Higrid Imaging Solutions
(Bengaluru
Harrish Mathew
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Inception of Higrid Imaging Solutions Pvt Ltd around a year ago in Bengaluru benchmarked a new tradition of quality in vehicle wrapping. A team of professionals, who are steeped in product knowledge and open minded to embrace new technologies, is the driving force behind the company’s competencies as they follow firm objectives while understanding the requirement of customers. The core idea behind the birth of Higrid Imaging Solutions was to build a cordial relationship with customers and their brands, offering multi faceted solutions that fit their bills, financially, functionally, culturally and socially. Harrish Mathew, founder, Higrid Imaging Solutions Pvt Ltd remarks, “We always aim to forge strategic, long-term relationship with customers by consolidating our range of services while maintaining top quality delivery, competitive pricing, cost transparency, strict adherence to code of conduct and ethics policy.”
When it comes to restyling wraps, team Higrid has gained a reputation all over south India with accolades recognising them as one of the region’s leading graphic converters.
“With our close relations with the world’s leading styling vehicle graphic material manufacturers, we are able to overcome limitation while considering the availability of colours with pre-coloured vinyl, by adapting customised colours and graphics on printable substrates to every whim and fancy for our customers,” mentions Harrish. Activities at Higrid Imaging Solutions reckon a plethora of wraps done for petro-heads, corporate vehicle branding, sports team buses, road show vehicles for event management companies, limited edition vehicles, brand creations for government institutions like Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), government-backed tourism initiatives, such as Kerala Blog Express of Kerala Tourism, specialised decals for auto show cars. Some of the regular clients of the company include racing enthusiasts, OEMs and corporate biggies from the health, hospitality and real estate sectors.
In addition to all, Harrish points out restyling of personal cars among younger generation these days as one of the hottest trends picking up in the market slowly and steadily. “This current trend is revolved around partial colour changes, decals and racing stripes,” he explains adding, “Though we receive complete colour change enquiries, clients are still very sceptical about applicators handling and removing the parts of vehicle that could hinder vinyl application.” The secrete mantra behind the outstanding work of Higrid Imaging Solutions, according to Hrrish, is the selection of right films and better understanding of the car and its contours as well as adoption of right methodology when it comes to tools and application techniques, without cutting any corner. “Every vehicle is unique in its own way; so, choosing the relevant materials plays a critical role. Cast vinyl needs to be used to allow wrapping complex curves like bumpers, spoilers while calendered polymeric vinyl can be used for simple curves,” he explains.
Harrish further details the needs of materials to be looked into with different methods of applications in which one has to understand the amount of stretch a material can handle and requisite amount of heat to help the vinyl taking curves. “Whether we require the support of additional adhesives and primers are some questions that need to be seen before starting any job,” he adds. Landmark projects that Higrid Imaging Solutions has astoundingly completed so far include recent Mercedes wraps using 3M 1080 Dusted Gold. “It was quite challenging to wrap four cars in five days, covering bumper areas and the credit must go to the superior quality of 3M 1080 series and our dedicated team of trained applicators who delivered the high-quality wraps within the given timeline,” says Harrish mentioning further that vehicle wrapping in India is now on the threshold of growth with full of potential to double it in the next few years since availability of affordable materials and choices of shades keeps mounting.
3M Car Care
(New Delhi)
Mukul Dewan
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Among the trend setters without whom the progression in the current vehicle wrapping market might have not been sprouted in the way it is today include 3M Car Care located at Kailash Colony in New Delhi. “Before our settlement in New Delhi, we have marked our presence around the cities of Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad,” says Mukul Dewan, partner, 3M Car Care. He observes, “Faster than other cities, personal car wrapping or restyling activities have been aggressively picking up in and around the capital city,” he observes. He further points out that the trend of personal car styling is one of the hottest fashions among the people in the age group of 18-20 years in the current market. If this trend continues in the same rhythm, he foresees a vigorous expansion in the current vehicle wrapping market.
Being a born car enthusiast, Mukul has the right nose to sense the latest fashion trending in car styling. He also believes in carving difference out of crowd which 3M Car Care caters to its customers. Outstanding outputs of this car wrapping corner pull attentions of many all around north India. Some of the exclusive activities which 3M Car Care is known around include an array of professional car detailing services for interior and exterior designs carried out using a wide array of 3M films such as 3M Wrap Film 1080, Custom 3M Mats, Meguiars and others varied activities on wraps, paint protection, etc. Mukul recommends 3M PPF (Paint Protection Film) for newly re-styled or wrapped cars of all models.
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In short, 3M Car Care store at Kailash Colony in New Delhi can be defined as a destination where converse technology, people and ‘car care’. “Our regular customers always appreciate the tremendous power of technology and 3M’s great beliefs in human connect,” says Mukul. He adds, “Apart from the pride we have about the science that goes into the development of each of the 3M products we use, it is also our gratification that each customer who drops in at our store recognises what we have to offer in deepest or smallest possible details.” Such competence is characterised in the form of what products 3M Car Care stores all across the country are using and science behind the making of 3M films.
“We are soaked in 3M culture as the product range we use to restyle cars is an imported lot. It’s not just wrap but also the value and idea which we counsel our customers on what wonders 3M Car Care can do on their cars,” explains Mukul adding that a horde of customers coming down to 3M Car Care at Kailash Colony comprise big to small, contemporary to vintage. Car owners from Hyundai i-10 to Bentley are the people who buzz around the car care centre. 3M Car Care centre is designed in such a way that car owners can enjoy the ambience of the store while their cars are re-incarnating into new avatar before their eyes. On the latest trend now sweeping across in market, Mukul recognises the unique textures and attributes of different shades, colours and styles 3M films offer. But he observes the matt finish becoming majorly demanded texture in car restyling among young customers.
RETRO RRAPS
(New Delhi)
Ricky Mahendru
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It’s not just wraps for which RETRO RRAPS is popular all around. Body kits and other styling solutions for high-end cars or vehicles are some added services or activities exclusively offered at this elite wrapping corner. There is a saying that customer who once comes down to this wrapping centre will surely be back for a second visit or regularly in future. Why? Ricky Mahendru, co-founder, RETRO RRAPS answers, “We provide the finest jobs in styling or wrap solutions which any conventional wrappers in the country could ever provide.” He further elaborates that the secret behind the company’s competency in overall outputs is the right selection of methodology and materials. Of course, RETRO RRAPS adopts the best of brands when it comes to counting on the range of films they opt for standout wraps.
All leading international brands of wrap films, such as Arlon, 3M, Avery Dennison and Drytac are the driving force behind the creation of stupendous wraps for which RETRO RRAPS has been acclaimed all across north India. “Apart from the readily available range of premium materials, we also go for some specific high-end films like Drytac films, which are not common in India now but delivers dazzling outputs or textures,” asserts Ricky explaining the ways how RETRO RRAPS manages overall quality control and impression to their customers. He agrees to the fact that the availability of the widest range of choices in materials and technologies in the current vehicle wrapping market of India has triggered the segment to a new direction.
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RETRO RRAPS is just another firm in the league of young vehicle wrappers in north India. It’s said to be ‘young’ in a sense that it was just incepted last year, but out of old experiences of Ricky, who has been fallen in love with fancy cars and sport bikes since younger years. Ricky has been an active member of Souls of Speed, a club for people who love cars, superbikes and motorsports. “We have 6,000 members and still counting the figure,” he says. This club, established in 2007, is set to be a platform to encourage youngsters and people from different walks of life to take on motorsports. In addition, such club hosts programmes to educate its members about safer and better measures in riding and motorsport events. “Of course, Souls of Speed is a dedicated attempt to cheer the passion of motorsports in India,” shares Ricky.
In his observation of the trend of vehicle wrapping activities in India, Ricky is very optimistic about the perpetually increasing demand for high-end car wraps in the country over the last few years. He narrates, “The wave of vehicle styling or wrapping hit many parts of the globe in the late-1990s. Though this trend arrived in India just around 2011, but now progressing aggressively to a right direction.” Arrivals of supercars, sports bikes and fancy vehicles in India trigger these styling activities. Of the landmark projects being undertaken so far at RETRO RRAPS, Ricky mentions their recent styling jobs done contours of Ferrari F430, Audi R8, Mercedes Benz S-Class and some select superbikes. Car and motorbike enthusiasts who come down to this landmark vehicle wrapping centre on MG Road at Sultanpur in New Delhi are of the people in the age group of 30-50.
An underlying notion common to Higrid Imaging Solutions, 3M Car Care and RETRO RRAPS is the expectation of a well-developed car and motorbike wrapping market ahead. Since the segment has been conjuring up a market revolution over the last few years, a big boom is what it expected in near future!
