September 15, 2012
Bible is by most trade estimates, the world’s largest-selling book, with consistent annual sales of around 25 million and requires special paper. ITC (PSPD), the third-largest revenue generator for ITC after FMCG (including cigarettes) and agri-business is one of the largest players in bible printing paper in India for the last three decades. It already supplies the special paper to international Bible publishers and distributors like US-based Gideons International. Gideons distributes The Bible and New Testament in more than 190 countries. ITC also supplies the paper to Bible societies in neighboring countries like Nepal. For India, the Bible Society plans to print 2.2 million copies this year, plus another 2.5 million copies of The New Testament.
Mr. S.N. Venkataraman, Vice President – Marketing, ITC Ltd. (PSPD) stated “ITC’s Specialty Paper Unit at Tribeni, West Bengal, is a pioneer in India and Asia in developing light weight, high opacity papers. The unit has about 35 years of experience in developing such papers, which are characterized by high opacity, durability and permanence. These lightweight papers enable voluminous text like bibles, law books, and directories to be published in compact user-friendly sizes. The unit takes special pride in 28 gsm opaque tissue which is used for Bible printing and supplied to all the major publishers. It’s the sole supplier of this paper to the Bible Society of India, which is the largest publisher of the Bible in India, catering to 90% of the demand. These products are designed to run on high-speed web offset (heat set and cold set) as well as sheet fed machines. These products have excellent optical properties, minimal show through in-spite of small font size and back-to-back printing and often in multi color. ITC’s light weight papers can compare with the handful of International manufacturers like Tervakoski, Bollore, Arjo etc.”
Tribeni’s light weight range also includes the tailor made “Pharma Print” – a specially designed paper to run on high speed machines for medical outserts.
