Siegwerk India inks its future with local power and global reach

From 14 blending centres and 1,000 people on the ground, Siegwerk is pairing consultancy, technical support, and training to help converters cut costs and stay future-ready.

Siegwerk is no newcomer to the print and packaging industry. “This year we celebrate 200 years of Siegwerk as a company,” notes Manjusha Singh. From its roots in Siegburg, Germany, the business has expanded organically and through acquisitions to build a presence in over 100 countries. The global scale allows the company to access innovations developed in advanced markets and translate them for diverse geographies.

India has been a part of Siegwerk’s journey for more than 25 years. Singh points out that its growth has required more than a single plant. “It’s not one plant that can serve a country as big as ours. “We started with the mantra of being closer to our customers,” she says. The company today operates nearly 14 colour-matching centres and warehouses across India, creating last-mile connectivity and ensuring on-time supply.

The India team has grown to over 1,000 employees, with further expansion planned in both manufacturing and blending capacities. Singh frames this footprint as part of Siegwerk’s values-driven approach. “We are a family-owned company with 200 years of legacy, but what matters most is the quality, responsibility, and innovation we bring to our customers and communities,” she explains.

She adds that proximity is not only about logistics. It is also about customisation. “We don’t push what we want to sell. We look at what customers need and continuously tweak our solutions,” Singh says. The focus is on co-creation, not standardisation.

This balance of global reach and local agility underpins Siegwerk’s ability to respond to India’s fragmented but fast-evolving packaging sector. Singh makes it clear that global technology is useful only when tailored to local conditions.

Innovative inks and coatings
Siegwerk’s portfolio spans every packaging substrate, from flexible materials and labels to liquid food cartons and paperboard. Singh explains, “We have the entire platform: inks, varnishes, primers, and coatings, whether solvent-based, water-based, UV or LED.” The breadth allows the company to support converters across different packaging formats.

Innovation has shifted inks from purely aesthetic functions to technical enablers. “Over time, coatings are becoming more functional. We are talking about low migration, oxygen barriers, and UV light barriers. It’s not just about gloss or texture anymore," Singh says. Brand owners are increasingly demanding such functionality in the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries.

Singh emphasises Siegwerk’s role in food-safe packaging. “As consumers become more conscious, this is an area where we are seeing growth. A lot of technology development is going into nutraceuticals, varnishes and coatings for sensitive products,” she explains. Low-migration inks and dual-cure solutions are positioned to meet both regulatory and brand safety standards.

Product safety remains non-negotiable. Singh points out that Siegwerk has consistently led the industry in eliminating risk substances such as benzophenone and photoinitiators. “It’s not just about following Indian regulation. We comply with German, French and global standards. Our commitment is that our products and operations remain ahead of the curve,” she says.

The emphasis on functional inks demonstrates Siegwerk’s shift from being an ink supplier to a solutions provider, integrating compliance, safety, and functionality into every formulation.

Sustainable packaging, future-ready
Sustainability dominates customer discussions. Singh is candid: “When I see the EPR legislation that is now in the making, the expectation is only going to get higher, much faster.” Current regulations in Europe require 30 to 40% recycled content, and India is expected to follow suit. Siegwerk positions itself not just as compliant but as an enabler.

The company collaborates with customers on recyclability through the development of delinking inks, oxygen barrier coatings for plastics, and UV barrier varnishes for cosmetic packaging. “These solutions make the packaging easier to recycle and reuse,” Singh explains. Examples already in the market include delinking inks in Europe and barrier coatings for food and cosmetic packs.

She acknowledges the challenges. “Infrastructure in India is still behind. The quality and consistency of recycled material is still a challenge,” she says. Siegwerk’s role, therefore, is to partner with brand owners to ensure packaging is designed for recyclability from the outset, anticipating future standards rather than reacting to them.

Sustainability for Siegwerk also includes social responsibility. Singh highlights community initiatives in Bhiwadi, where the company supports schools. “Girls who once would have been married off at 13 are now graduating and pursuing higher education. That is the change we are proud to bring,” she says.

This dual focus on packaging innovation and community development reflects Siegwerk’s values-led approach. Sustainability is not just a customer deliverable but a company-wide ethos.

For brand owners facing pressure from regulators and consumers alike, Siegwerk’s ability to combine technical innovation with a social narrative creates a differentiated value proposition.

Consultancy drives operational efficiency
Beyond inks and coatings, Siegwerk positions itself as a partner in improving efficiency. “We work with customers on how to optimise cost in use,” Singh explains. The approach is holistic, from benchmarking processes to analysing ink consumption and digitalising ink kitchens.

Results are measurable. Singh shares that the customers using Siegwerk’s services have seen 25% improvements in downtime, order processing and delivery times, as well as reductions in working capital tied up in inventory. “Total cost of ownership is what our OSC team is focused on,” she says.

Consultancy extends into digitalisation. “It’s not just about ink kitchens. We are launching colour imagery in India, which means faster and more accurate colour matching. We also use IFS software from X-Rite for automation,” Singh notes. The goal is to make ink management more predictive and less manual.

Efficiency, however, is also about consistency. Singh emphasises that Siegwerk’s global reach provides it with visibility into best practices across various markets. “We have access to what is happening in substrates, chemicals, and print technologies worldwide. We bring that knowledge to our customers,” she says.

She argues that in a price-sensitive market, efficiency is as important as quality. “Affordable, attractive, durable, and it has to be delivered at the lowest cost in use,” she remarks. Siegwerk’s consultancy model turns knowledge into cost savings.

For converters operating in thin-margin segments, the consultancy-led efficiency promise becomes as valuable as the ink itself.

Advanced training empowers teams
Knowledge transfer is a recurring theme. “It’s not just about training our people. We also work with our customers to train their teams,” Singh explains. Siegwerk’s training encompasses printing technology, lamination, substrates, and colour management, in addition to inks and coatings.

She sees training as a competitive differentiator. “Having been on the other side of the industry, I know how much downtime costs. If operators understand the process better, issues get resolved faster,” she says. Siegwerk’s print support team plays a dual role, troubleshooting and training on the job.

The company has built experience through more than 100 ink kitchens in India, and Singh points out that training has evolved alongside them. “It is moving towards digitalisation, automation, and faster colour matching. Training must follow that trajectory,” she explains.

The emphasis is on building confidence at every level of the converter’s team. From operators to production managers, Siegwerk’s programmes are designed to transfer not just technical skills but also process understanding.

Singh is clear that training is not just “a nice-to-have” but an absolute necessity. “We cannot deliver innovation and sustainability unless teams on the ground know how to run it. That’s why training is central to our partnership model,” she says.

The impact is tangible. Faster resolution, fewer remakes, and stronger collaboration between supplier and converter teams. Training, in this model, becomes an extension of Siegwerk’s technology.

Technical support, seamless operations
Finally, Siegwerk underscores its technical support capacity. Singh describes it as “a pretty large print support team” designed to resolve press-side issues quickly. “Every downtime costs money. Our role is to ensure presses run at full efficiency and lower cost of operation,” she says.

This support model reflects an understanding of the realities of converters. Siegwerk’s teams are trained not only in inks but in substrates, laminations, and press dynamics. The result is faster identification and resolution of root causes.

Digital tools are part of the support framework. Software for colour management, fast matching, and digital workflows ensures that customer issues are addressed before they escalate into production losses.

The company’s support is also proactive. Regular audits, benchmarking, and performance reviews are conducted to catch potential inefficiencies before they become visible on the press.

Singh stresses that this service is integral to Siegwerk’s DNA. “We are not just suppliers. We are partners,” she says. That positioning moves Siegwerk from being a transactional vendor to a strategic ally.

For converters, seamless operations enabled by responsive technical support reduce risk and build trust. In an industry where downtime is costly and margins are thin, Siegwerk’s support becomes a competitive lever.