GUEST COLUMN

SUSTAINABILITY PACKAGING

How packaging innovation is driving sustainability and consumer appeal in the beverage industry

In this exclusive piece for PrintWeek, Amardeep Singh, executive director, Medusa Beverages, asks, can we make packaging that looks beautiful, works very well, and is actually sustainable altogether at the same time?

SUSTAINABILITY

The carbon crisis in India’s printing industry

Ganesh Kumar V, research scholar and ESG consultant specialising in sustainability systems for the printing and packaging industry writes about developing a net zero transition roadmap for the Indian printing sector

PACKAGING

When an artist meets her printer: A digital artist and a printer reflect on

In a conversation between Colortone CEO Leena Uthup and Swiss designer Vanessa Meister, the artist-printer relationship takes centre stage

DIGITAL PUBLISHING

India’s small-run print market is failing its customers

The biggest frustration for a self-publisher navigating a tight budget and an experimental brief is not the cost of paper or labour, but the routine unprofessionalism of the "vanishing act", writes Ritesh Uttamchandani

INK & COATINGS

Advancing flexible Packaging through polyurethane chemistry

Rajesh Srivastava, executive vice-president, sales and marketing, UFlex Limited-Chemicals Business, shares the details about the next-generation PU ink binders from UFlex

Modern print production facility with multiple digital and hybrid printing machines including inkjet, electro-photography, and embellishment systems, representing advanced hybrid print technology and innovation in the printing industry
PEOPLE

The ten commandments of print entrepreneurship

From Bengaluru to Varanasi, print entrepreneurs are blending digital muscle with handcrafted precision to build resilient, high-value businesses. Vimal Parmar’s principles capture the mindset driving India’s print renaissance.

Print shop MIS dashboard showing cost estimation for paper, labour, and machine time in a commercial printing workflow
SOFTWARE

Why estimating accuracy still collapses on the shop floor

Even accurate MIS estimates can fail on the shop floor, here’s why: Madan Singh of Pentaforce / Countwonder writes for PrintWeek

Modern printing and packaging factory control room with digital dashboards displaying KPIs, charts, and efficiency metrics, highlighting data-driven monitoring systems in industrial operations
DIGITAL KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION

The shopfloor's biggest lie: Why your gleaming dashboards are just digital wallpaper

Madan Singh, founder of Pentaforce Printing Software, explains how dashboards are a visibility illusion and what print shops need to do about it

Pamex 2026: A show of the printers, for the printers, by the printers

As Pamex 2026 readies to open, in the fourth and final column, Tushar Dhote, chairman, Pamex 2026 previews the inauguration ceremony and reflects on what the show represents for Indian printers, from innovation and investment to collaboration across the industry

Conceptual visual of global climate summit COP30 in Belém highlighting climate finance systems, sustainable supply chain frameworks, and their impact on print and packaging industries in India, including evolving material standards and carbon-responsible manufacturing practices
SUSTAINABILITY

What COP30 in Brazil means for a press in Sivakasi

COP30 marked a shift from climate ambition to execution, with direct implications for the print and packaging sector. For Indian printers and converters, sustainability is moving from compliance rhetoric into commercial reality.

Visitors engaging with M.F. Husain-inspired artworks and detailed exhibition descriptions at Rann Utsav, exploring Indian art, culture, and storytelling through an immersive cultural experience
PUBLISHING

Celebrating printmaking: From Raja Ravi Varma to MF Husain

In an exclusive interview, Chaitya Dhanvi Shah, curator and managing director, DRS Arts Company, speaks about Husain @ 110 – an exhibition showcasing Husain’s 110 printmaking editions.

Notion Press self-publishing and print-on-demand workflow illustrating automated book production and global distribution for independent authors
PUBLISHING

From idea to identity: How Notion Press transformed self-publishing

On a quest to redefine publishing, Naveen Valsakumar, in 2012, founded Notion Press, a global platform for aspiring writers, which allows authors to take control of their intellectual property.

Nidhi Agrawal discussing web-to-print software adoption, women empowerment initiatives in printing industry, Print Gyan platform, and DesignNBuy’s impact on digital print workflow automation
SOFTWARE

Nidhi Agrawal: We are making our print platform more intuitive, and more smart

Recognised as Business Leader of the Year, Nidhi Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of DesignNBuy, focuses on web-to-print innovation to simplify digital adoption for traditional print businesses. Under her leadership, DesignNBuy has grown to serve over 2,000 clients globally.

Participants attend the National Book Trust’s online book publishing course, learning about editing, production, distribution, and the complete publishing process from industry expert
PUBLISHING

Behind the scenes of book publishing: Industry insights with NBT’s online course

The National Book Trust, India offers an online course in book publishing, a comprehensive programme designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand the industry. The course is led by experts and industry professionals. This year’s classes were conducted between 11 January 2025 and 4 May 2025. Publishing consultant Priyanka Misra reports.

Holostik leadership discussing 2024 achievements, sustainability initiatives, and anti-counterfeiting innovations including QR codes, RFID, blockchain and biodegradable packaging solutions
SUSTAINABILITY

Holostik commits significant resources to R&D

As the only DSIR-certified anti-counterfeiting company providing physical and digital solutions under one roof, R&D investment remains a top priority, Ankit Gupta and Shobhit Gupta of Holostik tell Rahul Kumar

Printing and packaging industry expert discussing 2025 trends including EPR compliance, AI automation, smart packaging with AR and blockchain, and sustainable materials like PCR PET and rPET
SUSTAINABILITY

We are introducing products to help customers in their sustainability goals: Sumant Singhal

These innovations will cater to both the wide-web and narrow-web industries, enabling reduced environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency, says Sumant Singhal of Chiripal Poly Films in a conversation with Rahul Kumar.

Researcher studying Delhi’s Daryaganj Sunday Book Market, highlighting used books, informal book trade, and diverse literary genres including pulp fiction, comics, and academic texts
PUBLISHING

Print History: Browsing Book Bazaars — Kanupriya Dhingra

Who hasn’t browsed in roadside bookshops selling used books? But how does one study them? Kanupriya Dhingra shows the way.

Historic 1554 Tamil-Portuguese bilingual printed book Cartilha, featuring Gothic Tamil type, interlinear Portuguese translation in red and black ink, two-colour title page, and ornamental vignettes, preserved in a Portuguese museum collection and commissioned during the early era of European printing in Asia
PUBLISHING

Print History: Early printing in Tamil - Xavier Thaninayagam

While the antiquity of the Tamil language goes to two millennia and more, the history of printing in Tamil also stretches back to half a millennium. The reconstruction of this history involved many historians and bibliographers including Xavier Thaninayagam

Discussion on India’s print and packaging industry highlighting modernization, sustainable practices, and growing demand across sectors like food, pharma, and electronics, along with challenges in skill development, equipment training, and student employability
KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION

Akshay Vijay Joshi: The curriculum should be designed in consultation with industry experts

It should take into consideration the learning skills necessary for their future careers and enhance the employability of the students, says Dr Akshay Vijay Joshi, faculty, Printing Engineering Department, PVG’s College of Engineering and Technology & GK Pate (Wani) Institute of Management, Pune in the Print Guru series.

Interview with Dr A Arulmozhi discussing India’s print and packaging industry USP, including cost-effective production, skilled workforce, and sector versatility, along with challenges in curriculum updates, equipment funding, and practical skill training in printing education
KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION

A Arulmozhi: It’s a challenge to keep the curriculum current with evolving technologies

Other challenges include securing funding for modern printing equipment and striking the right balance between theoretical knowledge and practical skill training, says Dr A Arulmozhi, associate professor and head, Department of Printing Technology, School of Engineering, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore in the Print Guru series

Eastern Print Pack 2023 exhibition in Kolkata featuring printing and packaging machinery including single-pass high-speed printers, flatbed cutting plotters, UV printing systems, and binding and rigid box-making machines displayed by leading industry exhibitors
EVENTS & AWARDS

Showcase of technologies at Eastern Print Pack Exhibition 2023

Four final year students of Printing Technology, RIPT, Jadavpur, Kolkata — Shirshajit Saha, Oishi Chakraborty, Ritabrata Paul, and Waliul Haque— attended the Eastern Print Pack Exhibition. Here is what they saw.

Printing technology classroom using 3D models to explain packaging and printing concepts to students
KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION

M Nandakumar: Skilled resources are the need of the hour

We need to develop skill resources in printing and packaging by introducing courses in ITI and certificate level rather than graduate and post-graduate levels, says Dr M Nandakumar, principal, Arasan Ganesan Polytechnic College, Sivakasi in the Print Guru series

CONFERENCE & SUMMITS

Fespa opens its account in Dubai with 138 brands

On 29 January 2024, Fespa Middle East 2024 will be opening its doors to the inaugural Fespa Middle East 2024 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, UAE. Bazil Cassim, Fespa's regional manager in Middle East & Africa shared with PrintWeek that global suppliers and regional distributors have confirmed for the event, and over 138 brands are represented on the floor plan. In conversation with Charmiane Alexander.

KOPA silver jubilee celebrations in Bengaluru with industry dignitaries, panel discussion on printing and packaging, and a visit to Bindwel’s Bengaluru factory showcasing advanced bookbinding machinery and production systems
EDITORIAL

The Tushar Dhote Column: KOPA silver jubilee celebrations and Bindwel factory visit

In this 10th edition of his column, Tushar Dhote recounts his recent trip to Bengaluru to attend the silver celebrations of Karnataka Offset Printers Association, and a visit to the Bindwel factory.

TechNova TOUCH Centre in Turbhe showcasing HP Indigo 6K digital press used for testing labels, packaging, and commercial print applications, where printers explore digital printing innovations and substrate experimentation
EDITORIAL

The Tushar Dhote Column: The TOUCH centre experience, and celebrating Printers’ Day in Bengaluru

Last week, Tushar Dhote shared his insights into how Pratham and Bobst have been designing and manufacturing equipment domestically to meet international quality standards. In this eighth edition of his column, Dhote tells why TechNova’s TOUCH centre is a classic example of the future of digital technologies in application mode

Pratham Technologies and Bobst India manufacturing facilities showcasing advanced packaging finishing equipment and production operations ahead of Pamex 2023
MACHINERY

The Tushar Dhote Column: Two manufacturing plants in Pune: inspiring leadership

Last week, Tushar Dhote discussed the potential of print-packaging in Uttarakhand and how the print-packagers in the state have built infrastructure and adopted technology, which could impact the growth and development of the print sector. In this seventh edition of his column, Dhote shares his insights into how the machines have been designed and manufactured domestically to meet international quality standards

Printing and packaging industry leaders from Haridwar and Uttarakhand gather ahead of the Pamex 2023 roadshow to discuss industry growth, collaboration, and future opportunities

The Tushar Dhote Column: Potential has a new meaning in Uttarakhand’s print-packaging arena

Last week, Tushar Dhote discussed the roadshows in Pune and Indore, and his impressions about the Vijayshri Packaging plant in Indore, which he said, underlines India’s coming of age as a global print manufacturing hub of the future. In this sixth edition of his Column, Dhote did a recce of Uttarakhand and finds out why Haridwar is an unexplored print destination

Industry experts and print professionals participating in a Pamex 2023 roadshow panel discussion on print convergence, digital printing, connected packaging, and future technologies
EVENTS & AWARDS

How Pamex 2023 roadshows drew the industry’s focus on emerging trends

Last week, Tushar Dhote shared how the core committee zeroed on the theme that focused on making print production efficient. In this fourth edition of his Column, Dhote discusses how the activities around Pamex 2023 picked up speed as the team moved towards the show