THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Although poster and pamphlet printing is a comparatively small part of the election campaign process, the printing presses in Sivakasi thrive on the orders from Kerala. With close to 1500 printing presses in the town, and a few of them focussed on poster and pamphlet printing, elections usually bring one of the biggest cheers to the business here.
A Dhanasekharan, a printing press owner from Sivakasi is already receiving enquiries from Kerala for printing pamphlets and posters. Thirty per cent of their business are from poster and pamphlet printing orders from Kerala during the elections.
However, the number of clients from Kerala has decreased over time as new and advanced printing presses were set up in Kerala.
“Our rates are 20- 25 per cent less than what is charged in Kerala. Still, every year we are losing some business. We can also deliver an order with a short notice as all our presses work over night which works in our favour in drawing in more business. In future though, we might only get the works from within 100 kms,” said Dhanasekharan. His family has been in the business for the past 44 years.
Kumar, who is the proprieter of a smaller press in Sivakasi has been in the business for a shorter period.
“During the big elections we don’t get much business. Its always the LSG elections that works in our favour. During the bigger elections we only get small pamphlet printing and sometimes stickers and such items. We only get a five percent of the actual business done as part of the elections.There was a period when the presses relied only on customers from Kerala,” he said.
These presses are awaiting for orders from Kerala in the days to come as the parties are still working on declaring candidates across the state and is in hope of a fruitful election season.