MIMAKI India fully set to fulfill customers better than before

   When MIMAKI India started its India operation in 2013, it was merely a small team working at a very infant stage. Then the dedication and effort of the team translated into swift increase in machine sales over the years, so in turn expanded the internal staff of logistics, accounts, technical and sales. Finally in 2023, the company shifted its premises from Delhi to Gurugram where unveiled a bigger Demo Centre, transpiring moreover with a bigger ambition to serve its Indian customers better than before in all the three key segments of Sign Graphics, Industrial Products and Textile & Apparel.

Mr Kenichiro (Ken) Seki, Managing Director, MIMAKI India Pvt Ltd, emphasises, “Our new and bigger Demo Centre in Gurugram now demonstrating all key products from the three key segments is designed to enable every end user of MIMAKI equipment in making effective decision for their current and future printing requirements.” He further mentions that the new Demo Centre is open to everyone who could be either existing MIMAKI customers or others.

Range of products now demonstrating at the new Demo Centre comprises printers starting from the entry-level cutting plotters for Sign Graphics, followed by 5-ft roll-to-roll eco-solvents, UV print & cut machines. To cater to the Industrial Products segment, the centre showcases UJF MKII e Series flatbeds. And the Textile & Apparel segment consists of its flagship sublimation & DTF printer which MIMAKI India unveiled recently. Yet another flagship product for high-speed sublimation printing now on display at the centre is Tiger 600.

“The Indian signage industry is quite dynamic with tremendous developments and new trends (as of 2022) of eco-friendly practices, personalisation & customisation, textile printing, AR integration, UV printing, automation & workflow optimisation, remote printing & collaboration tools and growing demands for innovative outdoor advertising,” says Mr Ken, adding, “To stay aligned with these new trends, MIMAKI India is now fully set to fulfil our customers to the fullest. With the new products and solutions in our new Demo Centre, our customers don’t have to look else for growing their production requirements or venturing into a completely new arena of digital wide-format printing.”

MIMAKI India periodically releases new line of machines or upgraded models to incorporate the latest technologies and meet the evolving market demands. Among the latest launches from the company is the UJV100-160 Plus model over UJV100-160, which is an entry-level UV roll-to-roll printer. Alongside, to meet the demand for high-speed UV roll-to-roll print & cut system, MIMAKI India has launched UCJV330-160, which delivers high quality prints in high speed.

Adaptation to Indian market

When it comes adapting its technology to meet the specific needs in the Indian market, MIMAKI India uses certain key approaches revolving around market research & understanding, product customisation, support & service infrastructure, compliance & standards set by Indian regulatory authorities, partnerships & collaborations, and communication & marketing strategies. MIMAKI India, like other global companies, conducts extensive market research to understand the specific demands, challenges, and preferences in the Indian market. This includes considering factors such as local printing trends, customer preferences, and business practices.

“Differentiating business to pacify the sheer requirements of our customers in the price-sensitive Indian large-format printing market is challenging. In this, we overcome the challenge by offering quite a range of key products catering to different budgets and business sizes. Every business in India can choose MIMAKI equipment that suits their needs, helping manage initial investment costs,” conveys Mr Ken.

Brand MIMAKI is known for incorporating advanced printing technologies in its products. Investing in MIMAKI equipment means to make business stay at the forefront of technological advancements. “It’s crucial for businesses to keep exploring MIMAKI’s product offerings, attend demos, and access to how our machine features align with the growing market demands for quality and innovative graphic prints. So is why we come up with our bigger Demo Centre and office premises in Gurugram,” asserts Mr Ken. MIMAKI India provides training programmes for its customers who invest in MIMAKI equipment. These programmes are designed to enhance the skills of their workforce, ensuring efficient operation.

Customer support & logistics

MIMAKI India provides comprehensive support to its customers in cooperation with authorised regional dealers, setting a warranty period for each product sold. For example, a dedicated technical support team assists authorised dealers with product installations and troubleshooting to ensure prompt problem resolution. “As India’s economy continues to grow, we expect to see larger machines, including the Tiger 600, and others we currently sell, being introduced in the country. In addition, we are securing appropriate inventories of products and parts to ensure that machines do not stop or can be restored quickly in case of unexpected breakdowns. We strengthen product training and online support for our authorised dealers to enhance our support system so that customers can use our products with peace of mind,” mentions Mr Noboru Narai, Service Head, MIMAKI India Pvt Ltd.

Mr Toru Nishikaze, Operations Head, MIMAKI India Pvt Ltd, says, “India is a large country, so when it comes to handling logistics including machines and distribution of critical spares ensuring on time availability and maximum machine uptime for our customers, thanks to our expanding logistics infrastructure developments we first deliberate on design of entire supply chain and impediments. Then we aim to deter short stocks through improvement of stock control and accurate forecasts. Secondly, we pursue prompt internal processing and shipments. As to delivery lead-time of spares, in case of distant place, we fly it and bring it on our own.”

Active across all regions

Western region of India is a vibrant hub for signage players engaging in innovations and diversity in graphic prints. “In this region, measurable benefits our customers have experienced with MIMAKI engineering solutions include increased productivity through faster printing speeds and improved print quality leading to higher customer satisfaction, reduced downtime with reliable equipment, and potentially lower operational costs due to efficient use of materials and energy. Additionally, our customers may have seen enhanced versatility in applications and expanded business opportunities through MIMAKI technologies,” mentions Mr Azaz Nathani, Area Manager (West), MIMAKI India Pvt Ltd.

In southern India, the rise of UV printing has been a notable trend. “Observing this trend, our successful launch of the 3.2-m UV machines stands testament to MIMAKI India’s commitment to innovations and customers’ satisfaction,” remarks Mr Aman Bharadwaj, Area Manager (South), MIMAKI India Pvt Ltd. He adds, “Bustling industrial hubs like Bengaluru and Chennai are where MIMAKI has become the preferred choice for businesses engaging in large-scale industrial and export-oriented operations.”

Mr Hemant Kumar, Area Manager (North & East), MIMAKI India Pvt Ltd, says, “Automobile production is largest and industrial product sale is better here in north & east India than other regions. Our customers in these regions, including those who engage in textile & apparel printing, gain added advantage of using economical MIMAKI equipment delivering sharp prints using ECO PASSPORT-certified inks.”

Increasing installation base

Over the last two years, enquiries of high-end machines to MIMAKI India have gone up significantly. “We have successfully installed five units of 10-ft SIJ320 UV roll-to-roll machines, two high-speed sublimation machines in north and south and three units of 8×4-ft JFX 200-2513 EX UV flatbed models in the regions,” tells Mr Ken, adding that it shows huge potential for even high-end products in the Indian market, motivating them to work even harder in this segment.

MIMAKI India exclusively participates in all leading expos like Media Expo. “We also conduct exclusive road-shows, latest being the one held in Pune in July 2023.The outcome of these events are outstanding for our growth and we want to interact with our end users. We take their constructive feedbacks to strive towards excellence for continuously providing quality products and services,” mentions Mr Ken. He adds that the authorised MIMAKI India dealers regularly participate in other events like Sign India, PAMEX, etc to gather feedbacks for planning local strategies for particular products.