Satyanarayana P
Director, Sales and Marketing, VP/LFP/RS Epson India Pvt Ltd
Businesses considering shift to digital printing from analogue
Epson is a global technology leader in the printing industry. With a lineup that ranges from inkjet printers and digital printing systems to 3LCD projectors, smart glasses, sensing systems and industrial robots, the company is focused on driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics. Satyanarayana P, director, sales and marketing, Epson India, discusses with Fibre2Fashion how the pandemic has made business owners take stock of their current processes and approach to business, Epson’s new product launches and outlook for the new year.
Where does Epson India rank as a printing solutions company in India? Who are your major competitors here?
Epson has a wide variety of printers from sublimation, direct to garment (DTG) and direct to fabric (DTF) to cater to varied customer needs. In both sublimation transfer and DTG printing, we are market leaders. For DTG, we have very limited competition and by far Epson DTG printers are trusted by customers across the country and verticals. We made an official entry into DTF printers in India in 2019 and we are working hard to consolidate our position in this segment.
Last year was a difficult year for the world due to the onset of the pandemic. How has the worldwide printing industry been affected?
It has been a tough year for everyone. The printing industry, like others, was affected in different ways. As work and study from home very quickly became the norm, there was a surge in demand for printers for use at home. However, manufacturers struggled to meet this demand as production facilities were not able to operate at normal levels. Transportation limitations also caused further problems. The effect of this is still being felt. On the other hand, with businesses, retail and corporates being affected by shutdowns and a drop in turnover, printing business was badly affected. So, retail printers, large format printers with specialised applications, textile printers, office printers—all saw a huge slowdown in demand. The situation is improving now, and we are positive about the year ahead.
Life is gradually coming back to normalcy in India. Has the printing industry returned to its prior state before the pandemic happened?
While we see a constant improvement in the situation, we must still return to normal levels. Initially the printing industry in India suffered a lot as there is a heavy dependency on migrant workers. With labour returning to normal ways and the economy showing clear signs of revitalisation, we are confident that a return to levels of the past is likely to be achieved in the not-too-distant future. In fact, we remain extremely positive about the digital textile printing space and are confident that adoption is set to increase exponentially for Epson’s textile printers.
What are the new launches and product offerings to look forward to this year?
Earlier this year, we launched the first industry level DTG printer, SC-F3030- a robust one designed for high productivity. It features high levels of accuracy and prints even complex designs on a variety of cotton garments from light to dark colours, allowing businesses to deliver quick turnaround time. The printer comes with the latest print engine with heavy-duty motors, all-new linear motion guide carriage system, extra-large fluff catchers and self-washing capping system. Additionally, we also expanded our Monna Lisa range of high-end direct-to textile printers with the launch of ML-8000, an entry-level model developed for short runs and fast fashion. It is a next-generation digital textile printer that combines performance and usability to meet the needs of the digital textile market for flexibility and sustainability.
What new strides has the textile-apparel industry taken since you launched your first DTG printer? Are consumers now better able to adopt to the DTG culture?
We launched our first DTG printer in 2013 and we have progressed a lot since then. With the pandemic, we have seen a tremendous growth in the ecommerce segment that has helped consolidate our business in the DTG segment. Our new industry level DTG printer saw a lot of traction from ecommerce platforms and from start-ups.
How have customer preferences changed in the current scenario and how are you reacting to that?
The pandemic has served as a catalyst of sorts to make many business owners take stock of their current processes and approach to business. The overdependence on labour in this industry was deeply brought into question, for example, during the pandemic. We are therefore already seeing many businesses now considering a shift to digital printing from the conventional analogue printing as the former is relatively simpler. Moreover, there is a realisation creeping in that digital printing has many advantages like faster turnarounds, print-on-demand, personalised data printing and is also cost effective. Epson is at the forefront of this digital printing revolution and we will be driving the shift in the marketplace.
Digital printing provides customers the flexibility to experiment and explore, making it convenient to create their collections faster and efficiently than ever. Printing on fabrics or garments digitally offers outstanding print quality and higher colour gamut. With virtually unlimited colour and design options, the final printed fabric exceeds the reproduction quality expectations compared to traditional fabric printing. Epson has digital fabric printing solution for any fabric type, from polyesters and blends to natural fibres like silks, cotton, linen, wool and rayon.
How are the Epson DTG printers positioned in the market today?
The DTG segment is largely driven by inkjet printing and we can confidently say that Epson printers are at the forefront and are consistently rated the best in quality.
Which are the major apparel brands in India who are advocates of Epson’s printers?
At this point of time, we may not be able to reveal more information in this regard as we are governed by nondisclosure agreements with customers. We can say some of the largest and most respected textile companies are now using our printers.
What kind of revenues are you looking at in the current fiscal?
In fiscal 2018-19, Epson India revenue was ₹1,734 crore. The pandemic has definitely affected our performance in 2019-2020, and we expect our turnover to see a marginal decrease. Our outlook for fiscal 2020-21 is positive and we hope to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels in the first instance. (PC)
This article was first published in the March 2021 edition of the print magazine.
Published on: 15/03/2021
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
