A converter needs to decide between flexo or digital depending on the brand

Noel D’Cunha (ND): How have the previous four years, since the last Labelexpo Europe 2019 been for your company – new moves, company health in terms of finances?
Selvaraj Venkatesh (SV): After Labelexpo 2019, Printronics, a partnership company has become Newgen Printronics, a private limited company. We are now planning to manufacture sophisticated machinery incorporating AI technology.

Newgen Printronics is also associated with a few other international brands, such as DCM, Lundberg Tech, Polly Automatic, for selling their product and solutions in labels and flexible packaging segments. We are growing steadily every year and building up our financials to have our own manufacturing plant without external borrowing. 

ND: Your presence at the Labelexpo Europe 2023 – what’s different this time?
SV: We are offering more products and solutions for the labels and packaging segment. All our principals are exhibiting newer technology, which will help our customers get enhanced quality, reduce wastage and increase productivity. Some of our principals will also launch new models of their machinery.

ND: Your theme at the show and your star/key product(s)?
SV: Our theme is to embrace innovation, and empower labels. Our key products at Labelexpo will be Durst UV inkjet digital press and Omet Flexo press. Of course, the other brands we represent are also important.

The Durst digital presses are now fully capable of handling multiple applications as per current trends, wherein customers are now looking for different business opportunities. Customers visiting Durst's booth will get to know how to produce high-quality and cost-effective products for labels and packaging segments to improve their profit margins.

The Omet flexo presses are way ahead in offering printing and converting solutions with multiple combination printing processes. Customers visiting the Omet booth will get to know the different kinds of embellishments possible from eight-micron to 500-gsm boards.

ND: The global print label market size has reached USD 45.2-billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 58.8-billion by 2028 at a growth rate of CAGR of 4.17% during 2023-2028. The global labels market reached a volume of nearly 60.3 billion sqm in 2020 and reach 78.5 billion sqm by 2026. Do these numbers excite you? And why? What is your market share globally and in India?
SV: Any positive growth is exciting for us. We have a strong opinion that the growth rate in India will be more than estimated since we could find the same year on year.  All our principal manufacturers have different market shares based on the products they offer. In India too, we have different market shares based on the machines, but we can confirm on average 20-25% market share for Newgen Printronics.

ND: Consistency in print quality from the 1st to the last label with every label in between. Five simple steps you would recommend to achieve this. How many Indian label printers do you see this being implemented?
SV: One, good application knowledge. Two, proper pre-press work; reliable and steady printing and converting machines. Three, proper and timely maintenance of machines. Four, durable and good quality labels stock. Five, no compromise on consumables, and six, quality control at every stage of the printing and converting process.

All leading label converters strictly follow the above steps.

ND: What does sustainability mean to you – downgauging, renewable raw materials, recyclable, circular economy?
SV: Renewable raw materials, recyclable

ND: Are brands using flexo better or digital?
SV: Depending upon the brand, a converter needs to decide between flexo or digital. Our digital press customers also print PS labels, lamitubes, IML, cartons and shrink sleeves.

ND: What more should the flexo or a digital player do to convince top brands in order to establish technology leadership?
SV: Flexo is useful for different types of embellishment which can improve the image of brands.

Digital is useful where there are many SKUs, short, and medium run lengths, no unwanted inventories, and branding based on the market or event. Digital is also useful for printing QR code, variable data, and track and trace.

ND: Extended colour gamut is being talked about. How do the brands see the process or even ask for it?
SV: It all depends upon brands. Frankly, many brands don’t even know about extended colour gamut.

ND: Some numbers – production, sales during 2022 and 2023 (overall and in India)? Your projections for 2024?
SV: We are selling multiple products and solutions. So, it will be difficult to provide projections about all machines.

ND:  Your plan for India?
SV: We want to introduce newer technologies which will help converters offer multiple solutions with consistent quality. We want to offer reliable solutions to customers to reduce wastage at all levels and improve their profit margin. We want to get into manufacturing sophisticated converting machines incorporating AI technology.