and grown over the years ? What is the management structure ?
I am a Chartered Accountant and head the company with a core team of 12 people reporting to me, managing the technical aspects, marketing, accounts and dispatch. Based in Mumbai, we have been dealing in various kinds of materials for the signage and advertising products since 2001 onwards. We have completed 24 years and are now poised on the cusp of our silver jubilee. We are the authorised distributors of Orafol since 2008 in India and we are selling various kinds of PVC Vinyls for digital printing and screen printing industry.
How have you been promoting your brand and products ? What is your strategy for this ? We are promoting our products with a 360-degree approach, which includes regularly exhibiting in leading exhibitions like Media Expo, placing advertisements in leading industry publications and direct interactions with clients by our marketing team on a regular basis.
What are the key applications for your products ? What is your client profile ? Our products are widely used in digital printing and screen printing like advertisements, point of purchase (POP), signage, labels and decals. We have 300+ clients spread all over India ranging from leading multinationals (MNCs) to MSME and small-scale players who are the backbone of the industry.
Which are the key products and services that you offer, particularly for the screen printing segment ? We offer PVC Monomeric Vinyls, PVC Polymeric Vinyls, PVC Cast Vinyls, Color Vinyls and Application Tapes for screen printing industry.
Why are Orafol products preferred ? What is the USP that sets them apart ? Orafol materials are manufactured in Germany. The quality and supply of these products are very consistent over the years. They have a large product catalog providing solutions for various kinds of applications and uses. All their products are ROHS and REACH complaint.
Why did you decide plan to participate at the ‘In-Store Asia 2024’ Exhibition at Mumbai ? How was the overall event and type of response to your stall ? In-Store Asia is an ideal platform to interact and reach out to corporates, large companies and other service providers for the retail segment. The scope for the retail segment is huge. We have a large range of products and we wanted to showcase them and highlight their benefits to a focused audience in an enabling environment. Visitors were enthusiastic with the products showcased by us at the Hanuman Graphics stall. We have received quite a large number of leads and we are now closely working on them. The show was quite a good platform for displaying our range as leading solutions providers presented a comprehensive line-up of innovative products and solutions, which are required for installing modern, connected and targeted points of sale. Exhibits included POP and interactive displays, visual merchandising solutions and retail technologies, shop fittings complete with lighting, signage and display mannequins as well as retail designs. The event provided visitors including the decision-makers of retail brands as well as service providers, architects, designers, marketeers and retail specialists with a perfect setting for networking, exchanging ideas and forging strategic partnerships.
What are your future plans ? Which new products are you planning to launch in India going forward ? Hanuman Graphics is bringing new PVC Labelstock and PET Labelstock materials for the screen printing industry and there is a lot of demand along with good potential to grow with these offerings.
The Indian label industry is complex, dynamic and fast growing. Although per capita consumption of labels in India is the lowest in any analysed region, it also has the highest growth rate in the world at 19%. In India, wet glue labels although still growing in double digits, are fast making way for pressure sensitive and flexible film labels. Bar-coded labels are growing by 30-35% in India, but are making way for smart RFID labels in Europe and USA. Narrow web flexo and combination presses are growing in India as compared with growth of digital label presses in the advanced countries.
What is your perspective or opinion on the growth and trends visible in the industrial screen printing industry segment in India ?
The Indian economy is growing at a rate of 6-7% per annum since the last 5-6 years. Multinationals or companies from overseas are coming up with new manufacturing units and going in for expansion of existing units as well. The quantum of mobile manufacturing is on the rise in India; the automobile industry is growing significantly; manufacturing of electronics and white goods is also increasing by leaps and bounds. All this is leading to a healthy, more competitive and quality conscious work and business environment.
The industrial screen printing segment is also set to get a major boost from the government policies. A MeitY-ICEA report has highlighted that amongst the essential products that are expected to lead India’s growth in electronics manufacturing include Mobile Phones, IT Hardware (laptops, tablets), Consumer electronics (TV and audio), Industrial electronics, Auto electronics, Electronic components, LED Lighting, Strategic Electronics, PCB, Wearables and hearables, and Telecom equipment. Mobile manufacturing is expected to cross $100 billion annual production – up from the current $30 billion and constitute nearly 40% of this ambitious growth. Most of products from these sectors utilise industrial screen printing technology and therefore, the segment is expected to get a major boost going forward, according to printing industry experts and analysts.
How is the Indian market poised going forward ? It is a good time to be in India, with the focus of the government on Indian manufacturing. It gives us an opportunity to add new products and explore new markets. The ‘China Plus One’ strategy is visible globally with companies finding it logical to have a Plan B or a backup location for manufacturing. India has emerged as one of the few preferred countries for this and the PLI schemes giving focus on various segments helping in new capacities building and establishing new industries have made the nation an even more attractive proposition.
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www.hanumangraphics.in
