Chemi Tech spotlights water-based inks at Pamex

“We are launching a new product which is a water-based ink. It is a very new invention and is meant to replace solvent-based inks. It is safe, sustainable and environment-friendly,” said Vivek Nirwal, technical head, Chemi Tech Engineers.
 
Chemi Tech Engineers is headquartered in New Delhi and operates multiple manufacturing facilities across India. “We have three manufacturing plants in Delhi, one in Gujarat, and we launched a new manufacturing plant in Hyderabad last year.”

The company’s focus on water-based inks is driven by environmental considerations, although adoption is still at an early stage. “There is not much demand yet. People are curious, but they want to see printed results before they commit.”

Chemi Tech has already begun conducting commercial trials with select customers. “We have done trials with Nestle for Maggi. They are already using it for the yellow colour. It is slightly more expensive than conventional inks, but they can afford it.” The transition, however, is not without challenges. “To use this ink, some production processes need to change. Even cylinders in the manufacturing plant may need to be changed. Many companies are evaluating this on a trial basis,” Nirwal said.

Nirwal said customer engagement in Mumbai has been notably technical. “The customers here are very intelligent and curious about the technical aspects. Technically, Mumbai customers are very sound.”

Over the past 12 months, wet lamination adhesives have emerged as Chemitech’s strongest performer. “Wet lamination adhesives are our star product. Nearly 80% of this category is manufactured by us.” While the company has seen a decline in one offset-related product line, its offset inks overall are performing well. “We are replacing some very big brands in Gujarat, Mumbai and Maharashtra, and we are doing particularly well in Maharashtra.”

The company’s business is primarily driven by packaging applications. “We are more into packaging. You can say the mix is around 60–40.” It also works with several multinational companies and supplies materials to brands across different segments.

Raw materials are largely imported. “We source materials mainly from China and Taiwan, and certain chemicals are imported from Europe, mostly Germany.” At the same time, Chemitech exports its products to multiple international markets in the Gulf and Africa. 

Tune into PrintWeek Stream to catch all the ground news from Pamex 2025. Click here.