NBG striving for providing more reliable web offset machines
The unfolding of NBG’s success story would begin with the mention of the company’s competence of constant innovations in manufacturing web offset printing presses. Situated in Ballabgarh (Haryana), the state-of-the-art manufacturing plant of NBG Printographic Machinery Co Pvt Ltd is designed to cater web machines suitably designed for different printing segments viz newspapers, tabloids, books, etc across India and its neighbouring Asian countries as well as others in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and CIS region. Planning strategically ahead is the company’s new and more reliable machines to fulfill the newer demands of customers, mention Dr S K Garg, managing director and Nitin Garg, director, NBG in
conversation with All About Newspapers.
Dr SK Garg with his son Nitin Garg
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Being the architect behind all achievements of NBG Printographic Machinery Co Pvt Ltd to date, Nitin Garg still has the commitment and dynamic strategy to take the company forward to strive and realise a ‘vision’ under the astute guidance of his father Dr SK Garg who is expert in statistics and retired principal of a Government College. This ISO 9001:2001 certified company has skilful, committed and dynamic management, production and servicing teams who form the company’s vigor.
Though it came into being as a machine manufacturer in the year 1990, establishment of NBG was marked in 1980s, engaging in production of components for web offset presses under the name National Engineering Works. It was a different production unit, which is still operational to supply components to its Ballabgarh unit. Today, NBG boasts of producing a range of web offset presses, such as newssprint (36,000 copies/hr), STAR 16 (16,000 copies/hr), and STAR 30 (30,000 copies/hr). “We first produced a machine with 508 mm cut off,” said Dr Garg adding that the range today extends to new models with different ‘cut offs’ of 546 mm, 560 mm and 578 mm in varied configurations.
Big market share
Increasing development in the company’s business brings in a constant sunshine of progress, which in turn helps the company transform into a Rs 12-crore-firm today. Beyond the Indian market, NBG reaches out to the markets of some major destinations like China, Malaysia, CIS and South American countries. Mentioning the importance of the Indian market, Nitin asserted, “Indian market is the basis of NBG’s success, without which we cannot sustain our business. An added advantage in the Indian market is its volume, irrespective of the competitions. Indian printers install maximum number of machines in compared with those of overseas. Ratio of the company’s total turnover is divided into 60 and 40 for the domestic and overseas markets.”
NBG closely involves with the Indian newspaper industry supplying web offset machines to some leading newspaper publishers. Other than this at NBG is its export activity carrying out regularly over the last six years. Of the company’s four different models, two are for the domestic market and two for exports. Indian customers in the clientele of NBG include book publishers and newspapers, such as Rashtradoot in Jaipur and Sanjevani in Bangalore. The company devotes 10-15 percent of its overall business to book publishing segment.
After sales services
With support from a stream of experienced engineers and technicians, NBG has a strong and steadfast ‘after sales service support system/team’ to fulfill every aspect of customers’ demands. The team is extensively trained at the company’s factory to provide the necessary technical training to the customers during the installation and commissioning of the presses, which is required to run the machines efficiently. NBG manages the after sales services both in the Indian and overseas markets.
“In India, we have sales and marketing office in New Delhi, regional office in Chennai and other centers in Mumbai and Orissa wherefrom both sales and services are provided to the customers,” mentioned Nitin. He added, “In the overseas markets too, we have carefully chosen distributors who have the experiences of web offset presses. However, in case of emergencies, we have arrangement for experienced team to visit those overseas clients.”
Differed with a difference
Since the company has been around the market as a manufacturer, NBG sees and understands every technical aspect or know-how of web offset presses. “Over the last three years, we have set up a CNC production unit which was earlier outsourced. In fact, the strength of the company lies in the innovative development of the machineries and technologies relevant to maintain best quality,” said Nitin, adding, “In a web offset machine, some components like side frames and cylinders are considerably very critical and we’d like to manufacture them perfectly in-house.”
NBG was a distributor of WIFAG machines in India, but the latter’s decision of their re-structuring operation plans deterred the company’s involvement in the distribution business. “Yes, Solna, we are trying to promote its machines as it is the only significant manufacturer of single width machines, delivering 60,000-75,000 copies/hour,” remarked Nitin. As the Indian market has very little corner for Solna machines, NBG is planning to tap the markets of neighboring countries for these high-end web presses.
Highlight of a future perfect
Big thing that NBG is looking forward to accomplish is a new reliable machine. “We want our customers being satisfied exactly with what we provide. Now as the print orders across the globe, going down, industry people are looking for apparent machines of 30,000-36,000 copies speed per hour. It’s high time for us to grab this potential with our machines of such capacities,” mentioned Nitin. In addition, the newspaper segment in India is highly prospective in terms of growth. Credit in this respect is the country’s huge population and its increasing literacy rate, which in turn helps newspapers open regional editions to rope in young generation readership.
“Newspaper is the foremost media accessible in remotest places or even village levels,” explained Nitin. He further narrated that the internet is also going fast, but perfection of this communication technology in rural areas may take enormous time. In this context, newspaper is now becoming a lifestyle product rather than a dissemination medium, involving overall activities and interests of the locals. Seeing this healthy potential, NBG is now set to produce the most reliable web offset machines that could accelerate the increasing growth of the Indian newspaper market and the Asian in general.
