Our March 2008 issue included an article “The MulticCopy Story,” by Laurel Brunner which is part of the global FSI network. In our April 2008 issue Gail Nickel-Kailing covered AIIM, On Demand and Xplor shows in in Boston this spring. As far back as our May 2007 issue, we wrote about the launch of India’s first retail printing brand “Printo”. The chain now consists of more than 14 stores in cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune. Although companies such as Friends Color own multiple store front locations in the NCR, Printo signaled the entry of on demand printing stores couple with a franchise model.

The market for on demand printing as a retail concept and more importantly the accompanying business culture, is developing. In 2007, Sir Speedy, the world’s largest printing network spanning nearly 1,000 locations in 18 countries, contracted an area franchise for India to Chandra Narra, Managing Director, HiQ Business Solutions. The first Sir Speedy center in India opened in January 2008 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Sir Speedy is part of Franchise Services Inc. (FSI), the largest franchise operation in the global printing industry. The other parts of FSI are MultiCopy, PIP Printing, Copies Now, and Digital QuickColor.

Sir Speedy India offers the full range of services including the graphic design, printing, copying, and finishing of posters, banners, and advertising specialty items. Sir Speedy centers also offer expanded services such as mailing and fulfillment, scanning and archiving, integrated direct marketing programs, and Web-to-print solutions.
Sir Speedy India’s first printing center location, in Jubilee Hills, serves the area between the center of Hyderabad and Hi Tech City. Future locations will provide full service convenience to other parts of the metropolitan area. Sir Speedy India has installed equipment and software for document design, printing, finishing and bindery, with an emphasis on digital printing. It is expected that five to seven more locations will be opened in the next eighteen months till the end of 2009, with rapid ramping up across the country after that.

Chandra Narra, CEO of Sir Speedy India, says, “We plan to open more than 200 Sir Speedy locations in the next decade. Our confidence in this vision is supported by Sir Speedy’s 40 years of success opening hundreds of printing businesses and their experience in other countries including the Middle East and Asia.” Sir Speedy’s development in India follows the opening of up of operations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, further expanding the company’s presence in the Gulf Coast region. The new Gulf Coast Area Franchise, beginning operations in Saudi Arabia, joins Sir Speedy UAE, which has opened multiple Sir Speedy Printing centers over the last 10 years. We had an opportunity to meet Richard Lowe president of Sir Speedy Inc. at the pre-drupa preview in Dusseldorf this January. Lowe spoke about the company’s entry to India as well their extensive reliance on EFI’s technology and digital front ends across various output devices.

“Chandra Narra understands the marketplace and the opportunity to help India’s business customers adopt a new way to achieve their business objectives. He is an entrepreneur with vision and commitment to fulfilling customers’ needs which has been the foundation of Sir Speedy’s success for decades,” says Richard Lowe, president of Sir Speedy, Inc.
Don Lowe, CEO of Franchise Services, Inc., the parent company of Sir Speedy, Inc., adds, “Our management team understands adaptation of market characteristics, traditions, cultural values, and both established and changing business practices. Our experience in North, Central and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe contribute to our industry-leading position worldwide. We are excited to add India to our international roster.”