Sign & POP World - New Delhi

Swiss-based Zünd (Zünd Systemtechnik AG) digital cutting system is a perfect choice for the signage sector. Its 100% Indian subsidiary, Zund India (Pvt) Ltd has become popular in India for its cutting edge digital cutting machines. Zund India was set up in the year 2012 in Bengaluru. It has a skilled and motivated team ever ready to serve the clients – be it Pre-Sales, Sales, After Sales Service and even Application know-how. They have a state of the art demo centre designed to experience the technology and cutting solutions for varied market segments including Packaging, Sign & Display, Leather, Textile and Composites industries. Zund’s digital cutting machines are being used globally to make Shelf signage – Contour-cut polypropylene shelf talkers for in-store promotions and window displays; Hanging signs – Contour-cut acrylic mobile; Floor graphics – Laminated adhesive-backed vinyl, kiss-cut and through-cut, for floor decals and floor mats; Displays Cut or routed lightweight POP/POS materials up to 25 mm/2” thick. Zund cutting machine is also ideal for Textile, fabric banners, flags, roll-ups; Pressure-sensitive vinyl for fleet graphics, vehicle wraps, and decals; Oversized mesh banners and building wraps; Scrolling lightboxes and backlit displays trim-cut etc. Zund also offers solutions to cut Foam up to 110mm thickness. In India, Zund has installed close to 200 machines and globally the figure is close to 25000 machines.

In an online interview, Prasanna Venkatesh, Managing Director, Zund India Pvt Ltd, reveals his company’s growth strategy and journey so far.

Please elaborate on your various products for the advertising/signage industry:

Zund offers cutting solutions based on the customer’s specific requirements. Over 40% of our annual sales find applications in the signage and signage related industry, globally. With over 35 years of experience in the field, our machines come with the most innovative and the latest features to suit the signage customer’s requirements. With unparalleled cutting Quality, quick turnaround times, literally nil maintenance, Zund has plenty to offer to its customers, be it the ones who are into large volumes/mass productions to the ones who have lesser volumes but a large no. of SKU’s to the ones who are in the creative art business. Zund is well equipped to cater for their individual needs.

What is the investment scenario/order flow for Zund products in India in the post-pandemic conditions?

I guess we cannot generalize the period as a pre/post-pandemic for whatever multiple waves we have experienced so far, or God forbid will experience in future. But in my opinion, the first wave did real damage to the investment plans of the entire market, however, the second and third waves were much better in comparison concerning capital investments. We had a wonderful year last and we see the trend continuing this year as well.

How are you positioned to grow in the market as some buyers now look for second-hand machines to save some money owing to the impact of Covid on their fund flow?

Well as rightly said there have been increased enquiries for second hand Zund machines in the market. But prospective Zund buyers are not the ones who are looking at saving some money, rather they look for increased value addition on the machine such that they could make more money out of their investment. With its modular design, speed and precision, Zund has time and again proven its increased value proposition to bring in more revenue.

During the 2 years of the pandemic, many companies came out with some innovations as they had ample time to think and do R&D, So, anything from Zund’s side?

Innovation is something that Zund is synonymical with. Of late there has been great emphasis on offering complete workflow systems to our customers. Right from Intuitive and user-friendly software to offering efficient cutting solutions be it hardware, software or the entire workflow system, Zund has it all.

How the preparations are going on to further penetrate the market through physical exhibitions?

We are all geared up for the new normal era. Even during the pandemic, we participated in a few virtual expos. The first physical exhibition post-pandemic for us in India would be the much-awaited Print Pack India 2022 at Greater Noida in May 2022. Customers can also visit our State of the art “Zund Experience centre” located in Bangalore. Here they can experience the entire solutions that Zund has to offer to the market.

What are the different products that you offer in India?

Zund offers Flatbed digital cutting machines for two- dimensional cutting of almost any substrate except substrates from the family of Metal, Glass and Stone. The products offered by Zund are very Modular in nature. Customers can configure the machines based on their productivity requirements. Also, we as a total solution provider, now offer great software solutions such as Prime Center or Zünd Connect. We want to use them to support our customers in automating their workflows in line with their needs, automating many work steps and thus making production more efficient and eliminating potential sources of error.

These days while some customers want to be loyal customers of their suppliers, in the same letter and spirit they expect their suppliers/vendors to be most ‘Reliable’ by offering competitive prices, transparent in dealing, reliable after-sales service, quality products. Your views:

Yes indeed! Unless the products/solutions are reliable and relevant in time there is no way a supplier can earn customer loyalty. The latter has become more important these days. Unless you are making a product, future proof it is no more relevant in time. For instance, Zund cutting solutions are compatible with Industry 4.0 standards including IOT. We have many customers in India who have more than 3 Zund cutters and plan to add more. On the other hand, we have many installations which have crossed over 20 years of its services to customers. These are the very reasons why Zund can build a strong association with its customers and vice versa.

What is the YoY growth of Zund in India?

Except for the year 2020-21 which witnessed a negative impact on the books of most companies including us, we have been growing at an average of 30% YOY.

What is the reason for the success of Zund in India?

I would say it’s because of our customers. Zund customers are constantly on the lookout for doing things differently and to stand out in the market. This demand for innovation is the key to our success. It not only drives all of us at Zund in bringing innovative and efficient cutting solutions to the market but at the same time keeps us motivated too.