DRUPA has been surprisingly bereft – even for these difficult times – of orders for newspaper press equipment, but manroland web systems has reported several upgrades as part of its pressupdate division.

Publisher of the ‘Hindustan Times’, HT Media has added towers and balloon formers to a 2005 Colorman pressline at Greater Noida, one of three such presses there. The presses – which each comprise three towers and a 2:5:5 folder rated at 85,000 cph – will be upgraded to 90,000 cph.

The company publishes a range of media products including the ‘Hindustan Times’ (English) and ‘Hindustan’ (Hindi), with a combined daily circulation of 2.25 million copies.

At the ‘Times of India’, publisher Bennett, Coleman & Co is upgrading its manroland Regioman 4x1 presses with an order at the Düsseldorf show for seven towers and three folders, following a visit by top  executives.

In addition to the ‘Times of India’, the company’s many publications include the ‘Economic Times’ (English) and the ‘Navbharat Times’ (Hindi). The group is a manjor manroland web customer, with double-width Colorman, Geoman and Regioman, and single-width Cromoman presses at various sites.

A Cromoman installed at Pune is the first of a recent two-press order.

The ongoing relationship – and the importance of the Indian market – is recognised by the decision of new owner of manroland web systems, Possehl to retain direct control of the sales and support organisation in the region, as it has in Australia and New Zealand.

At DRUPA, manroland also reported upgrade sales to ISP Luxembourg, publisher of ‘Luxemburger Wort’ – which is upgrading its 15-year-old Colorman press – and at Impressions Media in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, for its 17-year-old Geoman. Both will focus predominantly on control upgrades.