Harveer Sahni

Total Post: 268

Priyata Raghavan and her entrepreneurial success at Sai Packaging

Priyata Raghavan and her entrepreneurial success at Sai Packaging

The author has firmly believed that “Women are largely loyal, committed and resilient in business”. They achieve success in their endeavors despite being multi-taskers. We all know being a home maker is a gigantic task; looking after household chores, managing children, their education, their activities, arranging wardrobes for self and family. After all this, running one of the largest packaging companies in the country is nothing short of a miracle! Priyata Raghavan, is one such woman who is like a role model for young aspiring women leaders riding success with her hard work. She is the younger daughter of Vijay Raghavan, the founder of Sai Packaging Company and heads the overall operations of the company as deputy CEO.

Vijay Raghavan came from a modest background having witnessed financial heights and lows in his childhood. Despite difficulties he completed his education through college and then went on to achieve an MBA. Middle aged, in his late 40s, in 1993 he decided to set up his maiden venture Sai Security Printers with meagre capital that he could arrange. With sheer hard work he established his credibility and adopted good business practices and ethical values that became the way forward for the business and for his family to follow. His wife was a big support, with a masters in English literature she pursued job as a teacher. In the beginning of a new millennium, the business felt the need of more family members and at this time she quit her job to join as administrator, a designation she has held for the past 20 years. 

Vijay Raghavan carried on his security printing business, printing lottery tickets for various state Governments. In 1996 they invested in an imported, one of the early 13-inch 12 color narrow web flexo press for printing scratch coupons. Due to a sudden ban on lottery by the government, they were left evaluating what to do next. Vijay Raghavan initiated his journey into packaging by setting up Sai Packaging Company and putting the swanky new press to use instead, for Labels, Beverages and liquor. That was how they started working in Labels.

Vijay Raghavan is blessed with two daughters and being a proponent of women empowerment, encouraged his daughters to achieve the best in education. His elder daughter is a maths graduate from South Campus Delhi, and currently heads the Tutor Quality Department at CueLearn India, an e-learning startup focused on math education globally.  She is Carnegie Mellon University Dean’s Scholar with a master’s in information systems management. His younger daughter Priyata who now heads the North India operations of Sai Packaging as deputy CEO since 2005, attended Holy Child School New Delhi and Sri Venkateswara College in South Campus, New DELHI. She did her MBA from IIM Lucknow and has been a gold medalist through all these institutions. She specialized in Marketing and Finance.

Priyata joined ITC Limited in 2003 as a Management Trainee in Sales and Marketing. She considers her time at ITC crucial for her business future, working on brands like Ashirwaad and Sunfeast that became household names. She gained insights into sales and distribution channels, travelling extensively across the country. She joined Sai Packaging right after spending a few years at ITC Limited. This was at a time when the business was going through a transformation from the lottery business into a world of labels and packaging. It was an important trajectory dependent on succession. She has spent over 20 years at the helm of SAI, wearing many hats like heading Sales, Operations, Finance etc. As with every family-run enterprise, her duties/task far outnumber any designation. After initially starting out in finance, then sales and operations, she worked her way to leading Profit Centers for the overall business as well as heading Business Development, Finance and Corporate Affairs for the Company. 

Reminiscing her early days at SAI, she says, “Memories of selling packaging those days, are very memorable, albeit for very different reasons. I was handed a few of the challenging customers to prove my mettle. I cannot name them here of course, but I can say that my learnings from selling to these difficult customers was far higher than the business earnings from them. I still carry those early lessons with me!”. As for the challenges she faced as a woman, she goes on to add, “Printing as such, especially the convertor business has few women and there is always resistance both within and without for a woman on the shop floor and as a leader. I overcame initial resistance with hard work, resilience, passion and delivery to be trusted by all stakeholders as an inclusive leader. “Priyata firmly believes that there are advantages of being a female leader. Women bring in the innate ability to multitask and establish an emotional connect. Their higher social quotient and emotional quotient helps build tangible and solid relationships amongst all levels of the team and stakeholders. This ability helps the teams to go above and beyond, and win trust with suppliers, customers and investors. She asserts that she has always tried to look at the end consumer requirements so as to understand the packaging needs of brands and translate that back to her teams within the company. This helped her in winning business. Sai, until she joined, was a men-only organisation 20 years ago, but contrary to that, it now employs women at various positions in the company. Sai has evolved to recognise the merit and talent in women.

Priyata’s father, Vijay Raghavan, inspired her with his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. He mentored her throughout her career, alongside other professionals in both family and business, which contributed to her growth. She avidly reads biographies and management books to gather insights and experiences. She has, over the years, been the recipient of many awards.

  • Business leader of the Year 2023, Women in Print by Printweek
  • Tycoons of Faridabad by the Jagran Group in 2019
  • Appreciation Award for Women Empowerment by FICCI 2019
  • Young Entrepreneur Recognition by DLF Industries 2020

Despite her entrepreneurial responsibilities, she has successfully raised two children. Advait, her 13-year-old son excels in football, academics, and music. Zoya, her 10-year-old daughter is an outstanding student and a dedicated Kathak dancer, performing across India and winning numerous awards.

Vijay Raghavan continues to guide and mentor Sai Packaging as Chairman. Arvind Sekhar -his elder son in law, husband of Priyata’s elder sister, is the CEO of the company looking after National Customers & Corporate Account Relationships, Strategic R&D Initiatives, and Investor Relationships. Arvind is master’s in chemical engineering, and has worked with International Papers and Ariba, an American software and information technology services company located in Palo Alto, California now acquired by German software maker SAP. He was in the US for 13 years, before he came back to India to join the company. 

Sai packaging is multilocation company serving FMCG brands needing a pan-India vender presence. Sai is the preferred partner for them with production facilities in Faridabad NCR and Bengaluru in the south of India. Their product range includes Labels, Cartons, Leaflets, Inserts and Security printing instruments. 

With 14 offset and flexo production lines they work out of the shop floor area admeasuring 270,000 square feet employing a 700 plus workforce at two locations. They invested in digital printing capabilities some years back and found digital solutions extremely useful in giving options with speed to the world of packaging. Priyata believes that hybrid technologies that toggle both conventional and digital technologies, have great scope for growth, in the years to come, however still, the industry needs to overcome the pricing challenge for digital.

Finally, regarding her vision for future, she says, “We want to consolidate that position to grow much faster in the years to come. We want to be known for our initiatives in Creativity, Trust, and Sustainability across the board.

Written by Harveer Sahni, Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited, New Delhi March 2025

Labels-visible part of Printpack 2025, a pictorial walk through!

Labels-visible part of Printpack 2025, a pictorial walk through!

The Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA) was established in1988, organized the 16th edition of their flagship show Printpack India at The India Expo Center in Greater Noida UP from the 1st to 5th February 2025. The exhibition started as an annual event in 1999 and became a biennial show from 2005 onwards. Until 2011 the show was held at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan and later in 2013 it was moved to India Expo Center, Greater Noida. The author nostalgically reminisces having been an exhibitor in 1999. The show that basically caters to graphic arts machinery and related products, initially was looked upon as a commercial and offset printing equipment show, but in recent times has evolved as an event showcasing equipment, tooling, materials, consumables, software to all segments of diverse printing, packaging and converting industry. The show has grown in size and presentations to print at large and is now considered as one of the largest in the world.

Label is an important miniscule portion of the packaging industry, being the face of any product, the needs of their target audience are focused, so they have separate specialty shows around the world. Printpack for the last couple of editions has been attracting some suppliers to the label industry, it was surprising to see a smart display in large stands in dedicated two halls and the spill over into other halls as well. This evidently indicates the vibrant increase of consumerism in the country which has resulted in robust growth in demand for packaging. The author has endeavoured to share his pictorial walk through the show concentrating on the label and packaging industry.

NBG’s Nitin attributes success to visionary parents

NBG’s Nitin attributes success to visionary parents

Nitin Garg aged 43 years as on 2024, is the Managing Director of Faridabad head quartered NBG PRINTOGRAPHIC MACHINERY CO. (P) LTD. manufacturing narrow web flexo label presses. Nitin is an engineering graduate,  alumnus of Purdue University West Lafayette USA. Earlier he did his schooling from ApeeJay School Faridabad and later passed out of  New Delhi’s Delhi Public School, R K Puram in 2000. After acquiring his engineering degree from Purdue, he returned home to join their family business that was headed by his mother under guidance of his father Dr. S K Garg who was an academician, a doctorate in statistics working as a professor and principal of a government aided college.

Nitin’s mother, while being a homemaker, established business under guidance from her husband Dr. Garg, who as a professor had time to guide her because of the limited hours he had to spend in service. Their maiden venture National Engineering Works was set up to produce components, from 1980 to 1989 they were making parts for printing machines for companies like Raghubeer machinery, Jai Mahabeer, Bandhu, The Printers House etc. In 1990 they set up NBG, started to produce web offset presses and that carried on until 2016. Dr. Garg named the company NBG after his children, son Nitin and Bharti Garg. In 2008 Dr. S K Garg retired and joined business full-time as managing Director.

While his father was actively heading the company looking after admin and finance, Nitin took care of marketing, product development, quality control and sales along with his sister Bharti who also joined the company. Nitin had joined NBG in 2003, after training within the company for a year, he was entrusted with the responsibility of establishing exports along with looking after quality control. He found success in markets like CIS, Africa, South America etc. Side by side he also set up the trading business and became agents for the world-renowned Swiss company Wifag, manufacturing highspeed offset printing machines for newspapers.

In 2008 NBG installed their first CNC machine to trigger development and upgrade the quality of their equipment. This followed up with more such machines. In 2015 they installed high precision inspection machine for upgrading quality of their mainframes from Zeus Germany. In an endeavour to hone his management skills, Nitin studied to get an executive MBA degree from UCLA in 2014. 

His younger sister Bharti who had joined NBG, is married and lives in Faridabad. Her husband has a business of producing components for batteries. Until 2018 she was working with father and later started to work with Nitin who was heading the company. Bharti started looking after marketing and sales.

Their primary customer base was newspaper companies and right from the time he joined business, Nitin had observed that with the advent of electronic media, the decline of newspapers was happening, so there was a need to diversify. He spent the next couple of years researching, talking to industry friends and associates on what could be the next project to indulge in, and the answer was packaging. Family friend Ravinder Gupta owner of P R Packaging mentored Nitin to take up packaging as his focus and initially NBG started trading in package converting machinery from China, but that business catered to sheetfed process while they had experience and expertise in roll or web converting. So, with advice coming from friends who had knowledge of the infrastructure they had, it became clear that label business is what suited them best. Nitin spent time studying the narrow web flexographic label printing and converting market. Leafing through market reports and industrial data, he came to the conclusion that there is substantial growth in flexo label market. It is a segment that will prevail for a long time. The product size of the equipment suited them. In 2016 they produced their first press with double servo, electronic line shaft and auto registration. Since they were not aware of the application part, the product did not do too well, and for this reason they sold its parts in pieces but did not leave hope of developing the right product.

The brighter part and directional support came to Nitin from Anuj Bhargav of Kumar labels, who not only advised him on building the right press but also bought it later and found it successful. Nitin is indebted to Anuj for having played a key role in developing the machine. In the flexo press segment this became a take off point for NBG. The very first narrow web label press by NBG was sold to Galaxy labels NOIDA. The press was extensively rested for three months at their own factory, even running production jobs, as they wanted to be sure of their equipment’s performance. They initiated their exports with a press sold to a customer in Tanzania, who has become a repeat customer and then they have sold to customers in Portugal and UAE. Since they were trading in equipment for paper bags, bowls, buckets for food and cups, they could expand into wide web flexo as well, selling to the same customer base. The first customer in this wide web flexo category was DJS printers in Manesar.

Looking back Nitin Garg says while we were confident of our engineering capabilities, yet for building a press, you need to have good know how including the application part and that is where Anuj Bhargav had been a big support with his experience and knowledge, they could achieve creating a good piece of equipment. Kumar labels has purchased and installed two presses from NBG and the third is getting ready to be installed soon.

Nitin’s vision is to manufacture equipment that is technically upgraded and in sync with latest technologies, a combination press on their shop floor is ready for delivery. They are also planning a sleeve press that is a mix of flexo and roto gravure. It is a matter of pride for NBG that the customers who have bought their machines have been previously running Gallus machines. In short time from scratch to now they have sold 8 narrow web flexo machines in India besides their offset presses and wide web flexo presses that they produce up to 1.8 meters wide and 1.6-meter repeat for the corrugated bord industry.

In 2004 Nitin married Taruna who had done her engineering from Mumbai university followed by One-Year Management Programme for Senior Executives from INSEAD in 2015. For almost 20 years she worked as an IT professional in corporates. While she was doing fairly well in her last job as Assistant Director in Fidelity International at Gurgaon, Nitin who was growing and expanding both in manufacturing and trading, was short of hands. At that stage family support is important for  growth. She joined NBG as COO in 2024.

Nitin’s father Dr. S K Garg unfortunately got infected during covid and passed away in 2023. His mother, at age 67 , has somewhat withdrawn but still comes to the office for a few hours every day but her role remains advisory.

Since Faridabad has been an engineering hub with a big presence for support to the printing industry, for NBG it became a convenient journey to flourish in. Nitin agrees that that most of the successful brands of Indian flexo presses that have been developed, come from Faridabad, the neighboring industrial suburb of New Delhi. Faridabad is a part of NCR Delhi and a major industrial hub of the state of Haryana. Faridabad already has an infrastructure to cater to the printing industry at large. He says there is no doubt that companies like The Printers House (TPH), Sud & Warren and the likes thereof have been instrumental  for this city to become the printing machinery hub. He says, “I am a big admirer of late Manmohan Kohli of TPH, who not only scaled up businesses, contributed hugely to the growth but was the one who put in systems in place ahead of time”.

NBG’s main assembly plant at IMT Faridabad is on a plot admeasuring 4000 square meters and another parts manufacturing facility of 3000 square meters making a total shop floor area of about 70,000 square feet. Their sales office is in New Delhi’s Connaught Place. They have a total workforce of 150 employees. In terms of infrastructure, Nitin asserts that they are confident of competing with European products as they have the know-how and keep abreast of the latest technologies around the world and can adopt them in their machines. They deliver machines in four months from confirmation of a firm order. The biggest achievement he feels is that 80% of business comes from existing customers, which confirms consistency. NBG has sold 60 presses in the narrow and wide web flexo press category. As regards service, NBG already has a big setup that also caters to their trading activity in international printing and converting equipment. As for the future, they plan to mark their presence in all segments of flexo presses; narrow-web, mid-web and wide-web. As for digital, Nitin says he does not want to depend on anyone, NBG will develop and own digital printing press. They are in the process of aligning with European design specialists for printing equipment to produce the best that is needed globally. Nitin expresses that digital will grow as it is convenience that makes any industry grow, if you see over the years the industry has transformed from letterpress to offset to gravure to flexo and now digital has already impacted the commercial print market.

He concludes, “Whatever is convenient will be the future” He further adds “In 5 years, we don’t know where we will reach but one thing is certain we will try and produce the best; we have always invested back in the company in infrastructure, in know-how and people. It is a legacy of my father, and we will continue to do that.”

Written by Harveer Sahni Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited, New Delhi January 2025

Nineteen Indian entries win Worldstar 2025 awards

<strong>Nineteen Indian entries win Worldstar 2025 awards</strong>

WPO (World Packaging Organisation announced, on January 09, the winners of the WorldStar 2025 Awards, the global packaging competition that sets the standard for excellence in innovation and sustainability. This year marked an exceptional milestone, with 550 entries from 40 countries, culminating in a record of 260 winners.


The top five countries with the highest number of winners are:

1. Japan – 23 winners

2. Austria and Germany – tied with 22 winners each

3. India – 19 winners

4. Australia & New Zealand – 18 winners

5. Turkey – 17 winners

The Indian winners include

ITC Limited

Marico Limited

Kellogg India Pvt. Ltd.

Unilever

Dharampal Satyapal Limited

Britannia R & D Centre

Titan Company

PepsiCo Holdings India Pvt. Ltd.

Pragati Pack (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited

Hygienic Research Institute Pvt. Ltd.

“The incredible number of entries and winners in this 2025 edition reflects the credibility of this global award, the high level of the competition, and the exceptional quality of the packaging solutions submitted from around the world. The participating packaging also showcases the profound evolution of the global packaging industry, driven by innovation, creativity, technology, marketing, digital transformation, and sustainability. It is evident that our industry has embraced current challenges and is prepared to grow continuously and sustainably, meeting the expectations of the modern, connected consumers”, states WPO President, Luciana Pellegrino.

The WorldStar Coordinator and WPO Vice President Marketing, Soha Atallah, adds: “This year has been truly remarkable, not only for the record-breaking participation but also for the outstanding quality of entries. The competition was fierce, reflecting the global advancements in packaging and their commitment to sustainability. I also want to emphasize that WorldStar represents the best of the best, as only winners of recognized national or regional competitions are eligible. This adds a layer of rigor to the selection process, making the achievement even more meaningful. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our esteemed judges for their dedication and expertise in evaluating these exceptional entries.”

The prestigious WorldStar Awards Ceremony will take place on May 30, 2025, during IPACK-IMA, in Milan (May 27–30,2025). During the Award Ceremony, WPO will also announce the winners of the Special Categories, including the President’s Award, Sustainability Award, Marketing Award, and the Packaging that Saves Food Award.

Avery Dennison unveils Premium Labels to elevate packaging for luxury brands in India

Avery Dennison unveils Premium Labels to elevate packaging for luxury brands in India

New range of premium labels designed to enhance shelf appeal and meet evolving consumer demands in key industries

Avery Dennison South Asia a global leader in materials science and packaging solutions, has announced the launch of its Premium Labels range. This new offering includes a portfolio of textured substrates for premium labeling, specifically designed to elevate consumer experiences through unique surface textures and patterns.

In a marketplace where first impressions matter more than ever, premium packaging has become an indispensable element of brand identity. For luxury brands, labels are more than functional—they are statements of craftsmanship and quality. The Premium Labels range is tailored for key industries including wine & spirits, food & beverages, and luxury beauty segments. These labels aim to redefine packaging by enhancing shelf appeal, driving brand differentiation, and catering to the aspirational demands of consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials. The launch is in collaboration with three print converters – Letra Graphix, Pragati Pack HYPERLINK “https://www.aipia.info/member_Pragati-Pack-India-Pvt-Ltd-800.php” India and Janus Inernational.

Unique features of Premium Labels:

  • Enhanced shelf appeal: Designed to capture consumer attention through and elegant packaging.
  • Sustainability focus: Labels are developed with a commitment to reducing environmental impact and promoting circularity.
  • Aspirational packaging: Meets the demands of the growing middle-class consumer base seeking special and personalized experiences.

Speaking on the launch, Saurabh Aggarwal VP & GM South Asia said, “Innovation lies at the core of Avery Dennison’s philosophy. As part of our motto, ‘Making Possible’ we believe in the powerful connection between intellect and imagination, science and technology, and the physical and digital. The launch of our Premium Labels range is a step forward in addressing this philosophy and represents our dedication to redefining what’s possible in the world of labeling. By combining innovative design with a commitment to sustainability, we empower brands to stand out on shelves and connect with consumers in meaningful ways.”

Avery Dennison’s India team commitment to sustainability and innovation drives every initiative it undertakes. By leveraging advanced technologies and sustainable practices, the company aims to create solutions that not only meet the needs of its customers but also contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future. From reducing environmental impact to fostering circular economies, Avery Dennison continues to lead the way in reshaping industries for the better.


About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison is a global materials science and digital identification solutions company. It provides innovative solutions for branding, packaging, and supply chain optimization, focusing on sustainability, circularity, and transparency. With a presence in over 50 countries and a commitment to reducing waste and advancing technology, Avery Dennison connects brands and consumers while addressing the challenges of future generations.

For media queries: shagun.walia@ap.averydennison.com

Printing industry congregates at Print Summit PS2025

Printing industry congregates at Print Summit PS2025

Over the years, the annual event “Print Summit,” organized by BMPA, the Bombay Master Printers Association, has attracted a lot of interest from the printing fraternity. The event initiated in 2005 has grown immensely. The recent edition titled PS2025 and themed “Unstoppable” held at Mumbai’s iconic Tata theatre in Nariman Point area, had over 1000 delegates coming in from all parts of the country. The hall was busting at seams, with many standing to witness the deliberations. 

The event that originally was looked upon as the one for offset printers has completely transformed if we look at the diverse delegate profile. We saw participants from all printing formats like offset, flexo, screen, gravure and digital. It was not only an event where owners of family managed companies attended but it was largely evident that those who visited included besides business owners, Industry stalwarts, print buyers, professional managers, sales executives, production people, industry suppliers, media and whoever had the interest in this segment. 

In words of Faheem Agboatwala Chairperson of PS2025, who also moderated the event wonderfully, “This is the Mahakumbh of Print”. Mahakumbh is a mass pilgrimage of Hindu religion attended by millions. Faheem was drawing a comparison referring to the ever-growing patronage of this event. It appears that BMPA will have to consider the next event to a larger venue. Mehul Desai past president of BMPA after presenting the activities and work of BMPA handed over the stage to Tushar Bhotica to deliver the welcome address and initiate deliberations. He stressed the importance of  resilience, innovation and sustainability.

The quality of presentations and the selection of speakers was excellent and left the audience spellbound, rising for standing ovations multiple times to applaud. Though most of the presentations were exceptional yet there were some that left the audience in awe.

Anand Kripalu Managing Director and global CEO of EPL, came on to stage to deliver a highly inspirational presentation sharing his vast experiences in renowned companies that have a global footprint, he reminisced about the important turnaround actions, journeys and experiences in his time at companies that include Unilever, Cadbury, Diageo, and EPL. His words, “Perfection requires focus” delivered a strong message.

The most applauded presentation and panel discussion came from Milap Shah, founder and chief product officer at PrintStop, industry leaders Shiva Viswanathan, co-founder and CMO at Catenate, and Manu Choudhury, director at CDC Printers. They unveiled the magic of artificial intelligence, while Manu demonstrated the amazing adaptation and usage in his business. He demonstrated live, how his customers can put across an enquiry through WhatsApp which is processed by AI and with linkage input from his ERP, instant quotes are generated. Additionally, customers can negotiate with the system without interference from Manu or his team. It left the audience spellbound. Milap and Shiva too gave valuable information on usage of AI.

Neelendra Singh, the general manager at Adidas India, traversed the history of Adidas globally and its journey to become the largest brand in India with drive to encourage sports and sportspersons. Conveying the company’s mission to empower the ordinary citizens for sport, he quoted the slogan “Hum nahi karenge toh kaun karega” (If we do not do it, then who will?).

Tejas Goenka, the managing director of Tally Solutions, had his father Bharat Goenka on stage in a panel discussion. They ran through the 38 years of Bharat Goenka’s journey in establishing Tally from scratch. It was an interesting eye-opening discussion hearing how he peddled his software at a time when there were just a few computers with businesses. He also dwelled on how he achieved the succession of his company to son Tejas who had no interest in family business . Tejas also spoke on his taking over and carrying forward the legacy of his illustrious father.

K.B.S. Anand, a graduate of IIT Bombay and IIM, CEO of Asian Paints who has spent decades in the company in various roles reaching a pinnacle. He recounted the history of the company from its humble beginnings to reaching a whopping turnover of over Rupees 35,000 Crores. He said, “the secret of success is that managements must give talent freedom to take decision and implement these decisions without fear besides keeping complete transparency with customers.”

Iqbal Kherodawala of Printline Reproductions Pvt. Ltd., started by explaining what a maverick is. He explained that he is a person who challenges norms and brings innovative perspectives to life and business and sees opportunities where others see limitations. He narrated the inspirational stories of two stalwarts of the printing industry, whom he presented as Mavericks through two films. These are Khushru Patel of Jak Printers, Mumbai, and K. Selvakumar of Lovely Offset, Sivakasi. Khushru Patel and his partner started their printing press Jak Printers in modest 375-sqft premises and expanding it to a huge facility in the heart of Mumbai. Jak Printers has been a recipient of 33 international and 400 national awards, it shows his dedication to quality. A hard working and committed businessman Khushroo is a family first person. Pursuing his other passion, he acquired a huge farmhouse in Lonavala where he created a lake within. He has love for horses, given his acquiring riding skills and has cattle at the farm exhibiting his love and care for animals. The other maverick K. Selvakumar is a modest and humble personality from Lovely Offset Sivakasi, operating from a facility spread over 30 acres catering to an international customer base. They have 1,000 employees, generate solar power in excess of their own need, and have transformed Sivakasi’s water table through rainwater harvesting. Creating forests, he has planted 300,000 trees and vows to reach a crore of trees in a year. He has also invested in water channels to revive catchment areas, transforming barren land for environmental rejuvenation. His efforts have resulted in the water table rising from 800 feet to just 25 feet. Society needs more mavericks like K. Selvakumar.

There were awe inspiring sessions by Sascha Fisher from lead sponsor Koenig & Bauer, Sunanda Leelaram, Harsha Bhogle and the icing on the case was a scintillating performance by maestro Taufiq Quereshi ending with a standing ovation!

Labelexpo India 2024 showcases transformation.

Labelexpo India 2024 showcases transformation.

This was the first Labelexpo India after the holding company Tarsus PLC, the erstwhile owners of Labelexpos were acquired by Informa markets, a global organizer of events in various global verticals. Since the new owners decided to retain the same team of labelexpo,  the smooth transition and continuation was evident. 

It was the largest show until now. The show was held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida with a 30% higher floorspace than the 2022 edition. The largest ever number 13724 visitors came to show from, besides India,  many countries including those in Middle East, Russia and Africa. Normally we see only label printers and non-exhibiting suppliers as visitors to the show, this time it was a welcome change to see quite a few brand owners/Print buyers as visitors studying the nuances of label manufacturing. It is felt that with the growing need for customized runs and increasing number of startups, some label buyers may be considering captive label production as well. 

Inaugurating the Labelexpo India 2024, Jade Grace Managing Director welcomed the visitors to this important event. In his welcome address, Rajesh Chadha President LMAI assured LMAI’s continued support  and delivering value to the label fraternity.  After consultations with LMAI and other stakeholders, Informa Markets have decided to hold the next edition of this important event at the same venue in 2026.

For the past two consecutive editions of Labelexpo India we have witnessed the absence of European and American flexo label presses running live at the event, though some made their presence felt through their local agents or Indian subsidiaries. However still, there were many flexo label presses displayed, and most of them were Indian made ones followed by a few from China. It is an indication of a transformation that one can expect Indian and Chinese manufacturers of flexo presses, tooling and consumables will have increasing number of exhibitors at Labelexpo Europe.

The transformation is happening by the evolution of technologies taking place in these Asian neighbours. Fewer Chinese companies came as exhibitors due to Visa restrictions, which may change with thaw in the relations between the countries. Of course, we cannot write off the western manufacturers who lead the way to evolution by creating equipment that transforms from production of only labels to produce multiple products like Flexible packaging, Lami tubes and Folding Cartons. Their focus is now moving to wider presses, which are hybrid, incorporating diverse printing and converting technologies resulting in lesser wastages, quick changeovers, increased embellishments, sustainable production and processes. The presses now being offered integrate flexo, offset, screen, gravure and digital inline in a single pass.

Digital label printing has also continued to grow in India. Most prominent companies including HP, Domino, Durst, Xeikon, Konica Minolta, Pulisi, etc. displayed their digital presses and label printers’ interest was seen in with serious intent. Indian label industry being mostly dominated in numbers by family managed middle and lower end companies find the high-end digital presses being beyond their immediate reach even though their desire to acquire digital printing capabilities was seen in substantial measure. Printers exhibited a lot of interest in entry level tabletop digital printing equipment. These digital printers though are priced lower, but their higher printing cost confuses converters. Those who understood the power of digital making its necessity felt in label manufacturing, did make purchase decisions at the show.

Given the trend of the middle level label companies looking at entry level equipment, it indicates that it is just some more time before they graduate to the bigger digital label and package printing equipment. The transformation has begun. The industry is and firmly marching towards digital label printing and converting.

On the material side while the global leaders Avery Dennison displayed their innovations and advances especially in the RFID label technologies and linerless labels. UPM too exhibited their new and sustainable product offerings. A substantial number of Indian labelstock manufacturers put their best in front rubbing shoulders with the multinational material producers. Prominent amongst them were SMI, MLJ, Capri, Stic-on, Dubble, Desmat and many others. Silicone liners specialist Loparex exhibited their diverse range of backing papers, films and linerless materials.

Sustainability seems to be catching up the attention of all in the self-adhesive label’s ecosystem. From equipment suppliers to material suppliers are now talking of sustainability endeavours and the imperative need for the 4R’s, reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover. Indeed, this is a welcome transformation. Yet, there is a lot more needed, and the onus is also on brand owners and print buyers to impress suppliers to implement sustainable manufacturing practices and to use FSC certified products and to conserve energy.

In the second half of 14th of November, the opening day of Labelexpo India 2024, the author’s book titled “Untold stories of Indian label industry” was launched at the HP stand in presence of Industry leaders and media. Prominent were Yoav Lotan, Appadurai and team from HP, Anil Sharma, Pankaj Bhardwaj and Saurabh Agarwal from Avery Dennison, Rajesh Chadha president and his leadership team of LMAI, Media presence included Labels & Labeling, Printweek, Packaging South Asia, Packman, Press Ideas along with a host of industry friends and supporters of the author. The Hp team hosted the event supported by Avery Dennison, LMAI (Label Manufacturers Association  of India and Pragati Pack. 

The book UNTOLD STORIES OF INDIAN LABEL INDUSTRY”  Author: Harveer Sahni, chronicles history of Indian labels industry from the very beginning when the first self-adhesive label was produced manually. It covers success stories, lives of leading  label printers and coverage of important label events in India. It also dwells on the most defining moments, the young czars of label industry and the women who lend glamour to the vibrant label Industry. It is the first of its kind of endeavor anywhere in the world. It is a 320-page coffee table book with rare pictures.

On the second evening of Labelexpo India the LMAI Gallus-HEIDELBERG Label Awards night was held to commemorate the finest of label printers in India. An outstanding event curated under the exacting and fine detailed planning leadership of event chairman and past president of LMAI Kuldip Goel. The virtual who is who of Indian label industry was present. The event interspaced with entertainment slots was attended by over 700 delegates from the global label industry. 

A touching part of this evening was bidding farewell to Industry stalwart Ferdinand Ruesch IV, senior vice president, global key accounts at Gallus, popularly known as Ferdi who is retiring after 40 years of dedicated service to the global printing and packaging industry. It was a nostalgic moment and will remain memorable forever. 

The evening ended with music, dance and partying, looking forward to yet another vibrant LMAI event.

 More images:

Written and compiled by Harveer Sahni Chairman Weldon Celloplast Limited New Delhi November 2024

Brotech at Labelexpo India 2024

<strong>Brotech at Labelexpo India 2024</strong>

Brotech, Established in 2004, with headquarter in Shenzhen, China is a provider of a diverse range of converting, finishing solutions and hybrid digital & finishing solutions for the label and flexible packaging industry, especially digital printed label section. Their offerings of machines cover products such as pressure sensitive label, IML label, shrink sleeve, cut & stack label, EAS, RFID, tickets and tags, booklet labels etc. and flexible packaging.

Brotech will be present at Labelexpo India along with their exclusive distributors in India, Weldon Celloplast Limited on their stand E8, Hall-10 in India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida – Delhi NCR. From November 14th to 17th 2024. “Our partners Weldon will showcase our products to our large expanding customer base in India” says Ramon Lee, Managing Director of Brotech Graphics Co. Ltd. He further adds, “Brotech is dedicated to providing flexible automation solutions to converters and manufacturers worldwide”.

KD Sahni, Managing Director Weldon Celloplast says, “Brotech has been consistently supplied performing equipment to convertors in India, the reliability of their equipment is proven by the repetitive acquisitions by loyal customers” He added, Brotech’s special machine for IML with auto stacker is a hot seller preferred by convertors”

Weldon Celloplast Limited

304, 3rd Floor,9/2 East Patel Nagar,New Delhi-110008,India

Mobile : 999 00 66660, Telephone: +91 11 25740089

email: kd@weldoncelloplast.com website: www.weldoncelloplast.com 

Eluvio partners with Weldon to exhibit at Labelexpo India

<strong>Eluvio partners with Weldon to exhibit at Labelexpo India</strong>

eluvio s.r.o. established in 2001 and headquartered in Czech Republic is a supplier of flexible dies for the printing industry. They offer high-quality, precise and variable tools, which are produced using the latest technologies. In a short time frame, they have acquired a substantial market share because of consistent good quality and service.

Eluvio will be present at Labelexpo India with their exclusive distributor Weldon Celloplast Limited. Tono Sánchez Reig sales manager of eluvio says, “We will look forward to meeting the Indian label fraternity at Labelexpo India where we will be present along with our Indian partner Weldon.”

“In a short time eluvio has gained the trust of leading label companies in India, and continues to expand their footprint” Says K D Sahni managing Director, Weldon Celloplast Limited.

Weldon Celloplast Limited

04, 3rd Floor, 9/2 East Patel Nagar,

New Delhi-110008 India

email: info@weldoncelloplast.com website: www.weldoncelloplast.com

Vetaphone to exhibit at Label Expo India

<strong>Vetaphone to exhibit at Label Expo India</strong>

We are thrilled to be exhibiting our corona technology at Labelexpo India 2024.  The event, which takes place in New Delhi on 14th-17th November, is expected to attract visitors from more than 50 countries across Asia to see more than 250 stands at the Expo Centre & Mart in Great Noida.

Vetaphone, which is represented in India by Weldon Celloplast (Hall 10 Stand E8), will have corona treaters in working demonstration on the UV Graphic Technologies stand (A18), and on the Domino stand (A22) where it is mounted on a digital press fitted with a UV Graphics flexo unit.

Speaking for Vetaphone, Area Sales Manager for Asia Pacific Holger Selenka commented: “The Indian sub-continent, with its annual growth rate in label printing of around 10%, is a key area for Vetaphone in strategic terms and we are looking forward welcoming our existing users and meeting new customers along with our friends and colleagues on the Weldon Celloplast stand.”