CEIF 2018: In Conversation with Vimal Parmar, TechNova Imaging Systems

Vimal Parmar is the General Manager, Marketing, Digital Print Media, TechNova Imaging Solutions (P) Limited.

What is your stall number at CEIF 2018?
C7, Hall 1.

Please provide a short statement about your company, your division and about your presence at CEIF 2018.
TechNova is recognised as one of the world’s largest providers of digital and analog imaging & printing solutions for a wide range of industries. Globally recognised as a pioneer, TechNova has introduced several new breakthrough technologies over the years. Each of its products has been a first of its kind in India, making its predecessor obsolete before its time.TechNova has successfully put to use its years of experience in coating and digital imaging substrates to produce a large bouquet of Digital Print Media products. Manufactured in one of the worlds most sophisticated coating and converting plants, TechNova’s media range is optimised for best results in diverse industry segments, ranging from Photo, Wide-format, Engineering, Architecture, Education, Hospitality, Health Care, Textile and SOHO.

Full Spectrum. Single Source:
-Media: Film, Canvas, Paper
-Technologies: Toner, Aqueous, Solvent, Eco-solvent, UV, Latex
-Applications: Photo, General Commercial Printing, Signage, Transfers
-Support: Media Selection, Colour Management, Training, Trouble-shooting

Media Portfolio:
-Colour Laser Media: Non-tear films and papers for photo and general commercial printing using digital production presses
-Inkjet Photo Media: Non-tear films and papers for photo and proofing applications using dry labs, desktop and large-format inkjet printers
-Wide-format Print Media: Films and papers for signage and display applications using wide-format printers
-Dye-Sublimation Media: Media for printing image transfers using desktop and large-format inkjet printers
-Design & Drawing Media: Non-tear films and papers for design & drawing applications using inkjet and laser plotters
-Multipurpose Labels: Pre-cut self-adhesive labels for desktop inkjet & laser printers

• What are the most important products at your stall?
  Not-to-be-missed products at the TechNova stand at CEIF 2018 :-NovaJet EverLast range of non-tear inkjet media
  Designed for use on inkjet minilabs and desktop inkjet printers by studio owners, print service providers and photographers. It offers outstanding ink adhesion for sharp and high-definition images. Applications include wedding albums, photobooks, display pictures, indoor signage and many more.-NovaLife range of non-tear Laser media
  Formerly known as NovaJet LMO, NovaLife is a range of premium non-tear, water-resistant laser media with an innovative dual side coating that gives a rich and luxurious finish, post-lamination. Being synthetic in nature, the print life is significantly longer as compared to paper. Its non-tear and high-quality finish has made it the most preferred option for discerning photographers and end consumers. It is in fact, the most popular media for wedding albums across India.-NovaLife Dual Metallic non-tear Laser media
  Print Service Providers looking for new products must not miss the NovaLife Dual Metallic, non-tear media being launched by TechNova at CEIF 2018. The dual metallic media is the fourth new media in the NovaLife metallic non-tear range. Used creatively in the wedding album and photobook segments, this media offers immense opportunities to Print Service Providers to add unique value to their customers and create a formidable competitive edge.

  In addition to NovaLife and NovaJet EverLast media, TechNova will also display its range of premium coated media for indoor and outdoor Signage Printing, as well as its comprehensive range of Dye-Sublimation heat-transfer papers for transfers to fabric, ceramic and specialty substrates. Complete range of TechNova Digital Print Media will be available at special prices to buy off-the-shelf from the retail counter in the stand itself.

  Transforming from being a media supplier to a Total Solutions Provider, TechNova will be running the Duplo spot UV coater and the Jingwei cutter and creaser live on the stand to demonstrate the post-print value addition possibilities.

• Are there special sections or displays at your stall that visitors can look forward to?
  As always, we will have dedicated stations for Photographers, Print service providers and for prospective channel partners. Our aim has always been to maximize our customer’s revenue. Accordingly, our team will share with visitors how they can maximize their revenue by increasing the value of each printed sheet.
• Are there any product demonstrations, or events at CEIF 2018, or elsewhere in Mumbai, that you would like to share with our audience?
  We will be running the Duplo spot UV coater and the Jingwei cutter and creaser live on the stand to demonstrate the post-print value addition possibilities. Apart from this, we will print posters on our premium canvas and inkjet media on a large format printer.
• Are there special on-the-spot offers you will be making to visitors at CEIF 2018?
  We will have a dedicated retail counter. On offer will be our wide range of media at very special CEIF prices.
• Even as markets get more specialised, what do people look for today, in terms of your product categories?
  Talking specifically about media, our experience has been as follows:-Consumers in the imaging space today are on the lookout for “better” products and not “cheaper” alternatives, contrary to popular belief. Point-in-case is that when TechNova pioneered the non-tear media for wedding albums, photographers promptly adopted the product in spite of the fact that it was priced three to four times the price of C2S paper.-And of course, “What’s new?” is always a regular question. New, in terms of media type and surface.-“Innovation” is what TechNova is known for in the industry and this is exactly why customers come to us and demand for more. This keeps our R&D team on its toes to create newer and better media types for our customers which we have successfully been doing year after year.
• What have been some of your biggest successes in recent years?
  Specifically, in the area of media, our NovaLife non-tear media for premium wedding albums in India has truly become the industry standard, thanks to rapid adoption by the industry.We believe that the popularity of our NovaLife non-tear media has benefited the entire value chain, right from wedding photographers to print service providers to the end consumer. Even the ancillary industry in the imaging space in India has greatly benefitted with the introduction of NovaLife.
• What are your expectations in the coming year, in terms of growth?
  We will see integration of different printing and post-print enhancement technologies to take current applications to a different level and introduction of new ones. We expect appreciable business growth for our customers, addressing full spectrum of marketing fulfilment needs for brand owners. Our focus is to facilitate them with best-in-class media solutions.
• In hindsight and from your experience, if there are issues that need to be resolved for India to take more significant strides into the future, what would those issues and their solutions be?
  There are thousands of small photo studios spread across India. Their main source of revenue used to be ID photographs amongst other photo services. If these studios can be re-purposed as portrait studios and imaging hubs it would help increase their revenue stream. This would be a win-win situation for the imaging industry as a whole. In other words, there is a need to share new business opportunities with them.
• Please give us a small anecdote, example, case study, or experience that you have personally had, that would be food for thought for other members of the art or manufacturing industry.
  What amazes us about our industry is the willingness to share and give back to the community.Photographers and industry professionals have always come together for a larger good. While there are several examples, the recent one which stands out is the one that brought in a huge change in the wedding photography space in India, and benefited the entire eco-system.It is the working of TechNova and Team HP Indigo to create entirely a new non-tear media for premium wedding albums. Both organisations went out of their way to support each other during the testing phase. The cooperation continues and has resulted in giving birth to several more substrates in the non-tear space. This concept of non-tear wedding album is what India gave to the world.Having said so, we continue to forge new alliances and work together for a better tomorrow of the imaging industry.