Vipin Kala on Indian Photofinishing Trends

Vipin Kala
Partner, Kala Digital Imaging

In conversation with Natasha Desai, Vipin Kala, Partner at Kala Digital Imaging, the sister concern of Kala Colour Labs discusses the shift in technology that the photofinishing industry has undergone.

Kala Colour Labs has been in the industry for over 75 years. My father Ashok Kala, my brother Vinit Kala and I have seen the tremendous changes that have come about in the industry. We have witnessed the shift from analogue to digital and silver halide to CMYK inkjet/toner printing.

This constant upgrading of technology has led the industry to change at a very fast pace, owing to which we have kept upgrading ourselves. Major contributing factors to this change is the spread of cellphones, digitisation and social media. They have all had drastic effects to the photo finishing industry. However, we have seen a steady growth and demand for prints from the wedding photography industry.

Apart from various photography related products, our selling point is the quintessential photobook. As mentioned earlier, wedding albums are always in demand and we place emphasis on providing a wide range of paper substrates and packaging. Our end result is a customised, exclusive and truly ethnic look, that is demanded by our clients.

This year, we are aiming to improve our online business, with the use of the technological developments. We are also looking forward to attending photokina in Germany to further our exposure. In 2015, we plan to upgrade and equip all our 17 outlets across Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh with more of the latest printing and photofinishing equipment. We also plan to increase our business and presence online.