Repro India, a printer based in Mumbai, this week completed a 5m stock market flotation designed to fund an extension of its facility in the city's special economic zone.

The new extension will be dedicated to the export business, with a particular focus on "content process outsourcing" for export to the US and the UK.

Repro India, which already counts clients including Oxford University Press, Microsoft, Nokia and the Encyclopaedia Britannica, moved into overseas markets two years ago and export sales now account for 30%, or around 3.2m (Rs256m), of the firm's turnover.

The firm handles creative, repro, print and fulfilment, and specialises in children's books, software collateral, and other corporate clients.
Meanwhile, FMG chief executive Les Pipe told the PPA Conference that he hoped to follow competitor Schawk's lead and move much of the firm's production to India in the coming years.

"Schawk employs 4,200 people, 60% in client-facing roles and 40% in production. In two to three years, all of that production will be moved abroad, much of it to India," he said.

He added that the UK was losing its traditional quality advantage over foreign repro houses. "It is foolhardy to think that we have the Holy Grail on quality in the UK," he said.

- The EU has asked the Indian government to remove restrictions on foreign investments in print and broadcasting media, in an effort to help publishers in the EU to forge joint ventures with their Indian counterparts.

Repro India factfile
- Based in Mumbai

- 400 staff

- Began exports 2003

- Total sales 2004/5: 10.9m

- Export sales 2004/5: 3.3m

- Has ISO 9001 2000

- Services: creative, repro,print, fulfilment

- Clients: >250 worldwide, primarily software firms, corporates, childrens' publishers