New Security Ink Facility for India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opened a new security ink manufacturing unit, VARNIKA, which will be operated by its subsidiary Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL) in Mysore.

According to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, who formally dedicated the new plant to the nation, it represents an important step towards the country achieving self-sufficiency in banknote production as part of the so-called ‘Make In India’ initiative. The goal is to achieve 100% self-sufficiency in the near future in all critical and key raw materials and processes.

VARNIKA is able to produce colour shifting intaglio ink, coatings for different types of varnish and special additives. It has an annual manufacturing capacity of 1,500 MT, sufficient to meet the country’s requirements.

It will supplement the output from the Ink Factory, located in Dewas and owned by Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL), which produces offset, letterpress and some intaglio inks, but not colour shifting inks.

Mr Das also laid the foundation stone for the establishment of a Learning Development Centre (LDC) at BRBNMPL to facilitate human resource capacity building in the country’s currency production eco-system. LDC is being established in collaboration with the SPMCIL and Bank Note Paper Mill India, a joint venture between BRBNMPL and SPMCIL.

In a separate announcement that is also part of the Make in India campaign, Indian security thread manufacture Aristocraft has signed a technology transfer and licence agreement with Louisenthal. The two are long-standing partners and, whilst the terms of the agreement have not been published, Aristocraft has stated that it has been undertaken ‘upon the requirements of the Government of India’.