Kamal Chopra is re-elected as chairman of WPCF

Prof Kamal Chopra has once again been unanimously accepted by the member countries to continue for the next term of three years. The announcement was made at the WPCF board meeting held on 21 September 2023 in Bangkok.

Speaking to PrintWeek, Chopra said, "It was unexpected. But I became excited when representatives from all the countries who were present in Bangkok unanimously put the crown to me for the second term. First thing I did was I thanked everyone and decided in my mind to work with more dedication for the development of the print sector."

The first thing on Chopra's agenda is networking between the national associations of different countries and exploring the momentum of how more countries can join the WPCF. Also Chopra is keen to do more towards the recognition of talent and educating the printers about the latest trends and system of management.

Speaking of his plans Chopra said, "A major task this year will be networking. But going away from the routine, this time it is being observed to start awards/recognition for the talent in printing and talented print personalities all over the world."

Prof Kamal Chopra will be supported by Beatrice Klose who is the secretary general to take care of routine office activities and to be a bridge between the national associations of different countries.

WPCF is a knowledge sharing platform working for the development and progress of the printing and packaging sector worldwide. The WPCF is a collaborative platform for the world’s major transnational and national printing associations to work together to promote the development and prosperity of the global printing industry.

When asked about the first term, Chopra said, "Since it was the Covid times, there was no physical meeting except the meeting at the end of my term on 20 September 2023 in Bangkok. During this period, the printers’ all over the world were keen to adopt sustainability trends in the printing industry. We worked online and localised conferences."

Chopra said one of his proud achievements has been that "printers of the country gained much needed knowledge about the latest data and economic indicators in different countries for the printing sector, for planning their further expansions." Chopra said there is huge uncertainty about the cost of raw materials. And he hoped WPCF members could network and decide to share the prevailing rates of paper and other raw material and machinery in different member countries.

In addition, WPCF has tried to outreach with various governments. Chopra said, "For the promotion and growth of printing decisions are taken and submitted to the various governments. With these efforts more people started reading books, some of the governments even banned the use of tablets in junior schools. We tried to get printing declared as an essential service by various governments." This, he said, is one of the achievements of WPCF.

Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the WPCF is a collaborative platform for the world’s major transnational and national printing associations to work together, promote the development and prosperity of the global printing industry. WPCF also facilitates and encourages communication with other parts of the print value chain to further develop the print and communication market through international and cross-industry collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

As chairman of the WPCF, Prof Kamal Chopra's message to the fraternity is: "The printing industry is a cornerstone of modern communication and information dissemination. Print has been associated with environmental concerns due to its significant resource consumption and waste generation. Now with the growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility, we must be ready for the much-needed transformative shift towards more eco-friendly practices."

Besides being chairman of WPCF, Kamal Chopra helms Foil Printers in Ludhiana. He was an honorary professor in three international universities and Governor’s nominee in the board of a national university. Currently he also holds the position of general secretary at Offset Printers’ Association (OPA), India.