Organised by the Offset Printers Association (OPA), the 7th edition of the Manoj B Mehta Print Olympiad is designed to cultivate innovation and technical excellence in the printing and packaging sectors.
Following a series of technical evaluations and oral presentations, the zonal champions have been finalised.
In the west zone, Sakshi Prashant Sonawane of PVG’s College of Engineering, Technology, and Management, Pune, secured the top spot. The north zone competition, held at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUS&T) in Hisar, saw Nitish Kumar emerge as the winner. In the east zone, Ruchi Kumari of Government Polytechnic, Patna, claimed the regional title.
The south zone qualifiers, hosted at Anna University in Chennai, saw a dominant performance by students from the College of Engineering Guindy Campus (CEGC). Finalists Vibinran M, Steffi Mary A, Chinmayi K, and Saranadithya D advanced through the regional rounds, completing the national lineup.
The regional champions will now advance to the grand national finale, which is scheduled to take place on an international stage to benchmark Indian talent against global industry standards. The final competition will be held during the All in Print China 2026 exhibition in Shanghai from 12 to 16 October 2026.
Finalists will compete for the prestigious T Prasad Memorial Gold Medal and a cash prize of INR 25,000, with the winner earning the title of India’s top printing student.
Project chairman professor Kamal Mohan Chopra highlighted that the 2026 Print Olympiad reflects a shift in the industry toward digital automation, smart packaging, and industry 4.0.