Prisma newspaper presses success in India

The latest installation of a seven press order for KBA Prisma newspaper presses has been commissioned by Diligent Media Corporation and DB Corporation, part of India's Dainik Bhaskar Group (DB Group).

The biggest installation that has just entered operation comprised three sections and nine towers at DB Group's production plant in Ahmedabad, northwest India.

The overall order for the Prisma presses, totalled 25 printing towers, for multiple locations.

The first Prisma, a four-tower configuration, went live in December 2008 at the group's Bangalore operation, and was followed in July 2009 by an eight-tower press in Jaipur.

The new press line, which has nine reelstands, one double folder, one single folder and four control consoles, was set in motion by Narendra Modi, chief minister of India's Gujarat state.

The commemorative publication printed at the inauguration illustrated the course of the project from the initial investment decision to completion.

The double-width, single-circumference KBA newspaper presses in Bangalore (Karnataka), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat) are claimed by KBA to be the most technologically advanced of their kind in the country.

The fleet of Prismas is also evidence of the steep growth pursued by the Indian print media, particularly in the north-western and south-western states.

While the newspaper industry in many European countries, the USA and Japan has been hit by competition from the internet, with many titles seeing their circulations steadily dwindle, printed newspapers in a densely populated country such as India still offer potential for growth fuelled by increasing prosperity.

The investment in three new printing plants highlights the determination shown by DB Corporation and Diligent Media Corporation to secure a greater share of the expanding media market.

The company is planning to use the Prismas' colour capabilities and productivity to boost the circulations of its titles, which include India's biggest Hindi newspaper, Dainik Bhaskar, Gujarat's leading regional title, Divja Bhaskar, and an English-language daily, DNA (Daily News amd Analysis), which also includes an entertainment section, After Hours, and a business section, DNA Money.

The DNA titles, which first hit the streets in 2005.

Girish Agarwaal, DB Group director, said that the Prisma project has been an unmitigated success and added: 'We are all delighted at being able to complete such a major investment bang on time despite a challenging economic environment.

Our award-winning marketing strategies have been highly effective, and in tandem with our high-powered KBA press technology give us grounds for boundless optimism.

Over the next few years we are confident of maintaining or even enhancing the growth we have achieved in the print sector in previous years.

For us, the printed word is still the most authentic way of disseminating information.

Although the DB Group originally focussed on production plants in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Jaipur, after conducting a market survey the final choice was changed to Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Bangalore.

Of the seven Prisma press lines ordered, six were brought on stream within the space of one year.

The location for the seventh press has not yet been confirmed.

R D Bhatnagar, DB Group chief technology officer of D B Group, said he is certain that, of the possible options offered by German and Japanese press manufacturers, the KBA Prisma was by the far the best choice.

He explained: 'The production figures prove that we made the right decision.

Our expectations have not just been fulfilled, they have often been surpassed.

Technology, the price and performance ratio and delivery deadlines were most closely aligned with our specifications.

Dinesh Sharma, DB Group head of production, emphasises the trouble-free collaboration with KBA: 'The timing, installation quality, commissioning and training were excellent at every facility.

The project culminated in the start-up of the nine-tower Prisma installation in Ahmedabad, and technical acceptance took place 12 months to the day after the start-up of the first press in Bangalore.

For our company this represented the harmonious completion of a circle.

Sharad Patel, who is responsible for engineering at the Ahmedabad plant, said: 'Thanks to the outstanding training provided by KBA instructors, our press operators mastered the transition without a hitch.

Alongside the much bigger colour capabilities the Prisma presses offer us unprecedented format flexibility and output levels.

Our production line in Ahmedabad can print as many as 85,000 copies per hour, each with up to 72 full-colour pages in three sections.

The pre-folding facilities in the KF5 folders allow us to print quadruple spread ads or posters, which gives us additional layout options.

Rakesh Singh, head of production in Gujarat State, commented: 'The feedback from readers, advertisers and other newspaper publishers following the production start of the first Prisma presses has been overwhelmingly positive, they have all shown tremendous interest.

Since the new press line came on stream at our plant in Ahmedabad more than 5,000 visitors have come to see the Prismas in action.

We have become a showcase for cutting-edge KBA newspaper press technology in India and are helping to open the door for KBA to a market with enormous growth potential.

This is typical of the DB Group mentality because we are a leader, not a follower.

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