Print & Beyond: Knowledge in the age of digital disruption

As the print industry debates its future in a de-globalised world, Prof Rajendrakumar Anayath will widen the lens. The vice-chancellor of Maharshi Valmiki Sanskrit University is set to speak on Digital disruption and its impact at the Print & Beyond 2026 seminar hosted by the Kerala Master Printers Association in Kochi on 28 February.

Framing knowledge as the philosopher’s stone of civilisation, Prof Anayath argues that academia and industry alike must rethink how knowledge is transmitted in an era defined by liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, and now, rapid digital transformation.

“Knowledge has been, is, and will remain the sole instrument to transform humanity,” Prof Anayath said, while speaking to PrintWeek/WhatPackaging. “But the alchemy of transmitting it from givers to receivers is constantly evolving.”

PrintWeek/WhatPackaging? is the media partner for the Print & Beyond 2026 seminar.

Prof Anayath’s session will explore how digital disruption has reshaped scientific research, social interaction and cultural identity. From social media redefining relationships and community building to digital platforms accelerating cross-cultural exchange, he believes the transformation is both empowering and destabilising.

“Digital communication has changed how we express ourselves,” he noted. “Brevity, visual content and instantaneity now define engagement.”

At the same time, he cautions that while global connectivity has expanded collaboration, it has also raised concerns about cultural homogenisation and the erosion of traditional practices. Questions of identity, privacy and social norms are being renegotiated in real time.

For an audience of printers navigating technological change, Prof Anayath’s address promises a broader provocation. Digital disruption is not merely about tools and platforms. It is about socio-cultural evolution.

“Digital transformation presents both opportunities and challenges,” he said. “If we embrace it thoughtfully, we can harness it to foster positive change and promote global understanding.”

At Print & Beyond, his message will urge stakeholders not simply to adapt, but to rethink, rebuild and reinvent their presence in a rapidly shifting landscape.

Besides Prof Anayath, Pulkit Chhaparia, managing director at Cambay Foodservices Packaging, Surat, will be talking about Packaging in a de-globalised world, and Preeti Mishra, director and head for business development at Holosafe Security Labels in Greater Noida, will talk on Next-gen innovative security printing.

P Sajith, managing director at Impel Services (Bindwel-Stelda Group), will deliver the keynote.