Sheetal and Shivanand Bagwe are leaders who have successfully taken on a 91-year-old legacy, evolving and upgrading it with the changing times in India. Under their stewardship, the company's offerings expanded to include digital publishing, web and software development, and digital marketing through Sundaram Digital Publication and SAMS Digital.
Their innovative product, "Set My Book," symbolizes the ideal blend of tradition and modernity, empowering children to become authors. Sheetal states, "Set My Book is not just a product; it’s a tool to cultivate creativity and foster a love for story writing among young minds."
The origins of their enterprise trace back to 1933, when Ashok Bagwe’s father founded a printing business in Karachi. After the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, the family relocated to Mumbai, initially continuing their operations in Fort and later moving to Wadala in 1963, where the business flourished. In 1998, Ashok Bagwe founded Sundaram Art Printing Press, ushering in a new era. Ashok Bagwe was awarded with Rashtriya Puraskar by Neelam Sanjeev Reddy(former president of India). His son, Shivanand, brought two decades of experience in the graphic and printing industry, with a strong background in sales and marketing. His wife, Sheetal, an engineering graduate with five years of IT experience and a decade of multilingual book export expertise, became an invaluable asset to the business.
The company adopted technological advancements early on with Computer Desktop Publishing in 1985 and investing in Computer-to-Plate technology in 2004. The launch of SAMS Digital in 2021 marked a crucial expansion, while the introduction of their Digital Library Management System (DLMS) Reshaped library administration. Their growth also included direct exports to Europe starting in 2008 and a foray into security printing in 2011.
Among their notable achievements are the 75th-anniversary book for Tata Memorial in 2016, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the recent unveiling of "The Mosaic of Memories" by Anuradha Paudwal at the VSICON conference in 2023. Their most iconic triumphs include the launch of "Climate Change Clean Energy: Energy Options & Relevance of Nuclear Power," authored by Arun Kumar Nayak, Jyeshtharaj Joshi, and Samyak Munot, addressing crucial issues in sustainable energy.
Shivanand articulates their guiding principle, "Innovation is not an option but a necessity in our quest to remain relevant and ahead in this perpetually evolving industry." He and Sheetal firmly believe that "Adaptation is the key to survival in a landscape that is constantly shifting." Their advice to fellow entrepreneurs is succinct: "In this journey, stay committed to your vision, but don’t be afraid to pivot when necessary."
The journey, starting from 1933 to still continuing and thriving to this very day is nothing less than exceptional. To be able to understand the values, culture, vision, roots, and responsibilities while still aiming forward with hope, a thrust to contribute, and giving all you can for the betterment of society, certainly requires courage and discipline. Seriously, how often does one get to hear about such phenomena? The continued success of Shivanand and Sheetal Bagwe inspires many and marks them as one of India’s most significant and special stories.
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