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which is the most important thing from our office, they converse with Tell us about your customer
for us in this case. As long as that is photographers and labs and try to engagement programme and
growing, the customers are growing, understand their needs. customer service network?
we will keep growing. That is a very For me, there are two customers —
optimistic outlook that we have. We are doing a worldwide launch one, my actual customer who buys
today of the pink ink and the green my machine, and the other, the end
What are your expectations for ink. What the pink and the green customer, who is the photographer
2018? do is to increase the gamut. India who does not buy my machine, but he
We have two expectations for 2018. is the most colourful country by buys the photograph that is produced
One, obviously, to grow the market to far in the world. So when we speak on my machine. We always look at
a higher and higher level. Whatever to photographers and camera them as two unique set of people
we are doing today, be it the product manufacturers, we find that some who have different demands, whom
launches, technology changes that times even we miss the gamut. See we have to cater to. So for the first
we are making, is all leading towards the colours that are used in India set of people who buy machines from
getting into the higher and higher during ceremonies, especially me — we have built a solid network
values of the business. If I am a weddings. To have exactly the same in India. We are already present
wedding photographer, can I double colours replicated in print is a in 70 towns and cities in India. We
my business next year? When we ask challenge as long as you are using a have offices in about 55 places to
this question, the answer does not lie four-colour process, which is what cater to their needs and demands,
with the wedding photographer. The every manufacturer does. So we that is, with 55 engineers, we give
answer actually lies with a purohit or are trying to increase the gamut by probably the best industry support.
a pundit who says these are the only adding the pink and the green inks. There is something unique about
muhurat days that are available. Out So that becomes part of the process our technology also. Eighty percent
of 365 days, that I have, the muhurat colours now. We have also launched of machine servicing can be done
days are only 100. Now how can I another colour, the light light black. by our customers themselves. It is
increase my business? If the muhurat So by using these seven colours, we such a easy system. Then we have
days are only hundred, I cannot shoot can cover a much wider gamut. Now very hi-tech systems where sitting in
three weddings on the same day. So we can produce prints that match my office, I can understand what is
my business is not going to ramp exactly the same colours that you see the problem with a printer that is in
up like other business. I am talking on the LCD monitors. Amritsar. All presses are connected
about the aam aadmi (common man) to the internet. Then there are
photographers not big photographers Weddings are also changing big time. extremely hi-tech features such as
who have assistants and a big set-up. Now its not the father and mother cameras fitted on the machine, with
These are one man, two man, or three who decide the wedding. There are which I can see everything remotely.
man companies. They cannot increase wedding planners who come in. So we do 40 percent of our service
business by doing more more shoots. There are fashion designers who are by remote assistance. We have a
If this is the pattern, then how do I coming and designing the costumes beautiful team with a massive office
make more money? It can only be of people. And the trend is that they in Chennai. But for end customers,
done by giving a higher value product prefer brighter and brighter colours. beyond photofair, we meet roughly
or service. That is exactly what our I think the generation that passed by, 10,000 to 50,000 people every year
focus is on all the years. Even this who accepted everything, is making — going to small towns like Silliguri,
year, we are going to focus on this. way for a generation that wants some remote town in Tamil Nadu or
How do I charge more money from something unique, whom we call the Kerala, seeing the products that are
the same number of clients? We also millennials. Their principle is, I want produced by our customers, talking
came out with this concept that if something unique. They come out to photographers and finding out
you print a large album, you could with something that is unbelievable. what they want from us to develop
print a small miniature album that Their choices are all changing. And their business. We constantly meet
could be distributed to close relatives. meeting their demands is challenging. with them and we have at least four
That is an additional increase in If a lady has got her dress designed such roadshows every month, every
business. You could also go for other by a fashion designer who charges a year. So when we talk to an aam
products like posters etc. We are also few lakhs and the colours she chose aadmi (common man), the fact that
enhancing on quality parameters. do not replicate well on your print or an HP person is talking to him is what
We are launching two new inks at a your LCD monitor, it is a nightmare gets them charged. So the DNA of our
worldwide level. For HP, India is the for us. So that is why we are coming company is to listen to customers
largest professional photo market. back and doing these technology always. We may not be able to do
Rest of the markets are in the amateur launches to suit the market. To suit all that the customer wants, but if
side and they are big like US, Europe, the millennials who are getting we are able to do even 10 percent
etc. We have based all our launches, married, who have the demand of of what the customer wants, their Smart Photography
and all our R&D centred around India. uniqueness, that’s always been a big business keeps growing. That is what February 2018
So there are scientists who come challenge for us. we believe and do. |SP
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