We manage our business with a closed resource loop and circular economy in mind: Satyajeet Satpathy of Epson

Rahul Kumar (RK): What emerging trends do you foresee driving the industry in 2025? 

Satyajeet Satpathy (SS): As of 2024, India's printing industry is valued at approximately Rs 271-billion, with an annual growth rate of 4%, up from 5% since 2020. Fueled by advancements in service and manufacturing sectors, and technological innovations, the industry is set for accelerated expansion in the coming decade. In 2025, the printing and packaging equipment market is expected to undergo significant transformation, driven by trends like rising demand for distributed printing facilities, the shift to inkjet technology, and a growing focus on sustainability.

The latest packaging and processing technology innovations should help businesses improve operational efficiency, sustain regulatory practices, keep a competitive edge and meet evolving customer needs. As the demand for streamlined packaging and processing continues to grow, many businesses are looking to prioritise customisation capabilities, sustainable practices, precision and regulatory compliance. Epson helps businesses achieve these goals by designing transformative labeling technologies, such as the SurePress L-6534VW UV digital label press or ColorWorks CW-C6500A to accommodate variable color content, online digital varnish, custom label designs, diverse sizes and more.

RK: With sustainability becoming a priority, how will your equipment innovations in 2025 help reduce environmental impact?

SS: Epson’s philosophy of developing efficient, compact and precise technologies has been infused into every Epson product since the beginning. Designing for low energy consumption, minimised waste, small footprints, high reliability and minimal moving parts results in outstanding solutions for our customers. This also supports our Environmental Vision 2050. Epson's commitment to this concept has led to the development of technologies that minimise waste, reduce energy consumption and improve production processes. 

Our longstanding commitment to the environment stems from a deep desire to preserve our natural resources. One example of this is our heat-free technology used in our broad portfolio of inkjet printers use. This increases productivity and helps reduce environmental impact. 

Another example is the reduction of plastic and waste with cartridge-free printing. By using larger, cartridge-free refillable ink tanks instead of traditional ink cartridges, our eco tank printers helped reduce millions of pounds of plastic from going into landfills. 

These are just two examples of how we bring this credo to life. We manage our business with a closed resource loop and circular economy in mind. From the materials we use to manufacturing and distribution, we’re constantly looking to lengthen product life cycles through repair, refurbishment, recycling and reuse.

RK: What were the key trends 2024? 

SS: In 2024, the industry experienced several transformative trends, including advancements in digital printing technology, a strong emphasis on sustainability, and a growing demand for high-quality, versatile solutions. There has been a rise in demand for large-format digital printing solutions, especially for industries like signage, textiles, interior décor, and packaging. 

Digital printing saw a surge in innovation, particularly with UV digital ink technologies. These advancements have enabled greater substrate compatibility, enhanced durability, and vibrant print quality. Epson capitalised on this trend with the launch of SurePress L-6534VW UV digital label press, which delivers precision and flexibility for label converters by seamlessly printing on diverse materials like adhesive paper and film. 

Epson’s ColorWorks CW-C6500A label printer is another printer innovation designed for short-run label printing. With its ColorWorks label printer lineup, Epson is helping brands stand out and be more efficient with labelling operations, print labels in-house to maximise efficiency and reduce obsolete inventory costs.

Sustainability remained a driving force in the industry, with businesses prioritising energy-efficient solutions to minimise environmental impact. Epson’s heat-free micro-piezo technology stood out by reducing energy consumption, maintenance costs, and waste, all while delivering superior durability and reliability. Large-format printers like the SureColor series incorporated this technology, enabling businesses to achieve high-quality results without compromising on their sustainability goals.

RK: How did your company perform in terms of equipment installations/users in 2024? 

SS: 2024 was a strong year for Epson, reflecting our global and domestic presence across various segments. Subsequent to its launch In India, the first installation of Epson SurePress L-6534VW was done at Prateek Metal Industries. The company chose the machine to strengthen its position in the competitive label printing market. 

We sold more of our Monna Lisa textile printers that we originally envisaged and India has emerged has a key market for Epson Monna Lisa sales globally. 

We maintained a healthy position across segments like signage, CAD and photo for our large format and graphics printers. Epson also won the prestigious 2024 Good Design Awards for five products, including business and large-format inkjet printers, garment and UV printers, and WorkForce printer, reaffirming its commitment to innovation and design excellence 

Globally, Epson celebrated a significant milestone, surpassing 100 million cumulative sales of its high-capacity EcoTank inkjet printers, underlining its commitment to offering environmentally friendly printing technology worldwide. In India as well, Epson has sold over eight million units of its EcoTank printers, reinforcing its leadership and the growing preference for cost-effective, convenient and sustainable solutions.

RK: What new products or applications did you introduce in 2024? 

SS: At Drupa 2024, Epson presented an impressive portfolio of commercial and industrial digital inkjet solutions, including SureColor V1000 A4 flatbed UV printer and SureColor F11000 series dye-sublimation printer.

At Labelexpo India 2024, Epson introduced the SurePress L-6534VW UV digital inkjet label press.

RK: What challenges did you encounter in 2024? 

SS: In India, we have noticed that the adoption of digital printing in certain segments could move a lot quicker than what we currently see. This is because of limited awareness, resistance from traditional manufacturers, and skill gaps in certain regions. Many businesses remain reliant on analogue processes and have reservations to invest in digital printing solutions due to perceived higher costs or a lack of familiarity with the technology. To address these concerns, we adopt a customer-centric approach by providing personalized consultations and hands-on demonstrations and we are setting up experience centres for customers to experience the products first hand.