Mr. Narendra Paruchuri gives us a glance into the future of the industry, his encounter with Bhargav Mistry, and his views on Grafica and DMI.

It was a rendezvous by chance that brought Mr. Narendra Paruchuri in touch with Bhargav Mistry during the awards ceremony at IPEX'09, Mumbai. Having nothing better to do that afternoon, he was whisked away by Bhargav on a remarkable journey through the world of Grafica and DMI. And Mr. Paruchuri was indeed impressed.

He took a tour of the factory, its attached institute and saw how Bhargav goes about his day. And he went back full of hope and happiness, having met someone who in his words, could change the face of the printing industry.

Grafica's editor (GE) interviewed him over the phone. Here are the excerpts:

GE: What do you think of Bhargav’s nomination to ASPT?

NP: I can’t think of a more deserving candidate. It was news that was simply astounding. Although I am not specifically from the screen printing industry, I have heard about ASPT and it’s indeed great news.

GE: What did you feel like when you came to DMI?

NP: It was a wonderful experience. Bhargav showed me so many things. Being in the industry for so many years, I had no idea that screen printing had made such great strides. I’d like to think of it as a learning experience – one that I am not bound to forget. I think the biggest advantage is to the screen printing industry which will benefit tremendously from Bhargav’s expertise. This one afternoon was really worthwhile. I’m glad I made this trip to Mumbai although for entirely different reasons. Bhargav made that trip even more memorable.

GE: Tell us what you think of the future of this industry?

NP: I think we have come a long way from the days of the now obsolete letter press. The industry has grown by leaps and bounds. And machinery has become cheaper than before. So the low entry barrier is a big advantage for those wanting to join the industry. And what I saw of Bhargav’s machines makes me confident that the future looks bright for screen printing technology. I was particularly impressed by the Nano. It’s quite a wonderful piece of equipment. Again I’d like to stress that (Bhargav) Mistry is putting in a lot of effort into this and it augurs well for the industry.

GE: You spoke about Grafica’s machines. Could you elaborate?

NP: Yes, well the machinery is truly state-of-the-art. Going by what I saw at Grafica, the resolution that is possible is on par with that of the offset printing. Now I have been in the business for close to 30 years and of what I see today, I am truly impressed. The machinery, the technical advancements, the expertise of the individuals involved – they all make for a splendid mix. The embellishments that are possible is truly wonderous.

GE: About Bhargav Mistry?

NP: Oh! I think he is a wonderful person. What Bhargav is doing for the industry is truly amazing. He has risen above personal gains and is looking at developing the industry as a whole. He is not just looking at doing business, he sells ideas. He is creating livelihoods for people and wonderful opportunities for the screen printing industry. Now that is going beyond the call of duty. What Bhargav has done is create a whole new way of looking at the business. 

GE: How does screen printing fit into your business?

NP: You see, we have been in the printing business for close to half a century now. It is no longer about doing standard print jobs – every client looks at what you can deliver on a larger scale. Screen printing had given us so many things that offset cannot. That is not to say that offset is any less – just that the perfection and finishes that are possible in screen printing is something else. The technology today is faster, better and cleaner – now it’s up to me to figure out how best to use it. I believe that it will definitely benefit us. In these tough times, my client’s demands can be met for a lot cheaper on a screen printing machine. So yes, it’s surely a value-addition and I do look forward to bigger and better things from Grafica.

GE: One nano statement about the Nano?

NP: Very inexpensive and a wonderful piece of machinery.