The Tushar Dhote Column: When technology must show its impact

As the print industry evolves at a pace few could have predicted a decade ago, exhibitions must do more than showcase machines. They must offer clarity, confidence, and direction. With this belief at its core, Pamex 2026 is being shaped not merely as a reflection of where the industry stands today, but as a platform that actively helps define where it is headed.

This intent matters more than ever. Printers and converters are operating in an environment where margins are tight, customer expectations are high, and technology decisions carry long term consequences. The role of an exhibition, therefore, is no longer to impress. It is to inform, enable, and de-risk decision making.

I am pleased to share that Pamex 2026 will host an exceptional range of technology launches, first time displays, and live demonstrations. Several global and Indian technology leaders have chosen this edition as their preferred stage.

Companies such as Konica Minolta, Canon, Fujifilm, and HP, alongside respected Indian innovators including Technova, Monotech Systems, Autoprint, NBG, Bindwel, Megabond and Pratham Technologies, and Suba Solutions, are preparing to unveil solutions that address the real operational and strategic challenges faced by today’s print businesses.

Technology that performs

What makes this edition particularly significant is the intent behind these launches. Pamex 2026 is not about incremental upgrades or static showcases. It is about technology in action. Live running equipment, integrated workflows, and application driven demonstrations will mirror real production environments rather than ideal conditions.

Visitors will be able to see how systems perform under practical constraints. Output quality, throughput, consistency, and workflow integration can be evaluated in real time. This matters because technology decisions today are no longer driven by specifications alone. They are driven by reliability, scalability, and commercial impact.

From high speed digital and inkjet presses to prepress automation, colour management, finishing, packaging, and software led workflow solutions, the technologies on display collectively highlight how print is becoming more intelligent, connected, and data driven. Automation, reduced touchpoints, faster turnaround times, and consistent quality are no longer aspirational goals. They are operational necessities.

Pamex 2026 is designed to help printers and converters understand how these systems work together rather than in isolation. The focus is on integration, efficiency, and predictability. This is where confidence in investment decisions is built.

Designed for real markets

The exhibition will also clearly reflect the industry’s growing focus on sustainability and efficiency. Energy efficient presses, optimised ink and consumable usage, waste reduction, and environmentally responsible substrates form an integral part of the technology narrative. Sustainability is no longer a parallel conversation. It is increasingly embedded within productivity, cost control, and customer value.

A defining characteristic of this edition is the alignment of showcased technologies with the realities of the Indian and South Asian markets. Shorter print runs, faster job turnaround, variable data capabilities, and hybrid production environments are now standard operating conditions. The solutions at Pamex 2026 are designed to address these realities directly.

This alignment is critical. Indian printers today must balance speed with flexibility, quality with cost, and growth with resilience. Technologies that cannot adapt to this environment struggle to deliver returns. At Pamex 2026, visitors will see systems built for scale as well as systems built for precision, reflecting the diversity of business models in the region.

Beyond technology, Pamex 2026 represents a broader shift in how the industry views growth. The Indian print ecosystem stands at a critical inflection point. Customer expectations are rising, competition is intensifying, and decision making is increasingly driven by data, return on investment, and long term sustainability.

In this context, Pamex 2026 functions as a technology evaluation and investment platform rather than a conventional exhibition. It supports informed choices that will shape operations for the next decade.

As chairperson, my focus has been to ensure that Pamex remains relevant, practical, and future focused. Scale alone does not define success. Impact does. By bringing global technology leaders and strong domestic solution providers together on one platform, Pamex 2026 reinforces India’s position as a key growth engine for the global print industry.

Importantly, Pamex 2026 is not only about what visitors will see. It is about what they will take back. Ideas, insights, benchmarks, and a clearer understanding of how technology can drive productivity, resilience, and competitiveness.

Pamex has always been a meeting point for the industry. Pamex 2026 will be a milestone where advancements are not only displayed but applied, where vision is supported by technology, and where the future of print is actively shaped.

I invite printers, converters, brand owners, and allied service providers to engage deeply with this edition of Pamex. The technologies experienced here will not just represent what is new, but what is necessary for sustained growth in a rapidly changing market.

(This is the second of Tushar Dhote's weekly columns leading up to Pamex 2026)