The Hindu Business Line : Package deals

Not every Indian businesswoman would describe herself as a ‘mother hen’. But Amila Singhvi, managing director of International Print-O-Pac, doesn’t make a big deal of her success in a predominantly male industry, or the success of her printing business. She’s more proud of the fact that her employees have over the years grown to treat her more like a friend and guide, than a boss.

Her business secrets are, in fact, plain practical ones — be a good, considerate employer, offer the best you can, and success comes your way. Investing in the best technology available and importing machines that cost crores of rupees at a time when the company barely made money, was not a risk but the only way forward, she says. After marriage, Amila worked alongside her husband R.K. Singhvi at their advertising servicing firm, Sobhagya. The printing business was established in 1981 as the need for backward integration was recognised. “There was a serious need to find good quality printing. And it was the right decision at the right time.”

Packaging grew from 1998 onwards and, today, the business has spread wings and serves an international clientele. The printing company has also bagged ISO certification.

According to Amila, Indian printing and packaging industry is on the verge of a new surge. It is benefiting partly from the domestic retail boom, and partly from the demand from US and other markets. “Volumes are expected to quadruple. There are a great many opportunities for a B2B service like ours,” she says.

From soft drink majors to companies such as Nestle and Cadbury, International Print-O-Pac has an impressive portfolio that keeps its printing machines rumbling away 24x7x365, says Amila. While 2008 calendars were shipped to the US months ago, work on promos for summer sales will start soon. As a B2B industry, there’s a guarantee and a commitment that you can’t slip up on, she says.

“Printing sector in India is very large but not organised. There’s an urgent need, for us as an industry, to get organised considering the growth we are poised for,” says Amila. Armed with a recent funding of Rs 55 crore, her company expects to double its growth rate.

She owes her success to sheer hard work. “Luck has to favour you but you can’t sit and wait for luck to come knocking. Self-belief has to sustain you when things are not easy. I believe hard work brings luck,” she says.

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