Interview with Mr. Deepak Walia, Managing Director, Manroland Sheetfed India Pvt. Ltd.,
Since 1871, Manroland Sheetfed has carried forward a legacy of German engineering, precision, and innovation in sheetfed offset printing
Print3 : Can you share the founding story of Manroland Sheetfed and what inspired its creation in 1871?
Deepak Walia : Manroland Sheetfed traces its roots back to 1871 when Louis Faber and Adolf Schleicher founded Faber & Schleicher — the company that would evolve into today’s Manroland. From very early on the business focused on mechanical innovation for sheetfed offset printing, launching landmark machines (for example the Roland presses) that shaped modern commercial printing. That long tradition of German engineering, precision and continuous improvement has been the driving inspiration behind the brand ever since.
P3 : How have the company’s core values influenced its growth over the years?
DW : Our values — engineering excellence, reliability, innovation and customer-centric service — are embedded in product development, customer support and global partnerships. These principles pushed us to develop automated workflows, tighter quality control and modular systems that help customers improve productivity and reduce waste. That consistency keeps existing customers loyal and helps open new markets worldwide
P3 : Can you tell us about Manroland Sheetfed GmbH and its association with the Langley Group?
DW : Manroland Sheetfed GmbH is a German-based global manufacturer of sheetfed offset printing presses, founded in 1871 and headquartered in Offenbach am Main, Germany. Known for its precision engineering and pioneering press technologies, the company serves commercial, packaging, and publishing printers worldwide. Since 2012, Manroland Sheetfed has been part of the Langley Holdings plc Group, a UK-based, privately owned engineering and industrial group. Langley operates across multiple sectors including printing, power solutions, material handling, and construction equipment, employing over 5,000 people across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Being part of the Langley Group provides Manroland Sheetfed with strong financial stability, long term investment vision, and the ability to innovate continuously while staying customer focused.
P3 : Can you list out all your current products and also tell us about your very first launched product?
DW : Current product family highlights (global portfolio): the ROLAND Evolution family:
- Roland 700 Evolution Elite
- Roland 700 Evolution Speed
- Roland 900 Evolution
- Roland 900 (XXL/large format solutions)
- Ultima : the customized configuration for Roland evolution series.
The company’s very first product line were the early sheetfed/flatbed mechanical presses from Faber & Schleicher which evolved into the “Roland” series — early industrial sheetfed presses that set the standard for speed and robustness in the late 19th / early 20th centuries.
P3 : How does Manroland integrate automation and smart technology into its printing solutions?
DW : Automation is embedded across the workflow:
- Automatic plate changing, simultaneous plate loading (SPL) Autoprint features, integration platforms (PressPilot & IntegrationPilot)
- Inline quality systems (InlineColorPilot 3.0, Inline Inspector 3.0).
- Triple Ink Flow.
- These features reduce make ready times, minimize waste, enable faster job changeovers and deliver consistent color quality — all critical where runs are shorter and turnaround times tighter.
P3 : Can you describe the key features of the ROLAND 700 Evolution Elite and its technological innovations?
DW : The ROLAND 700 Evolution Elite is the flagship in the R700 family. Key features include:
- High speeds (16,000 ,18,000 & 20,000) sheets per hour; 16,000 sph in perfecting mode).
- Wide stock thickness range (from 0.04–1.0 mm) and large-format capability (3B format 780 x 1050 mm).
- Simultaneous Plate Loading (SPL) and advanced plate handling for quick make ready.
- Inline color control (InlineColorPilot), inline inspection (InlineInspector), and the new form of called PressPilot/IntegrationPilot automation suite for press management and MIS integration.
- Options for inline finishing (foil, varnish) and excellent eco efficiency design points. These combine to reduce waste, improve uptime, and raise consistent print quality for demanding commercial and packaging applications.
P3 : Which market segments (commercial, packaging, publishing) are the main focus for Manroland?
DW : Manroland focuses across all three core segments: commercial, packaging, and publishing — offering press platforms and automation options tailored to each segment’s run lengths, substrate diversity and finishing needs. In India we place particular emphasis on commercial and packaging customers where demand for short runs, variable jobs, and high-quality finishing is rapidly growing.
P3 : How does the company stay ahead of industry trends and technological advancements?
DW : We invest continuously in R&D, collaborate with customers on real-world, attend and present at major trade shows, and run pilot installations with early adopters. We also follow a modular product development approach so new automation or inspection systems can be retrofitted to installed presses helping customers keep machines up to date without full replacement. The Manroland presses are highly configurable, we always aim to provide our customers with all new technological advancements on their presses.
P3 : How do you ensure your products meet the evolving needs of global clients?
DW : By combining excellent metallurgical engineering with software-driven automation and providing strong on-site service & training, and offering retrofit paths. Feedback loops from installations around the world inform iterative improvements—that ensures our offerings stay relevant to differing market requirements and regulations.
P3 : What have been some of the major challenges in the printing industry, and how did Manroland overcome them?
DW : Major challenges: shorter run lengths, accelerated turnaround expectations, price pressure, and sustainability demands. We addressed these by: Advancing automation to lower make-ready/waste and improve ROI Developing flexible press formats (e.g., wider substrate range, inline finishing) so a single press can handle different substrates. Offering strong service, spare parts and retrofit programmes to extend asset life and reduce total cost of ownership.
P3 : Can you elaborate on your business model and growth strategy?
DW : Our model blends equipment sales with long-term service, spares, training, and performance upgrades. Growth strategy in India focuses on targeting high-growth customers (commercial converters and packaging houses), demonstrating ROI for automation, strengthening local service networks, and partnering with complementary technology suppliers to offer end-to-end solutions.
P3 : How is technology transforming the Indian printing industry, and what role does Manroland play?
DW : Technology is shifting Indian printing from large-run commodity work to short-run, high-quality, value-add production — driven by e-commerce packaging, brand printing and diversified print products. Manroland brings advanced automation, high-spec presses (R700/R900 families), inline finishing options and training to help Indian printers modernize and compete globally. Recent Indian installations and deployments reflect this push to higher automation and precision.
P3 : Which automation or modernization trends are most significant in India?
DW : Top trends: inline color control/inspection, automatic plate changing, faster make ready workflows, integrated MIS-to-press connectivity, and more compact inline finishing (varnish/foil). These trends reduce waste and make short-run jobs profitable.
P3 : How are your solutions helping Indian printers enhance productivity and precision?
DW : By cutting setup times (SPL/Autoprint), minimizing Color variability (Inline Color Pilot /Inline Inspector), and enabling higher meaningful uptime through predictive service and quick-change systems. The net effect is faster turnaround, less waste and improved print consistency — directly impacting margins.
P3 : What is Manroland’s vision for the growth of the printing industry in India?
DW : We see India moving toward higher-value printing — premium packaging, brand work and short run — where quality and automation matter more than ever. Manroland’s vision is to be the partner that equips Indian printers with efficient, future ready presses and digital control systems so they can scale profitability while meeting sustainability goals.
P3 : How do government initiatives support technological adoption in printing?
DW : Recent government initiatives that support manufacturing, digital adoption and “Make-in-India” investment climates (tax incentives, credit lines, and infrastructure improvements) help printers access financing and upgrade equipment. Additionally, sustainability and waste-reduction incentives encourage adoption of energy efficient, low-waste press technologies.
P3 : Can you share examples of CSR programs or community engagement?
DW : (Company-level CSR varies by region.) Manroland and its affiliates typically engage in community outreach, technical training for operators, and partnerships with educational institutes to build skills for the printing and finishing trades. We had conducted a visit of NPRIT students to gain the first hand experience of Manroland Evolution 700 Elite installed in Galaxy Offset at their Giloth Plant.
P3 : Are there eco-friendly solutions embedded in your printing technology?
DW : Yes — modern Manroland presses focus on reducing waste (shorter makeready, lower start-up waste), energy-efficient this makes evolution sustainable. Many R700 family features are designed with eco-efficiency in mind. Apart from this, we are bringing up pressroom chemicals and press maintenance products from the brand called Printcom, which is a trademark of Manroland Sheetfed. These products are certified as: FOGRA approved, Food Safe and reduced to zero IPA solutions.
P3 : Any recent product launches or upgrades?
DW : The ROLAND 700 Evolution family continues to be the focal product line; upgrades and variants (Elite, Speed, Lite) are positioned to meet different speed and substrate needs. Manroland also continues to expand automation and inline finishing options and publishes regular customer installation stories (for example, R700 installations driving customer productivity improvements). For specific, recent Indian customer installations and case studies, see Manroland’s news pages and India news posts.
P3 : Have there been any recent Installations for Manroland?
DW : Manroland teams and staff have doubled their growth in value terms during this period. Country’s top-ranked packaging, commercial, and book printers have installed used and new presses.
- Third R708P press has recently been installed at Replika Press in less than 2 years time span.
- Manroland India has installed 17 used presses across the country in the last 3 years. Manroland ensures the quality of these machines, takes care of installations, service, spares and various other technical support elements for the customers.
- Our new installed R707LV dedicated UV presses and Sain and Galaxy are the work horse and boosted customer confidence on the Evolution series. At Sain with an Average job run length of 4000sheets the Evolution has crossed 40million impression and at Galaxy with average run of 7000sheets the Evolution will reach above 57million impression in two years’ time. These numbers shows the productivity and efficiency of Evolution press.