Amidst the recession-hit businesses that are struggling to retain their existing clientele, there is one industry that is flooded with projects. In fact, the slowdown has made it necessary for many business segments to seek clientele and for that one foolproof medium is advertising. Within advertising, the cheaper options are handouts and as they try and raise the pitch by calling on more potential clients, visiting cards get consumed like never before.

Add to that the ongoing marriage season — it is a full plate for those in the printing business these days. As if to make sure there is no let-up in business, festive season sales vie with an upcoming election season to make sure economic slowdown is a distant reality, at least for this sector.

According to Amit Saraf of Sagarmit Meelan Graphics Studio, recession has in fact been a blessing in disguise for the printing industry. “With companies struggling to retain their clientele, the need for advertising has become important. Pamphlets, brochures and handouts being the cheapest source of publicity, the number of orders for printing brochures and pamphlets has gone up in the past three months,” said Saraf.

According to Sunita Hirwe, owner, Success Enterprises, a city-based printing unit specialising in wedding cards and handouts, they have had a better order-book position in the last four months.

“Visiting cards, bill books, stationery items and so on are needed by all businesses. We have over six to seven visiting card orders every day, which means that we have to print 6,000-7,000 visiting cards every day. The demand is such that we have to turn down a number of orders,” Hirwe said.

With this year’s marriage season having just begun, printing press professionals are sure business has well and truly hit an upward trajectory.

“No matter what their financial status is, no one wants to compromise when it comes to marriages. And with the marriage season on, the demand for marriage cards has gone up.”

“Despite the economic slowdown, the budgets for marriages are only rising. If the more popularly used wedding cards last year was priced less than Rs 12; this year people are going for costlier cards, priced over Rs 15. Also, there has been significant rise in the added printing orders— sweet boxes, gifts, carry bags, envelopes and so on and this has resulted in an increased turnover,” said Amit Dhariwal, executive director, Manikchand Nandadeep Paper Products.

With elections scheduled early next year, rise in the demand for printouts and hoardings too, is on the cards. Though Raju Dalvi of Shree Arts admits the orders from political parties are yet to pour in, he is confident that once the elections dates get announced there will be no respite for machines in the many printing presses in the city.