Pandharinath V. Narvekar: Contributing 57 Years in Service of Textile Printing Industry

23 February 2023: I was born on February 10, 1948 at Kankavli Village in Ratnagiri District in Maharashtra and have a Diploma in Printing Technology from Mumbai. My tryst with printing began in the year 1966 when during my school days, I started part time working with Print Arts (Parker Studio). I worked there for 5 years and got immense knowledge and understanding of the technical parameters as well.

Then I joined Bombay Dyeing as Chief Photographer in Screen / Textile / Engraving Department from 1970-80. During this ten-year period, I learnt a lot of varied technologies in textile printing. I was a pioneer in introducing half tone (photography) in rotary or flat-bed textile printing in Bombay Dyeing at their Worli process house. I am honoured to have worked with Padma Shri award-winning artists during my tenure at Bombay Dyeing and I would always remember my ‘Guru’ Sudheer Sojwal who was a 1968 Padma Shri Awardee in Arts from Maharashtra.

Interlining fabric used in collars was developed by me in India in the year 2000 (earlier it was being imported from overseas countries) while working with Rotogravure, Mumbai. I was with them for 6-7 years before retiring from the active business life in 2008.

My daughter Smita Parker is a freelance fashion designer working with leading fashion houses. She has done a Diploma in Fashion Designing from SASMIRA College, Mumbai and my son (Sanjay) is working as IT In-Charge with a government college; he is a Computer Engineer.

I am the eldest brother and taking care of my family has always been my first aim. We are 3 brothers and 2 sisters; all of us are doing good in life. I was offered a job under the Textile Commissioner, Government of India as Printing In-Charge in Solomon Islands (under the Commonwealth Program) in the year 1973. At that time, the textile printing industry was just being introduced. However, I did not take-up the offer due to ill health of my mother.

From the last 15 years, I am working as consultant with many leading reputed textile printing companies in India and across the globe. I have also been helping many new start-ups to come up and move ahead. My work takes me all over India, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, etc. I take up the total textile or garment printing turnkey projects starting from the inception, designing, scope, market study, selection of machines, process, colours, technical aspects, training of manpower, etc.

I would like to advise the new generation to work hard as there is no ‘shortcut’ to success. I am very much happy with the love and support, honour, trust and value I have received over the years from the industry. I also visit our printing related exhibitions and seminars in India, read industry publications and spent a lot of time on the internet keeping myself up-to-date with the technological developments taking place globally. Even today I am actively working 10-12 hours per day moving all around to meet my clients and visit their printing units to solve their technical problems.

My speciality has been in the field of printing but to be more specific cylinder making, rotogravure, flat-bed textile printing, digital textile and sublimation printing, which is fast coming up. I have played an important role in the textile/ garment/ digital printing development in Ichalkaranji, Pune, Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur and surrounding region. Due to the support and technical guidance from my side, many new printing units have come up in Goa.

pandharinathnarvekar10@gmail.com, 73042 21109