In this conversation, Venugopal Menon, zone business director of sales, folding carton and corrugated board – Indian Subcontinent at Bobst India, discusses business in packaging and how Bobst can help the packagers make their businesses agile

Tough 12 months?
Business has been good across the segments. I do not expect any major surprise or crisis in the short- to mid-term. The industry should bounce back but going forward, it will be survival of the fittest.

PrintWeek has observed that businesses have been cautious in managing their cash flow and inventory with the volatile raw material prices, supply chain challenges and increasing credit cycle...
Yes, and that is why it is important that money is well spent on an asset that can give the best returns in the long term by improving production efficiencies and shortening the turnaround.

How does Bobst contribute to making the packagers profitable?
Bobst has been promoting its – Connected Services, which is one of the pillars that will shape the future of the packaging world. It is a service wherein all stakeholders are connected to a digitalised and automated workflow from a cloud-based platform. This will help them access real-time information from anywhere, making the production process more agile and efficient.

These services will encompass the entire product portfolio produced at Bobst.

Your outlook on the print packaging segment...
Packaging will do well in the mid- to long-term and will be the growth engine for the future.

Bobst Novafold

Hence it is important to recognise excellence in print and keep the momentum going...
We must recognise what the print brings forth – through the passion and dedication of our discerning printers who put in their creative best to create value for their buyers. The industry tries its best to differentiate itself from the competition by creating that wow factor and PrintWeek Awards becomes that medium through which they can gain recognition and become a star at this prestigious ceremony.  

The packagers need to be vigilant about certain risks?
The biggest risk for an Indian printer or converter today is – not knowing your costs and wastage. Also return on capital employed will be an important measure to judge how efficiently a company uses its capital to generate profit.

Your advice?
Create your niche and stay focussed on what you are good at. Always keep a long-term view when it comes to investment, entering a new market segment, or looking to partner with your end-customers. The most important is to learn to let go of print packaging jobs/orders, which do not fetch returns.