Growth in the Indian signage industry has not happened overnight. A glimpse of the history of developments will reckon the names and efforts of some big players without whom the industry could have never found the vigour to fulfil the desires of multinational clients. Mention of the works and origin of Bengaluru-based Auto Graphics Digital will give a picture of the changes that had brought in new standards in the region’s signage sector. D J BANGARA, managing director, Auto Graphics Digital exemplifies the then, now and next of the company’s journey in an exclusive interview with SIGN & GRAPHICS.
Auto Graphics Digital was incorporated in the year 1987 as a screen printer specialising in producing graphics for the two-wheeler industry. “After working with TVS motorcycles for years, we moved to a new vertical in 1993 when Coca-Cola re-entered the Indian market,” says D J Bangara, adding that the soft drink giant asked Auto Graphics Digital to churn out some special fleet graphics and shop signage for their launch campaigns. What Coca-Cola really wanted was signage that could last significantly in outdoor environment.
“Though the project of Coca-Cola was new to us, we could easily cope with the situation as the automobile industry had been our domain since a long time and we could give warranty on outdoor graphics,” asserts Bangara. But a big challenge of Auto Graphics Digital in the project was the screen-printing of 8x3 ft graphics using polycarbonate sheets. It was the time when GE Plastics first introduced polycarbonate sheets, which was bendable and perfectly designed for the Coke displays.
New dawn
Bangara opines that the signage business was quite immature in the early 1990s. “But things improved a bit by 1995, and that was when we separated our production into three companies: AutoStriping India Pvt Ltd for the automotive OEM work, Auto Graphics Digital for the signage work, and Image Labels P Ltd. for the industrial labelling work.” mentions Bangara. Things changed dramatically in 2000 when Bangara installed the world’s latest high-speed high-resolution digital printer – the Scitex Idanit Novo. This was the beginning of the transition to digital printing technology from the traditional screen-printing.
Once into the digital large-format, space, Auto Graphics Digital totally reincarnated into a new avatar with the widest range of high-end printers in its facility. “We were the first customer for high speed Scitex printer in India,” tells Bangara. He further adds that the printer was a magic kind as it helped them deliver prints in a matter of minutes. Today, competence of the company’s state-of-the-art production facility of 5,000 sq ft is characterised by an unmatched portfolio of HP Scitex high-end printers such as the Turbojet, XLJet, XP2750 and Latex 65500
Joint move
Pushing its boundaries of activities to where they couldn’t either take much longer or difficult to do it, Auto Graphics Digital decided to tie up with SR Digital Imaging Pvt Ltd, one of the leading signage majors recognised for its works in in-store branding and displays around Bengaluru. “We’ll be working as one entity to grow our business as there will be a lot of synergies and strengths in both the companies,” remarks Bangara. He further explains that the industry is now in the stage with a lot of turbulence, and so, consolidation is the way forward – working together instead of working against each other.
“Our strength has always been our specialisation in quality printing. But customers these days are demanding turnkey solutions, including fabrication and installation.” This means expansion in the business, and with no succession plan in the business from his children, who live abroad, Bangara invited Arjun Reddy of SR Digital Imaging Pvt Ltd to join hands, and grow the business jointly. “Arjun is young, has the energy and the resources, and wants to grow, and I saw this as the perfect partnership for us” says Bangara.
Potential parameters
Auto Graphics Digital always moves into new realms where they can make a difference. Now the company slowly gets out of the traditional on-shop signage because the segment is flooded with small players. As we kick started our business in automotive industry, this segment is the foremost area we know best,” acclaims Bangara adding that the fleet graphics in India is really a potential segment which has not been tapped extensively.
In fact, fleet, interior and corporate signs are three verticals where Auto Graphics Digital in association with SR Digital eying to exploit. Commenting on their big jobs in the recent past, Bangara mentioned that the quality prints inside the Bengaluru International Airport and bus wraps for the latest ‘Burr’ Coca-Cola fleet campaign have been the ‘talk’ in the industry. He exclaims that those projects separate the men from the boys. “We believe in concentrating on areas where we can bring value to our customers,” exclaims Bangara proudly.