VMPA marks 25 years of revival with fresh vision

Led by Jignesh Shah, president of VMPA, the event began with a ceremonial lamp-lighting by senior members, symbolising not just tradition, but a renewed commitment to the evolving print landscape of Vadodara. The day was packed with activities that bridged the past and the future, from honouring founding members to engaging young stakeholders in the celebration planning itself.

Shah recalls a time when mistrust among press owners almost rendered the association defunct. “There was cutthroat competition and no trust. Nobody was willing to come together,” he says. The revival in 2000 was less about bylaws and more about bonding, which included social outings, open forums, and collaborative events that slowly stitched together a community out of fragmented players.

Trust, it turns out, was the first print job the association had to complete. And it took time, tact, and plenty of tea.

Today, Shah notes that Vadodara’s print industry is on par with India’s major metros. “We have cutting-edge machinery, diverse clientele and projects that push innovation.” He attributes this not just to entrepreneurial drive, but to VMPA’s role in enabling knowledge access.

From introducing members to government schemes and subsidies, to organising group visits to international expos, the association has acted as both cheerleader and compass for the city’s print ecosystem. Workshops and vendor events have helped members explore new technologies  including digital workflows, finishing techniques, and hybrid presses, long before they became market norms.

With sustainability and digital convergence now reshaping the global print order, Shah says VMPA is not sitting still. “Our technical seminars introduce everything from UV and inkjet to ERP and automation,” he explains. A recent ERP seminar, for example, focused on improving ROI from existing setups, crucial for smaller presses in a cost-sensitive market.

Sustainability is also on the radar. VMPA has run sessions on solar adoption, eco-certified inks, and better substrate recycling, in collaboration with vendors and solution providers. “We want Vadodara’s printers to be not just competitive, but conscious,” he says.

One of the defining features of the 25-year event was the active inclusion of second- and third-generation press owners in the planning process. Shah believes this is no coincidence. “They need to see how the association functions. This is their home too,” he says.

To institutionalise this bridge between academia and the industry, VMPA works closely with Maharaja Sayajirao University’s Printing and Packaging Science department. Shah, who helps shape the curriculum as an industry expert, sees this as a crucial space for grooming future-ready talent. Internships with VMPA member presses and collaborations with the Fine Arts faculty further embed print practice into young minds.

When asked what the next chapter of VMPA should look like, Shah doesn’t miss a beat: “I want VMPA to stand out on the national map.”

Plans for a permanent VMPA head office are already in the works, a collaborative space for knowledge-sharing, innovation and networking. The goal, he says, is to create a sense of belonging for the next generation, not just as members, but as co-owners of the industry’s future.