The fourth edition of the PrintWeek Women to Watch Awards elicited a fantastic response from the industry. PrintWeek received 108 entries, and it revealed how rapidly the print, packaging, and publishing industries are evolving through the leadership of women across manufacturing, design, HR, publishing, operations, sustainability, and business strategy. With 108 entries received and 80 shortlisted for jury evaluation, the scale and quality of participation reflected the growing stature of the awards platform.
The jury meet, hosted by PrintWeek on 13 May 2026 at Kanakia Wall Street in Andheri East, Mumbai, became a showcase of transformation, resilience, and innovation across the industry.
What stood out this year was not merely the number of applications, but the depth and diversity of stories behind them. From women-led shopfloors and AI-enabled educational programmes to sustainable packaging breakthroughs and technology-driven manufacturing systems, the entries demonstrated how women are increasingly shaping the future of the industry at every level.
The introduction of a dedicated Company Category added a new dimension to the awards this year. It enabled the jury to recognise organisations that are building inclusive workplaces, investing in safety and wellbeing, and creating structures for long-term leadership development.
Among the most discussed entries in the All Women Team of the Year category was the women workforce at EPL Nalagarh Printing. Operating seven printing lines and supporting 27 tubing lines across letterpress and flexo jobs, the team achieved a record production milestone of 144 million tubes in March 2026 while maintaining wastage below target levels. The jury appreciated how operational discipline, consistency, and collaboration translated into measurable manufacturing excellence.
Another standout was the all-women faculty initiative that demonstrated how academia is increasingly intersecting with industrial innovation. The entry highlighted the integration of AI-driven automation, additive manufacturing, printed electronics, international collaborations, and industry-focused programmes such as the Print Olympiad and Smart India Hackathon participation.
The Best Workplace of the Year category also emerged as one of the strongest reflections of changing workplace culture within the industry. Several organisations showcased tangible investments in employee wellbeing, inclusion, and retention.
Bobst India’s achievement of more than 700 accident-free days generated significant appreciation among jurors, particularly as the company also highlighted strong collaboration practices and women’s representation at the board level.
EPL’s submission highlighted progress in increasing women’s representation from 21% to 25%, alongside the emergence of women in strategic leadership positions.
Janvi Arts stood out for maintaining a 90% employee retention rate over four years while building a near gender-parity workforce with women participating across production, design, quality control, and client-facing functions.
The jury also welcomed new entrants such as Awwa Pustaka, whose entry focused on encouraging female debut authors in children’s publishing and creating greater representation for emerging voices in literature.
The Safety and Wellbeing Excellence category reflected how organisations are beginning to treat employee safety as a strategic and cultural priority rather than merely a compliance requirement.
EPL highlighted zero POSH complaints and zero accidents since 2014, alongside a 96% Great Place to Work score and progressive night-shift safety systems for women employees.
Holostik’s entry impressed the jury through its structured ISO 45001-aligned EHS framework, women-led POSH governance, risk assessment systems, and comprehensive workplace safety infrastructure, including monitored common areas and secure access-controlled spaces.
The Business Leader of the Year category perhaps best illustrated the breadth of leadership styles shaping the sector today.
At Ashtavinayak Packaging, Anju’s leadership drove more than two-fold revenue growth while scaling operations across a large manufacturing facility through strong alignment between people, process, and technology. Being a new company in a highly competitive space, Anju Mittal’s leadership stood out for many of the jurors.
Aticka Chona brought a cross-industry perspective, drawing from decades of experience launching international retail operations in India and leading sourcing across the subcontinent for European retail networks.
At MBD Group, Monica Malhotra Kandhari’s “Print-Plus” philosophy drew attention for redefining the relationship between print and digital learning through the AASOKA platform. Jurors noted how the entry positioned print not as a legacy medium, but as a foundation for future-ready education ecosystems.
Sanaa Vasi’s work at Triace and Bespoke Pack highlighted how packaging design is increasingly becoming a strategic brand-building tool. Her entry demonstrated how consumer psychology, aesthetics, and storytelling can transform packaging into an emotionally resonant brand experience, contributing to substantial business growth and marquee client acquisition.
At EPL, Sonal Jain’s submission stood out for repositioning HR as a strategic driver linked directly to ESG outcomes, capability development, and commercial execution.
The jury also noted how leaders like Zeenia Khushru Patel of JAK Printers are building integrated, innovation-led printing businesses focused on faster turnarounds, multiple technologies, and customer-centric solutions.
The Execution Excellence category revealed the operational backbone behind many successful businesses.
The jury praised Shweta Hinge from Parksons Packaging for her structured approach to pre-press management and production coordination, which significantly reduced errors while improving first-time approvals in complex premium packaging jobs.
Ashima Raj Ahuja of Multitec stood out for bringing architectural thinking into complex manufacturing systems involving more than 7,000 unique machine components produced entirely in-house.
At Reenvision Events, Sakshi Choudhary and Gaganapriya Venkatesulu demonstrated the increasing sophistication behind large-scale industry events, managing dozens of sponsors, speakers, and delegates through tightly coordinated execution systems.
Priyanka Rathi’s transformation of marketing operations into a data-driven, AI-enabled lead engine generated strong discussion among jurors, especially given the measurable business outcomes attached to the initiative.
Sustainability and material innovation emerged as dominant themes in the Packaging Person of the Year category.
Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee drew attention for pioneering biodegradable active packaging systems using plant-derived materials such as Acacia catechu. Their work demonstrated how Indian research institutions are increasingly contributing to next-generation sustainable packaging solutions.
At Mondelez International, Preeti’s work on the Lotus Biscoff launch in India showcased how material science, speed, and premium design can combine to deliver globally benchmarked packaging innovation within compressed timelines.
Meanwhile, Sushma Sampth’s work across SIG and Essel Propack reflected how packaging innovation increasingly centres around convenience, usability, and entirely new consumption experiences.
The Publishing Person of the Year category reinforced the continuing importance of editorial leadership and inclusive storytelling.
At Navneet Education, Henal Mehta’s child-centric editorial philosophy and the success of the Happy Planet Kit highlighted the importance of empathy-led educational publishing.
Dr Ruchita Chowdhary’s work at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University stood out for embedding gender sensitivity and media ethics into publishing and communication practices.
One of the most competitive segments this year was the Rising Star of the Year category, which received the highest number of entries. The submissions reflected a new generation of professionals combining technical understanding, business acumen, marketing agility, and innovation-led thinking.
Entries from Aashna Popli, Deepti Sharma, Yashvi Pachigar, Minakshi Mittal, Haritha Iyer, and others showcased how young professionals are reshaping legacy businesses through process standardisation, customer-centric thinking, technology adoption, and design-led entrepreneurship.
The Sales Excellence category reinforced the growing importance of consultative selling and long-term relationship building within print and packaging businesses. From revenue growth and customer retention to strategic account management, the entries demonstrated how women professionals are driving commercial success across highly competitive markets.
Meanwhile, the Young Business Leader category highlighted a new generation of leaders building technology-enabled systems, customer-first operations, sustainable production strategies, and global business partnerships.
Across categories, one clear pattern emerged from the jury discussions: women are no longer participating in isolated pockets of the industry, they are shaping manufacturing systems, leading organisations, driving sustainability agendas, modernising HR, redefining packaging innovation, and influencing the future direction of print and packaging businesses.
For the jury, the 2026 edition showed that the industry was witnessing a transition from increasingly defined by inclusive leadership, operational excellence, technological ambition, and long-term transformation.
All winners of the Women to Watch Awards 2026 will be invited and felicitated at the Leaders and Legends event to be held on 9 June. Leaders and Legends is an exclusive invite-only gathering designed to bring together the most influential voices in the print and packaging industry. Unlike a conventional conference or trade show, the event focuses on high-value networking, meaningful conversations, and industry-defining dialogue among a curated group of 300 business leaders, decision-makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs. The evening will also celebrate excellence across the ecosystem through three flagship recognitions — The Power 100, Forty Under 40, Women to Watch — spotlighting the individuals and organisations shaping the future of the industry. To know more, click here.