Enterprising entrepreneur Nirav Shah heads one of the
prominent and innovative label manufacturing companies in India
Letra Graphix,
headquartered in Ahmedabad. Over the years, Letra Graphix has established itself
as a leader in Pressure Sensitive or Self-adhesive Labels for
a wide range of label products, including those for food and beverage products,
liquor bottles and cans, toys, plastic items,
glass items, beauty and cosmetic products, household and durable
products, nutritional supplements, and a lot more. Nirav has led his company
giving credit to his team who he has mentored to march ahead with collaborative
efforts. He believes that to succeed we must take care of our people. Invest in
their growth, celebrate their dedication, and acknowledge their quiet hard
work. A loyal, empowered team is a company’s ultimate competitive advantage. It
is proving right for him.
 |
| Nirav Shah |
In 1965 Nirav Shah’s father Arun Shah and his brother Kamlesh
Shah initiated their maiden venture dealing in electrical industrial supplies.
Eight years hence in 1973 the brothers felt the need to diversify. It was the
early days for self-adhesive labels and the future looked extremely bright for
the segment. The brothers took a call and started their firm Arun Agencies to
trade in labels, outsourced from those manufacturing at that time. While Nirav and
his elder sister were growing up in a well-knit bonded business-oriented family,
the brothers Arun and Kamlesh created a platform as suppliers of labels. Nirav
completed his schooling at Swastik Vidyalaya Ahmedabad, followed by higher
education in the city itself followed by Fine Arts at CN Vidyalaya, which
helped develop his creative understanding of design and aesthetics. To further
strengthen his technical knowledge, he pursued Printing Technology studies in
Wisconsin, USA. Growing up in such an environment, watching elders in the
family business, he grew up with a mindset towards entrepreneurship, hard work,
and a wish to indulge in manufacturing from an early age. He joined the
family’s electrical business in 1994 but in his heart, he had a profound wish
to start manufacturing labels. In this same year he got married to Archita.
In 1995 Nirav decided to initiate his label manufacturing
business starting at home with a small set-up. Before starting his
entrepreneurial journey, Nirav gained hands-on experience across multiple
industries. Working in his father’s electrical business gave him early exposure
to business operations and customer relations. He also worked at an advertising
agency as a designer; it gave him an understanding of branding and visual
communication. While he studied in the
USA , he sharpened his technical capabilities and expertise by working as a
machine operator at a printing firm, gaining practical exposure to advanced
printing technologies and production systems. By the mid-1990s the self-adhesive
label industry started evolving at a fast pace. With active support from wife
Archita, Nirav’s label business found early success. They shifted the label
manufacturing business, from home to a larger commercial space at New York
Tower Ahmedabad and renamed the company Letra Graphix.
 |
| Their new admin office with factory |
In his first big move to enter the narrow web label
manufacturing, Letra Graphix installed their first Mark Andy 4-colour label
printing machine on 30th June 1997, and officially registered Letra Graphix
Pvt. Ltd. as a company. It was a natural progression from trading to
manufacturing after gaining deep exposure to commercial printing and label
trading. There was no looking back thereafter, even though finding skilled
manpower, sourcing premium materials, and convincing brands to shift from
conventional sheet-fed labels to premium self-adhesive labels were major
challenges. Over the years Ahmedabad has become one of India’s largest hubs for
industrial packaging and label manufacturing, having everything from high-tech
corporate flexographic printing plants to localized barcode sticker suppliers.
The city serves massive pharmaceutical, FMCG, textile, and chemical industrial
clusters across Gujarat. Inspired by situation, Letra Graphix invested in manufacturing
labels for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, food, and international
markets followed by continuous investments in technology, infrastructure, and
innovation. What started as labels and printing gradually became a family
business. The business started as trading through Arun Agencies eventually
evolved into a full-fledged manufacturing setup. Expanding further in 2021 they
began construction of a new building which was completed and began operational
in 2022. According to Nirav, “The decision to keep expanding was driven by the
rapid modernization of packaging in India, where brands increasingly required
international-quality self-adhesive labeling solutions.” Growing up in a
business-oriented family and watching the dedication, discipline, and
adaptability of family, influenced him to navigate through changing business
environments and evolving printing technologies maintaining commitment to
quality.
 |
| Archita, Anushka, Nirav and Sahil |
The entire Shah family is a support system for their label venture.
While the elders laid the foundation with their trading company Arun Agencies,
Nirav’s mother was a teacher and played a very important role in shaping their
values and discipline at home that carved their character in industrial
operation. His wife Archita actively supports him in business and manages the
company’s CSR initiatives and social welfare activities. Nirav and Archita are blessed
with two children, daughter Anushka, who holds a degree in B.Design. With her
design background, she contributes creatively to branding, aesthetics,
packaging innovation, and the visual identity of the company. While Son, Sahil,
after completing his MBA has undergone
extensive on-ground training across all departments from production and
operations to client servicing and business development. Today, as a key
director at Letra Graphix, he plays a leading role in driving modern marketing
strategies, digital growth, new client acquisitions, and the company’s
participation at major national and international exhibitions. Both siblings
are now actively involved in the business and being groomed to be the next
generation of leadership at Letra Graphix.
 |
| Nirav with Hybrid Gallus Labelfire |
They have a fully owned factory on a land area over 5000 Square
Meters and employ over 100 workforce. The facility houses advanced multi-color
narrow-web flexographic and combination printing presses equipped with inline
embellishment technologies including cold foiling, silk-screen printing,
die-cutting, and booklet label manufacturing capabilities. In 2015 they further
enhanced their capabilities by installing an IML converting machine in 2016. In
2023, a Gallus Labelfire 340 hybrid flexo and digital press was added. Letra
Graphix has integrated digital proofing and short-run printing capabilities to
cater to the growing D2C and custom branding market. Nirav states, “The future
of digital label manufacturing is extremely promising because it enables
personalization, minimal setup waste, and faster turnaround times alongside
traditional flexographic production.” They also maintain dust-free production
environments and 100% automated camera inspection systems to ensure zero-defect
quality standards.
Achievements and awards.
Over the years, Letra Graphix has won numerous prestigious
national and international awards for print excellence and innovation. In
2006 they won their first AFTA award. Followed by two more Gold AFTA awards
in 2007. Two years later in 2009 they were recipients of 13 consecutive awards
in a single year and gained global recognition for “excellence in technical
achievement in printing by “World Label Awards Association” at Chicago
USA. The award winning continued when in 2011 they won 14 awards, the highest
in their journey till then. In 2019 they received the “Innovative Label
Printer of the Year” award by Printweek for hanger labels.
Letra Graphix actively exports premium labels to
international markets and works with brands that require strict adherence to
global packaging and compliance standards. As for sustainability Nirav states, “We
are committed to environmentally responsible manufacturing practices. This
includes waste optimization, adoption of UV-curable and low-emission inks and
offering sustainable substrates such as PCR materials and FSC-certified papers.
For their contribution towards corporate social responsibility
(CSR), they regularly contribute toward educational
initiatives, healthcare support for underprivileged communities, and local
environmental sustainability drives around our industrial areas. Their vision
for the next five years is; Letra Graphix aims to become a fully integrated
smart-factory manufacturing unit, recognized globally for sustainable and
intelligent labeling solutions, while continuing to uphold family-driven values
of trust, precision, and quality.
In his final words of
communication Nirav says,
“My message to the next generation of entrepreneurs and brand
builders: never compromise on your product’s first impression. A label is not
just packaging — it is the silent salesman of your brand. Investing in quality
packaging is investing directly in your brand’s future.”
Interviewed & written
in June 2026 by:
Harveer Sahni, Chairman, Weldon Celloplast Ltd. New Delhi
@labelsandpackagingworld.com
No comments:
Post a Comment