Vinyl city: First vinyl press near Mumbai is India’s only manufacturing unit

Each vinyl takes less than two minutes to press, and the journey from the puck to the pressed record is an expensive affair.

Ask GenZ, and they will tell you that "retro" is cool. So, it's no surprise that all things retro are making a comeback. Add vinyl to that long list, complete with a vinyl pressing plant. Samanvii Digimedia Art & Solutions, a vinyl manufacturing plant opened doors in MIDC Pawne, a few weeks ago. The plant is now the only vinyl pressing unit in the country, giving hope to several artists, analogue superfans, and collectors.

Almost a relic, vinyl record stores have been making a slow comeback for a few years now. The Revolver Club, a store in Mahim, specialising in vinyl and music equipment has been at the forefront of this movement. In Bengaluru, Rams Musique thrives as one of the largest vinyl record stores in the country, housing 6,000 records; and then there is the Record Room, which opened last year and is now moving to a new space. Delhi has seen more recent openings like the Digging Record Store, which opened earlier this year.

To ensure there is no damage in transport, apart from the sleeve, Samanvii is also manufacturing a cardboard jacket that holds four bubble-wrapped vinyls in place.

The opening of a vinyl press, though, is fresh and rare. Especially as India, despite its love for music and multiple film industries, has only ever had two vinyl manufacturing plants. The first was when The Gramophone Company (later renamed Saregama) set up the plant in 1908 near Kolkata and enjoyed a monopoly for several years. That changed in 1968 when Germany's Polydor Records collaborated with Mumbai's Patel Group to set up a plant in Mumbai. Eventually, both plants manufactured cassettes and began seeing competition from other players in the market, and ultimately shut operations as physical music formats saw a gradual death.

Samanvii's story began in 2015 after taking over the manufacturing assets from Sony DADC, which Managing Director Saji Pillai calls "the golden handshake". Both ex-Sony employees, Pillai and Director of Operations Vijay Nandi, now run and own Samanvii where they also offer disc manufacturing and packaging services. The two admit that the idea for a vinyl manufacturing unit had been brewing in their minds for years. It took 2024 for the dream to come to fruition purely because they had to ensure they had enough funds to run the operation. "We have always aimed to match the highest European quality standards for Vinyl Records. While the raw materials, such as the compound [polyvinyl chloride] and stamper, are sourced from Europe, every record we press undergoes rigorous manual inspection and playback to ensure it's flawless. This careful, labour-intensive process is a testament to the expertise and dedication found here in India," says Pillai. Further, the company is also taking care of logistics as they are already armed with a packaging services unit. To ensure there is no damage in transport, apart from the sleeve, Samanvii is also manufacturing a cardboard jacket that holds four bubble-wrapped vinyls in place. But do people spend on vinyl albums? Pillai goes on to explain that vinyl, like in the West, is gradually being seen as a great merchandising opportunity. With more concerts in India, bands will likely soon offer their music on vinyl, which superfans will be keen to collect. "Vinyl offers an audio quality that's simply unmatched by any other format. I believe people are also drawn to that ‘retro feel' and the joy of owning something tangible. It's similar to owning a treasured book - you might hesitate to lend it because it's yours, something you want to keep in pristine condition. Vinyl carries the same sense of ownership and connection; it's like saying, ‘This record is mine, and it's a part of who I am'," says Pillai.

Vijay Nandi and Saji Pillai

During a tour of the plant, Nandi explains the technicalities of disc manufacturing and later, vinyl. Each vinyl takes less than two minutes to press, but the journey from the puck to the pressed record is an expensive affair. So, why would anyone tread the path of analogue production in a digital world? An excited Pillai expresses that he feels like a kid in a candy store while walking around the vinyl plant. But passion sadly doesn't pay the bills; and he admits, "India's Vinyl Record sales are estimated at approximately 3,000 to 5,000 units per month, and this number is steadily growing. Major labels like Saregama, Sony Music, T-Series, Zee Music, and others are showing interest in releasing music on Vinyl , with the South Indian music industry notably strong in this format. Since our facility's opening, we've seen rising demand from indie labels and artists eager to bring their music to Vinyl, generating significant interest across the independent music scene."

In the West, particularly the US, vinyl speaks a different story. Sales of vinyl records in the US have consistently grown since 2006 when the format began witnessing a resurgence. In 2023, a total of 49.6 million vinyl albums were sold, which is 14 per cent higher than the previous year. In the UK, vinyl sales have hit their highest level since 1990. According to the British Phonographic Industry trade group, in 2023 sales rose for the 16th year in a row, this time by 11.7 per cent to 5.9 million units. This is primarily because many audiophiles and collectors argue that the sound quality of vinyl records is better than that of digitally recorded music. And, it's not just yesteryear artists' albums that are popular. In 2024, naturally, the year's top global star, Taylor Swift has the highest vinyl album sales. By July 2024, Swift's The Tortured Poets Album had already sold 2.474 million copies, outselling the rest of 2024's top 10 albums combined.
Vinyl in India might remain a niche. Regardless, these numbers feel hopeful for dreamers like Pillai and Nandi. Pillai says that in Europe, the energy, marketing, and labour costs to produce vinyl records are quite high. That's where India has an advantage; as Samanvii is now the only plant of its kind in Southeast Asia. This strategic position has already attracted them a UAE-based label. Pillai shares his excitement about the potential, recalling his experience at the Making Vinyl Conference in Haarlem, Netherlands, in September, where he met a US vinyl manufacturer who pressed a remarkable one million records in August alone. ‘We are here to serve the music industry in India and are committed to supporting the resurgence of this incredible format,' he concludes.