Ukhrul, August 21: In what is being described as a milestone for the printing industry in Northeast India, the CHIHUI Group on Wednesday launched a state-of-the-art solvent printing machine, the ColorJet Soniq Aqua, at its ColorBasket Design and Print Studio in Ukhrul.
The inauguration was led by Khavangsing Lungleng, who first introduced the printing press to Ukhrul in 1977, marking a symbolic return to the town’s print legacy nearly five decades later. The event opened with an invocation by Rev. Dr. Ringphami Kengoo of Shirui Baptist Church, followed by prayers from Rev. Varemi Zingkhai of Khangkhui Phungdhar Baptist Church and Rev. Ngalengmi Zimik, associate pastor of UBC Ukhrul.
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Founded in 2013, ColorBasket has grown into a professional design and print service provider with clients across Manipur and neighboring northeastern states. The arrival of the ColorJet Soniq Aqua, billed as the first machine of its kind in Manipur and the region, is expected to expand its capacity and redefine the quality and scale of local printing services.
Company proprietor Aran Chihui told Ukhrul Times that the new technology would allow ColorBasket to cater not only to regional demand but also to compete with larger metropolitan markets. Industry observers hailed the development as a sign of the growing role of smaller towns like Ukhrul in driving innovation and entrepreneurship in India’s northeast.